Anxiety Counselling & Somatic Therapy – Bondi Junction, Sydney (Online Australia-wide)

Somatic psychotherapy looks at how anxiety, stress, and past experiences are interpreted and processed by both your mind and body. I combine talking with body-based techniques; such as breath pacing, orienting, grounding, and tracking thought, feeling, and sensation; along with simple cognitive strategies if helpful.

By exploring how your thoughts, feelings, actions, and bodily sensations interact, we help you feel calmer, more grounded, and better able to handle life’s challenges. 

• You experience persistent anxiety, worry, or “what if” thinking that affects your daily life.
  
• Your body feels tense, restless, or on edge, even when there’s no immediate danger.
  
• Racing thoughts, difficulty concentrating, or constant mental chatter make it hard to focus or relax.
  
• You feel disconnected from your body or emotions and want to feel more present.
  
• You want tools to manage anxiety in the moment, calm your nervous system, and respond rather than react.
  
• You want to develop resilience, reconnect with your body, and feel more grounded, calm, and confident.
  

Somatic psychotherapy draws on the Window of Tolerance and Polyvagal frameworks to support your nervous system in managing anxiety. Anxiety often arises when your system is pushed above its window - into hyper‑arousal with racing thoughts, tension, shallow breathing, dissociation and heightened bodily responses.

By applying body‑calming tools (breath pacing, breathing techniques, tracking thoughts, feelings, and sensations, orienting, grounding), relaxation techniques and integrating simple cognitive strategies to support your nervous system to return to a regulated zone.

Over time this expands your capacity to remain present, think clearly, and respond rather than react - building resilience to manage your anxiety in daily life.

• Sessions run for 60 minutes and are available both in-person (Sydney) and online.
  
• We generally begin with weekly sessions to build continuity and safety, with frequency reviewed as your needs change.
  
•  Your first session focuses on information gathering: understanding your past, how anxiety shows up in your life, and what changes you’d like to create. 

 Yes, absolutely.

• Adults (18+) committed to a process of sustained and embodied change.
  
• Individuals seeking greater resilience, agency, and the ability to manage anxiety more effectively.
  
• My practice centres on Somatic Psychotherapy, using counselling to facilitate deep, embodied, and lasting change.
  
• I am not a crisis service and do not provide clinical diagnoses or assessments.
  
• If you have an existing mental health diagnosis, my role is to offer complementary support through embodied exploration and practical nervous system regulation skills.
  
• While this can sit alongside care from a Psychologist or Psychiatrist, it can also support ongoing wellbeing between or beyond clinical appointments.

Somatic psychotherapy works with the two-way communication between brain and body, which can be influenced by anxiety, past experiences, or habitual patterns, creating automatic ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving that may no longer serve you.

Drawing on frameworks like the Window of Tolerance, we use body-based regulation tools; breath pacing, grounding, orienting, and tracking thoughts, feelings, and sensations; alongside simple cognitive strategies.

This helps you notice and regulate your responses in real time, supporting calmer thinking and emotional balance. Over time, it strengthens resilience and the capacity to respond rather than react, helping you manage anxiety more effectively.

•  Price & Duration: $150 per 60-minute individual session (online or in-person).
• Rebates: Counselling and psychotherapy are not covered under the Australian Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS). Fees are set affordably to ensure support is accessible.
• Availability: Sessions available in-person (Bondi Junction) and online. Weekend and after-hours appointments can be requested via the contact form.
• Wait Time: Bookings generally available within 7 days.

As a Registered Counsellor and Somatic Therapist, I uphold strong ethical standards, privacy, and confidentiality as a health professional. I am a member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), the International Institute of Core Energetics, and the International Institute of Complementary Therapies.

I maintain high clinical standards through regular supervision and ongoing professional development. My counselling training was completed with the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors (AIPC), and my specialised somatic training with the Institute of Body Psychotherapy.

How does somatic therapy help with anxiety?

Somatic therapy helps you understand anxiety through your bodily sensations, rather than only through your thoughts. By experiencing how your nervous system responds to stress, you can begin to recognise patterns and build greater capacity for calm and balance.

What can I expect in a session if my main concern is anxiety?

Sessions gently blend conversation with guided awareness of your body, breath, and movement. We go at a pace that feels safe and steady, supporting your nervous system to find more regulation and ease over time.

Will somatic therapy make me re-live stressful or anxious experiences?

No. Somatic therapy doesn’t require you to re-experience distressing memories. Instead, we work with small, manageable moments of awareness that help your body release tension and restore a sense of safety.

Can somatic therapy work for anxiety that feels mostly physical (tight chest, racing heart, restlessness)?

Yes. Somatic therapy is especially supportive when anxiety shows up in the body. By learning to notice and gently respond to these sensations, your system begins to recognise safety and settle more naturally over time.

What if I’ve already tried CBT or medication — can somatic work still help?

Yes — somatic therapy can complement approaches like CBT or medication by engaging the body’s role in anxiety. It offers another pathway for change when thinking-based methods haven’t fully shifted the physical patterns of stress.

What if I get anxious during a session?

That’s completely okay — anxiety is part of what we’re here to explore. We’ll always work within your window of capacity, using grounding and regulation tools so you can stay present and supported as we go.

How is Somatic Therapy different from talk therapy?

Talk therapy focuses on thoughts and cognitions. Somatic therapy complements this by working with the body and nervous system, integrating bodily sensations, posture, and movement. (As a counsellor, Kylie weaves talk therapy strategies into sessions, tailored to each individual’s requirements.)

What happens in a therapy session?

Most sessions start with a conversation. As we talk, you’ll be invited to sense, pause, and explore what’s happening inside. We’ll gently guide you into your body to notice what it’s been holding — for example, tightness, restlessness, or subtle shifts. Through dialogue, movement, and expression, we work to understand and integrate this information, supporting your insight and clarity. Our aim is to help you leave feeling calm, strong, and resilient.

Does it involve physical touch?

Touch may be offered as an optional way to support or teach self-soothing techniques. It is always explained clearly, and your explicit consent is required before any use.

What kind of anxiety-related issues does Somatic Therapy help with?

Somatic therapy can help people navigate anxiety, stress, grief, relationship challenges, life transitions, and the lingering impact of past experiences. It also supports those experiencing chronic tension or patterns affecting thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and bodily sensations, helping build resilience and overall mental wellbeing.

Do I need a doctor's referral or a Mental Health Care Plan?

No, a referral or a Mental Health Care Plan is not required; counselling is a self-referred service in Australia.

Do you offer private health fund rebates?

No, counselling and psychotherapy are currently not covered under the Medical Benefits Scheme in Australia.

We are located within Inner Shine Clinic, Suite 6/108 Bronte Road, Bondi Junction NSW 2026, Australia

• Metered and unmetered parking is available nearby.
• Bus Routes:  313, 350, 360, 379 - Stop ID 202235, Bronte Rd at Birrell St.
• Bondi Junction Train station: 10 min walk