I’m Brianna King, Founder and Therapist at Light the Way Counselling.

Witnessing people embrace healthy change and growth is one of my greatest joys. I love seeing the transformation that unfolds when someone becomes aware of their inner world, sheds old, unhelpful patterns, and begins returning to their authentic Self. To be invited into that process is always a profound privilege.

My passion for therapy and holistic health comes from my own lived experience. I’ve faced attachment trauma, long-term anxiety and depression, suicidal ideation, low self-worth, grief and loss, forms of addiction, and other painful cycles. Over the years, through deep self-awareness, personal growth, self-compassion, and a commitment to my spiritual journey, I’ve experienced profound transformation in these areas.

Learning how to emotionally regulate myself has been one of the most life-changing skills I’ve developed. When we begin to understand our inner world and how our nervous system works, things that once felt overwhelming start to make sense. We gain more choice in how we respond to life, rather than feeling constantly pushed around by it.

I’ve always been a naturally curious person — someone who enjoys exploring different perspectives, asking deeper questions, and going down the occasional “rabbit hole” in search of understanding. That curiosity is part of what draws me to therapeutic work. I believe awareness truly helps people navigate life. When we understand ourselves more clearly, we don’t have to keep bumping around in the dark repeating the same painful patterns.

For me, healing is not a destination — it’s a lifestyle. There’s no finish line where we suddenly arrive fully “healed.” Instead, over time we begin to understand ourselves and others on deeper levels. We grow more present, more balanced, and less reactive. Our self-worth strengthens, our boundaries become clearer, and we begin living lives that feel more aligned with who we truly are.

I don’t regret my past — it has shaped my capacity for empathy, emotional depth, and understanding. It allows me to genuinely connect with those going through similar struggles. The therapeutic modalities I use are the same ones that helped me in my own journey, because I believe in offering approaches that truly support meaningful change (while also recognising that my approach may not be the right fit for everyone).

I’m not a perfect, clinical robot — I’m a human being who continues doing my own inner work. I like to practice what I preach and deeply believe in the quote "We can only meet others as deep as we've met ourselves." We all carry unhealed parts of ourselves; the difference is whether we are willing to acknowledge them and grow.

Light the Way Counselling grew from a desire to offer the kind of support I once needed myself — a place where people can explore their inner world honestly and safely, without judgement. I’m deeply passionate about helping people develop awareness, because when individuals heal and become more conscious, it doesn’t just change their life — it changes their relationships, families, and the wider world around them.

I’ve been married since 2017, and my relationship has been one of my greatest teachers. Earlier in our journey I leaned more anxious in my attachment style, while my husband leaned more avoidant. Over time we’ve both done a lot of inner work to build greater security, communication, and emotional understanding in our relationship. Like all relationships, it remains a work in progress — and that lived experience is one of the reasons I feel so passionate about helping others navigate relationship patterns and attachment dynamics.

Outside of therapy, I live in the high country of North Eastern Victoria on a property my husband and I are slowly turning into a homestead. It’s home to horses, dogs, cats, chooks, alpacas, sheep, cows, and plenty of native wildlife including koalas, possums, kangaroos, wombats, and countless birds. It’s my sanctuary, and I’m deeply grateful for it.

I’m very much a nature person and feel most at home in quiet, rural spaces rather than busy cities. I enjoy exploring new places, discovering small towns, good food, and unique experiences along the way. I have a strong desire to travel—not in a rushed way, but to really experience places. I’m especially drawn to historical buildings, and places that hold a sense of age, story, and wisdom. There’s something about ancient spaces and traditions that feels deeply meaningful to me.

Earlier in life I was a competitive show jumper (equestrian) and spent many years breeding horses and ponies. While life has shifted and I’m no longer involved in that world in the same way, horses and the lessons they taught me about awareness, patience, and connection have stayed with me.

My school years shaped a lot of how I came to understand myself.

For a long time, I leaned into being the “good girl”—trying to get good marks, do the right thing, and be seen as responsible. I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform, to be liked by teachers, and to feel like I was doing life “properly.”

Socially, I often felt more comfortable in one-on-one friendships or small circles. Large groups never quite felt like me. I didn’t resonate with what was often valued or idolised in those spaces—it felt surface-level, and I struggled to find where I fit within it.

High school, in particular, was challenging. I went from feeling confident in my abilities to suddenly feeling very average. Like a big fish in a small pond becoming a small fish in a much bigger one. At the same time, it seemed like everyone else was moving through milestones I wasn’t—socially, relationally—while I was focused on school and competing in showjumping. There was a sense of being out of sync, a bit different, not quite belonging.

Like many young people, there were moments where I tried to fit in in ways that didn’t align with who I really was. Navigating mixed messages, social pressure, and identity can be confusing, and at times, painful. There were experiences, labels, and losses that impacted how I saw myself and where I felt I stood with others.

