About Debra Battersby

You Deserve to Feel Great. I’m Here to Help.

Qualifications

  • Master of Counselling and Human Services MCHS (Hon)
  • Grad. Cert. in Developmental Trauma GCDT
  • Bachelor of Arts in Christian Counselling BACC
  • Specialist Couples Therapy
  • Advanced Cert in Supervision
  • NDIS Registered Service Provider

Areas Debra specialises in

  • Abuse
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Relationship Issues

My Background and Training

Heart Life Counselling was established in 2003 to facilitate my passion for helping people stuck in old ineffective habitual ways of coping that are no longer helpful. My name is Debra and Heart Life Counselling is a counselling service for individual adults (16+) and couples that also has a special interest in supporting recovery from trauma & abuse.

In 2006, counselling services were extended to include Relationship, Couples Marriage and Pre-marriage counselling.

In 2017 we became an NDIS Registered Service Provider

A trauma-informed, integrated eclectic approach is aimed at being holistic by incorporating mind, emotions, body & spirit/soul in the growth and healing journey.

Modalities utilised include Psychotherapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing), Somatic Therapy, Schema Therapy, Existential Therapy, Creative Therapy and Mindfulness. The eclectic model is in recognition that clients are all different and one counselling model doesn’t suit everyone. This allows flexibility tailored to each client.

More about Debra

With 16 year’s clinical experience and 20 years training behind me, as a qualified Trauma-informed holistic counsellor in Chirnside Park we seek to help clients to explore issues, focus is on identifying and dealing with the deeper root causes of their difficulties, rather than focusing on and treating symptoms alone. 

Counselling generally begins with conscious awareness of the symptoms a person is struggling with, the process of counselling then moves to bring into awareness deeper unconscious root causes of difficulties.

 Life is like a symphony of many experiences whereby some parts have unexpected tones when issues emerge. 

Whilst being an accredited counsellor with many years’ experience, the client is the expert of their life.  Clients are respectfully and compassionately supported to explore their concerns and difficulties with a listening ear for clues in the story of what possibly needs to be expressed, processed and resolved through connecting more deeply with themselves. When we understand where something is coming from it is much easier to begin to change. Through this process client’s gain a deeper understanding and awakening to themselves, opening up new opportunities for personal growth and empowerment.

Additional Professional Experience:

Relationships Australia (Vic)
I joined the team of counsellors at Relationships Australia (Vic) in 2010 working with individuals and couples with a wide range of personal and relationship issues which includes supporting family’s experiencing relationship difficulties, affairs, family violence.

Since the commencement of the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse my role included being a designated counsellor working with survivors. The focus of therapy includes individual survivors of abuse, their spouses and other family members affected by vicarious trauma.

An extension of the therapeutic work included developing & delivering a one day psycho-educational “Relationship Skill Building” workshop for couples.

Professional Supervision
Since 2011, Professional supervision, secondary consultation & mentoring have offered to support professional development and clinical work with clients using a reflective model.

NDIS Registered Provider
In 2017 Heart Life Counselling was accepted as a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) service provider.

Adjunct Lecturer (3 years) for full semester modules…
– Human Lifespan Development
– Marriage & Family Counselling
teaching under- & post-graduate students at Tabor College in Victoria.

Workshops and professional development training seminars

  • One day psycho-educational “Relationship Skill Building” workshop for couples.
  • Co-development & lead therapist for two Trauma & Abuse Recovery Programs – 9 Week program & 5 Day Residential program.

(The recovery programs were specifically designed for survivors of childhood trauma resulting from abuse and neglect. Grounded in recent research showing how trauma impacts the development of the brain, the concept of self, and ways of relating to others. The program uses information and therapeutic tools to assist survivors to better understand how they have experienced life, their coping strategies and further their recovery process.)