BIG BROWN BOOTS @ ELWOOD & WILLIAMSTOWN, VICTORIA AUSTRALIA
ABN: 70 469 930 393
hello
I am Michelle, an established Relational Gestalt Psychotherapist, Accredited Supervisor (PACFA), Trauma Counsellor, and Equine Assisted Practitioner. I specialise in working with people who have experienced trauma, both historical and near, seeing those who are seeking holistic therapy with an embodied lens.
Should you wish to get in touch to discuss your needs, you can book online for a telephone call back at time that suits you, or reach out via email or text.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Warmly,
Michelle
GESTALT PSYCHOTHERAPIST & SUPERVISOR
Michelle offers holistic gestalt psychotherapy that can be in connection with treatment from your GP and / or other health professionals.
This practice is for those wanting a therapeutic experience with a clinician that has experience, passion and humility, practicing contemporary and internationally recognised mental health practices and theory.
Inspired by therapists such as Irvin Yalom, Bessel van de Kolk, Peter Levine and Stephen Porges, Michelle has 8+ years experience across community settings and in private practice. Her work has included specialist trauma counselling for those who are experiencing domestic violence and / or sexual assault, and as lead crisis clinician in a secondary college working with at risk youth and in residential care.
Michelle has clients from Employment Assistant Programs (EAP), the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and assessment and psychotherapy for the Victims of Crime Tribunal (VOCAT).
Therapy can support healing, deepening your connections and developing a greater sense of self and your vitality.
Michelle is a gem of a therapist. Her work is highly attuned, safe and deep. Michelle has a way of connecting to the visceral which allows her to support change at a very deep level safely. She is a well sought-after therapist who is loved by her clients.
Joanne Walker MA PACFA
Get in touch.
Book an initial appointment or a complimentary callback.
gestalt psychotherapy
A trauma informed approach, Gestalt psychotherapy is a holistic framework that is sensitive and mindful of your attachment history, supports (both internal and external), your creativity in adapting to your context, and choices. Largely unknown in Australia, Gestalt is an influential mental health modality throughout Europe, the UK and USA. People study and practice Gestalt to understand the human experience, foster curiosity and creativity, and heal from past experiences and creative adaptions that hinder you in the present. People typically undertake therapy with a Gestalt psychotherapist for longer term therapeutic work.
Translated from the German, gestalt implies wholeness. It provides a holistic philosophical engagement with the nature of the human condition. It privileges experience, authentic living, and human relating.
The goal of relational gestalt therapy is for clients to become more aware of how they organise themselves in the world. By learning to follow their own ongoing process, and to experience, accept, and appreciate their complete selves, clients can free themselves to make more appropriate, spontaneous, and creative contact with the environment.
All work has fundamental roots in contemporary Gestalt psychotherapy, holding that each client is to be seen holistically in a non-judgemental manner.
equine assisted therapy
Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning offers an interpersonal experience with a horse, or herd, for an attuned authentic relational experience. Equine therapy is a well recognised therapeutic approach which can be particularly valuable for children and adolescents, who present with anxiety, depression and/or difficulty in relating to others. Horses are an engagement piece that embody regulation in their way of being present, and for trauma they show us vigilance, action and rest. Equine-assisted therapy and learning are well-recognised therapeutic approaches, which are particularly valuable for children who present with anxiety, depression and/or difficulty in relating to others. On the farm, in the Yarra Valley, adults and children alike are encouraged to observe and connect with a horse, in the therapeutically safe and supportive environment.
next steps
Arranging an appointment
Book an initial appointment or callback via the online booking platform. No referrals are required however are always welcomed. Equine assisted appointments are to be booked by special arrangement.
Michelle works from two clinic locations in Melbourne and offers digital health to both rural and interstate clients.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays: Williamstown @ 66 Stevedore St.
Thursdays: Elwood @109 Brighton Rd.
Equine assisted therapy is available by special arrangement at a boutique farm north of Melbourne in the Yarra Valley.
Your initial appointment
This is the time to get to know the therapist and discuss what you would like from therapy. You may have a presenting issue or formal mental health diagnosis that you wish to focus on, or a past experience for which you are seeking support.
How many sessions will I need?
Psychotherapy is generally considered a longer term therapy modality. Frequency of appointments and number of sessions can be discussed upon booking and reviewed at any time. Equine sessions are based on a framework of six sessions which can be interspersed with room-based sessions.
Am I eligible for a Medicare rebate for these appointments?
Psychotherapists and counsellors are not currently listed under the Medicare Benefits Schedule and a MHCP is not required. Some Private Health funds may offer a small rebate. A sliding fee scale is available under exceptional circumstances.
For Employment Assistance Program (EAP) funding, please speak with your human resources department to see what can be arranged. The number of sessions funded via an EAP varies between organisations. NDIS clients can include psychotherapy and equine therapy as part of their self managed plans. Contact your case manager for details. If you are a VOCAT award recipient for counselling sessions, you will need your award to be officially transferred through the court registrar, which your lawyer will be able to complete for you. Alternatively, your GP or health professional can write a referral for you. A Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) is not required however can be useful for clarity of presenting issues, symptoms and treatment, when in conjunction with your GP.
Informed consent, confidentially details, and the fee agreement are provided to you in a digital copy with your initial booking.
questions?
Book an initial appointment or a complimentary callback.
Speak soon.
– Michelle.
contact
Private practice clinic details:
66 Stevedore St., Williamstown (TUE & WED) The Health Sanctuary tel: 9397 7139
109 Brighton Rd., Elwood (near Chapel St.) (THU) Pando Society…launching March 2024
Digital health inc. telephone or online video appointments (Zoom).
Access equine therapy/learning at a boutique farm near the Yarra Valley, 60mins north of Melbourne.
TEL / TEXT: 0407 718 700
EMAIL: michelle@bigbrownboots.com
MICHELLE VAN KAMPEN
Gestalt psychotherapy, supervision, trauma counselling and equine assisted therapy.
BIG BROWN BOOTS
PO BOX 1206 HAMPTON NORTH VIC 3188 ABN: 70 469 930 393
