Consults at Bluff Road Psychology on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with both adult (18+) and older adult (65+) clients.

Life can be very painful and difficult. Sometimes we might find ourselves struggling to manage our emotions, or experience difficulties in our intimate relationships. At other times, we might be overwhelmed by anxiety, or instead find ourselves continually grappling with low mood, self-critical thoughts and poor motivation. We may also be dealing with a major life transition or serious loss, or instead find ourselves staggering under the complex weight of being a carer. For many clients who present to therapy, there may also be feelings of confusion or demoralisation, or indeed a general loss of confidence in their ability to respond to life as they would like.

Nina helps clients make sense of what may be happening here, including identifying core beliefs and long-standing patterns that may be standing in the way of a satisfying relationship both with others and themselves. Depending on what is most helpful for the individual, Nina can provide either practical psychological strategies to deal with specific difficulties or more profound and broad-ranging explorations of a client’s inner world and existential concerns.

Nina draws from a range of cognitive behavioural therapies to do her therapeutic work. She has a particular interest in Schema therapy, which is designed to treat both the negative internal stories that we can carry as a result of our early experiences, as well as the painful states or modes that can accompany these (like the demanding internal critic or detached protector). Schema therapy works to increase our understanding and awareness of these old beliefs and modes in order to compassionately challenge them, thereby creating room for a larger, freer and less self-conscious life.

If a client’s concerns are more specifically trauma-related, Nina has also been trained in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. EMDR is an evidence-based approach that heals and integrates painful unprocessed memories from the past, as well as helping the individual install more constructive beliefs about self and world for the future.

Nina can assist with a range of mental health concerns, including:

• Depression and mood problems
• Anxiety disorders (including panic, phobias and health anxiety)
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
• Difficulties regulating emotions
• Anger issues
• Interpersonal difficulties
• Stress and adjustment issues
• Loss of confidence and low self-esteem
• Perfectionism
• Hoarding disorder (as experienced by both the individual and their family)
• Adjustment to illness
• Coping with menopause
• Grief and loss across the lifespan (including pregnancy loss and later life bereavement)
• Ageing and existential concerns
• Carer concerns
• Recovery from traumatic events

Academic qualifications and professional endorsements
Nina is a Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists and a member of the Australian Psychological Society. She has a PhD in English from Monash University and a Master of Psychology (Clinical) from Swinburne University.