Light the Way Counselling

welcome

My name is Brianna King & I am the owner & Counsellor at Light the Way Counselling.

Witnessing people grab hold of healthy change & growth is one of my favorite things on this earth. I love watching the transformation people go through on their journey. I know how profound it feels to become aware of the dynamics of my inner world, shed old, unhelpful patterns & gently begin returning to my authentic self. Having the privilege to be a part of someone else's journey towards that is always deeply special to me.

My passion for therapy & holistic health originates from my own personal, lived experiences. In the past I have experienced attachment trauma, long term anxiety & depression, suicidal ideation, self-worth deficit, grief & loss, forms of addiction + other issues, cycles & challenges. Over the years, through the continual commitment to understanding how my past has impacted my present, self-awareness, self-development, self-compassion & growth in my spiritual walk, I have been able to transform in these areas.

I've found that the healing journey is a lifestyle; we never stop growing; there's no finish line as such. What happens is that in time, we understand ourselves & others on a much deeper level, we become more present, balanced, regulated, less reactive, more connected & peaceful. Our self worth grows. We understand & stand by what we will & won't tolerate. We become familiar with our wants, needs & boundaries. We begin to live more fulfilling lives that align with our true selves.

I do not regret my past, as I believe my personal experiences & struggles have helped me develop greater self compassion, emotional capacity, & enabled me the ability to truly understand, empathize with & passionately help those who are currently struggling in similar situations.

The modalities I use with my clients are ones I've personally experienced in my own journey to be very helpful & are now a part of my own practice. I want to offer my clients therapy that I believe really does help (not to say that my style will align with everyone).

I believe that lived experience is very important when helping others, to be able to know what it's like to walk in their shoes (to some degree as each of our experiences are unique). I believe that emotional safety in the therapeutic relationship is number one. A therapist can have all the qualifications ever, but if they don't radiate a safe presence to the client, those qualifications won't mean much. We heal our trauma when we feel safe, seen, heard, understood, accepted.

I am not a perfect, clinical robot, I am a living being who has 'stuff' too that I am also committed daily to working on. My belief is that everyone should be doing the inner work because we all carry unhealed parts of ourselves. We all have stuff, it's just some people acknowledge it & are committed to working on it & some aren't.

Aside from the therapy side of things, I enjoy high country life on our property in North Eastern Victoria where we have horses, dogs, cats, chooks, alpacas, sheep, cows & beautiful native animal residents like koalas, possums, kangaroos, wombats & beautiful bird life wandering around the acreage. My Husband & I are learning how to homestead & get back to basics. It's definitely my happy place which I am so grateful to call home.

My Spiritual self shapes how I approach all of my clients – with acceptance & respect. I promise unbiased & respectful treatment for all faith & non-faith backgrounds. Whatever your beliefs, I will provide professional, ethical practice, & respect your values. If at any stage I feel as though I'm not the right fit for you, we can discuss appropriate referral options.

I draw upon the best mind/body/soul research & evidence-based practice in helping clients.

While I may be able to offer you additional spiritual insight from personal knowledge, beliefs, & wisdom, there is no guarantee that I will have the formal training to best address your faith-based issues. If you are currently seeking counselling on strictly spiritual issues, such as advice on spiritual disciplines for connecting with the Supreme Creator, Biblical wisdom, or matters related to spiritual warfare, I am not your best option. On these matters, I recommend seeking traditional pastoral counselling.

*When speaking of “healing” I am not referring to medical or physical conditions, but rather an experience where the traumatized parts of the psyche & body are given a chance to integrate & release, which assists in the regulation of the nervous system which can ease or resolve symptoms.

my previous career

My previous career was working in the QLD mining industry for 10 years as a truck operator. Yes, in one of those huge mining trucks! (Pic in the photo slide above). I spent many of those years being a listening ear & support for fellow work colleagues who were struggling with FIFO life among many other things. I understand what it’s like to live away from family, do long work rosters & experience a distance marriage due to work commitments. I have also experienced workplace sexual harassment, bullying & workplace injury. I understand the effects that all of these different aspects can have on your holistic health.

my counselling credentials

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 regularly undertake professional development & engage in my own personal development. I have my own ACA Counselling Supervisor which I have meetings with monthly to address any concerns & who ensures I'm working in an ethical manner. I also have my own therapist in order to maintain working on my inner self. This provides my clients with a therapist who is well rounded & who practices what she preaches.

"People can only meet you as deeply as they’ve met themselves. “ - by Matt Kahn.

I personally love the self exploration journey, meeting deeper versions of myself & truly understanding all of my underlying working parts, where they originated & how to work through & heal different blocks.

Please feel free to check out the "My approach" page for information on the therapies & 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/counsellors/brianna-king/

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