About Me
Hi! I’m Renée.
I am passionate about helping people have a better life.
I have worked in my private practice in the Northern Illawarra area for over 16 years, providing therapy, training, supervision and coaching for businesses and private practice.
I have over 20 years experience working in therapy and the community.
Though these credentials and professional experiences don’t sum up who I am. My passion for helping people overcome the challenges they face is what I love doing most.
I offer face-to-face and online counselling, coaching, training and mentoring services.
What programs and services are on offer
My private practice offers individual, couples and family therapy, as well as Clinical Supervision, Coaching, Training, Spiritual Guidance and Mentoring.
Counselling and psychotherapy look to the past, the present and then to the future as to what makes you who you are and where you have come from. Working with you, I can also look at where you wish to go.
In coaching, we look at what could we learn from in history and try something new and different.
See Caleb Storkey’s article on What Makes a Good Life Coach here.
On a regular basis, I also offers workshops, retreats and classes for anyone to attend.
Finally, you are not the same as anyone else.
Working with me, we will look at your goals for your life or your work.
I provide support to my clients because I have been in your position too.
Over the years, I have sought counselling – as is suggested by my professional association, PACFA. So I provide support because I care about you, your world and to assist you have a better, happier life.
Renée McDonald professional services are different in their service offerings…
The counselling, programs, training and therapeutic interventions provided by me consider your needs. It is not just one form of counselling that I provide, as everyone is different in the context of their family, the broader society or their unique culture.
I have continued to learn about the best practice methods of how best to help you.
None of us live in a vacuum and we need to continue to live in our beautiful planet, despite the human destruction of the planet in which we live.
It’s important for you to be able to bring all of yourself into therapy, whether it be talking about what’s important to you, what you’re struggling with, or just what you’d like to work on.
It’s important that your therapy is about you – and that it’s a private, confidential and safe place.
The foundation training I have is in person-centred or client-centred therapy. Beyond this training, I have training in CBT, Existential psychotherapy, broader integrated humanistic psychotherapy, transpersonal psychotherapy and coaching. This means in the therapy that is provided it is all about you and attaining the best achievable outcomes for you. This is looking at you in the context of who you are – and what you’re personally grappling with.
I am happy to work with you, no matter what your life experience or the issue you need support with.
I am a registered clinical member and accredited Clinical Supervisor of PACFA as well as a member of ACSA. Being a member is important for you to know as it is the premier registration body for counsellors and psychotherapists in Australia. This means I must hold at least a Bachelor in order to be a member of PACFA. All PACFA members must have First Aid Certificates, active Working With Children Checks and ongoing Criminal Record Checks.
In addition, I am a Victims of Crime Counsellor, which means I have additional training in trauma and trauma assessment. I can also see clients if they are on the NDIS register, so long as you are plan or self-managed.
Over the years, I have trained additionally in couple, family and therapy work and I currently train couples in Couples Therapy with CG Spectrum Institute.
My qualifications are; a Bachelor of Counselling (Coaching), Graduate Diploma of Counselling, Master of Applied Social Science (MAppSocSc). I also have a Certificate IV in Training & Assessment and a Diploma of Music.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for your free 15-minute chat today, if you feel as though you could benefit from some extra support, guidance and a deserved helping hand.