Eventually, things became overwhelming. My system went into a kind of shutdown. I struggled deeply with my mental health, including depression and suicidal thoughts. There was a period where I genuinely didn’t know how to be in the world or where I belonged within it.

I ended up leaving school before finishing Year 12 and took a different path, starting a traineeship in an equine retail environment. From there, life unfolded in ways I couldn’t have planned at the time—including relationships, work in the mining industry, and eventually finding my way back to myself.

I share this not to focus on the hardship, but to offer something real:

🌿 I understand what it’s like to feel out of place
🌿 I understand what it’s like to struggle internally while trying to hold it together externally
🌿 And I also know that it’s possible to come through those experiences and build something meaningful from them

Those years didn’t break me—they shaped my depth, my empathy, and my ability to truly meet people where they are.

My spiritual beliefs shape my approach: every client is met with acceptance and respect, regardless of faith or non-faith background. I offer professional, ethical, and unbiased care, and if I ever feel I’m not the right fit for someone, I will help connect them with other support.

Spiritually, I resonate with contemplative Christianity, often referred to as Christian mysticism. For me, it’s not about rigid rules or doctrine, but about depth, reflection, and direct experience. It was a natural evolution after questioning much of what I had been conditioned to believe, and slowly finding something that felt more honest and aligned. At the same time, I hold deep respect for diverse spiritual perspectives and the many ways people come to understand life.

I’ve always been a deeply curious person. I’m drawn to asking bigger questions—about human behaviour, meaning, and what’s actually true beneath all the conditioning we pick up over time. That curiosity naturally extended into a search for Truth. A process of slowly separating what I was taught, what I absorbed, and what actually feels real and grounded within me.

A quote that has stayed with me throughout that journey is from Adyashanti:

“This one question -- "What do I know for certain?"-- is tremendously powerful. When you look deeply into this question, it actually destroys your world. It destroys your whole sense of self, and it's meant to. You come to see that everything you think you know about yourself, everything you think you know about the world, is based on assumptions, beliefs, and opinions-- things you believe because you were taught or told that they were true. Until we start to see these false perceptions for what they really are, consciousness will be imprisoned within the dream state.”

That question has a way of cutting through everything.

I tend to work well with people who are curious about their inner world and open to exploring deeper patterns in their lives and relationships.

My hope is that by helping individuals grow in awareness, emotional regulation, and self-understanding, we slowly contribute to changing the trajectory of the world — one person, one relationship, and one family at a time.

If something in this page resonates with you, you’re welcome to explore my services or reach out to see if working together feels like the right fit.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent 10 years in the QLD mining industry as a truck operator — yes, in one of those massive mining trucks you see in the photos above! During those years, I often found myself being a listening ear and support for colleagues navigating the challenges of FIFO life and other personal struggles.

I know firsthand what it’s like to live away from family, work long rosters, and maintain a long-distance marriage because of work commitments. I’ve also experienced workplace sexual harassment, bullying, and injury, and I understand the profound impact these experiences can have on your overall wellbeing.

This lived experience gives me a deep empathy for those in high-pressure, remote, or male-dominated industries — and a practical understanding of how work life can affect mental, emotional, and physical health.

I’m a Registered Counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association (#20374).

I hold a Diploma of Counselling (nationally accredited) with the ‘Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors.'

I am a certified Embodied Processing Practitioner & a certified Trauma-informed Coach through 'The Centre for Healing.'

I am a certified Integrated Attachment Theory Coach through the 'Personal Development School.'

I’m committed to ongoing professional and personal development. I regularly undertake further training and have a dedicated ACA-registered counselling supervisor, whom I meet with monthly to ensure I’m working ethically, safely, and in my clients’ best interests. I also engage in my own therapy, because I believe deeply in doing my own inner work alongside supporting others.

This means you’re working with a therapist who doesn’t just teach these tools, but lives them.

As Matt Kahn says, “People can only meet you as deeply as they’ve met themselves.”

Self-exploration is something I genuinely value — understanding where patterns began, how they show up, and how to move through them with compassion.

You’re welcome to explore the My Approach page to learn more about the therapies and techniques I use in practice.

You can also find me listed on:

Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/counselling/light-the-way-counselling-creek-junction-vic/937064

Australian Counselling Association 

https://theaca.net.au/profile?UserKey=fa13b329-3384-4873-9072-0197b5a84046

Health Share

https://www.healthshare.com.au/profile/professional/457585-brianna-king/#overview

Embodied Processing Practitioner Directory

https://www.thecentreforhealing.com/practitioner-directory?overlay=0910892d-3fb1-4be0-9771-d3e0ad83207a