
Our Therapists
Meet our newest graduates!
Welcoming these dedicated, passionate therapists to the Community Clinic after having just completed their training with Connection Culture.

Felicity Horsley
Felicity Jane (Flick) is a cycle coach and holistic psychotherapist with a background in creative practice, performance, and community cultural development. Her work centres around children, young people, and women; creating spaces for connection, expression, and wellbeing. Blending holistic psychotherapy, cycle awareness, somatic and creative practices with nature connection, she supports people who feel overwhelmed or ungrounded to reconnect with their body’s wisdom and find a deeper sense of belonging within themselves. Flick brings a grounded, intuitive, and playful approach - guiding you to feel safe in your body, listen to your emotions, and trust your inner rhythms.

Dave Partridge
David offers a steady, compassionate environment where genuine reflection and transformation can unfold. Seeing our stories as living, relational forces, he invites clients into a gentle widening of perspective - a slow, grounded reconnection with their own inner intelligence. Alongside Holistic Psychotherapy, David draws on his background as a qualified engineer, bringing a deep appreciation for structure, systems, and interconnected processes into his therapeutic work. He is also a Zenthai Shiatsu therapist with a broad foundation in movement, somatic practices, and hands‑on healing. Years of study with respected teachers inform his intuitive, grounded approach - meeting people exactly where they are with presence, curiosity, and care. His work supports a return to simplicity, steadiness, and the intelligence already within, helping clients to reconnect, reset, and reshape the way they move through their lives.

Amber Gibson
Background in: Over 10 years in community services and the not-for-profit sector, predominantly supporting young people and families navigating homelessness, family conflict, and major life challenges. I love working with: Creatives, queer and non-binary folk, and those living unconventional lifestyles—on the land, on the road, or in vans. I also love supporting people moving through grief, recovery, and big life transitions. Fun fact: I’ve been writing and sharing poetry for the past six years.

Katisha Sunshine
Katisha offers a therapeutic space where the mind can soften, the body can speak, and the heart can be gently met. As a Holistic Psychotherapist, she supports people to navigate life’s transitions, relational patterns, emotional overwhelm, and the quiet inner questions that ask to be heard. Her approach blends psychological insight with somatic awareness, offering a grounded path toward deeper clarity and connection. Born in Germany and now rooted in Australia, Katisha naturally bridges cultures, perspectives, and ways of being. She understands what it means to stand between worlds - the structured and the intuitive, the corporate and the creative, the practical and the deeply felt. This gives her an ability to meet people from many walks of life: those who think a lot and feel little, those who feel a lot and need steadiness, and those seeking a way home to themselves. Her therapeutic work is informed by: -Holistic psychotherapy -Somatic and relational awareness -Zenthai shiatsu bodywork -Yoga, breath and embodied presence -A gentle understanding of both emotional depth and human resilience With the curiosity of a seeker and the steadiness of a guide, Katisha invites clients into a space where the nervous system can settle, where old stories can loosen, and where the body and mind can remember they are not separate. Sessions with her are not about fixing. They are about befriending what is alive, so that change can arise from within. Whether you arrive with anxiety, tension, grief, confusion, or simply the desire to know yourself more deeply, Katisha will meet you where you are and walk with you from there. “Every part of you belongs. Together, we make space for what is ready to be seen, felt, and transformed, gently, at your pace.”

Sage Taylor
My approach to therapy is grounded in meeting things as they really are, embracing discomfort and letting it reveal another face. I am no stranger to grief and believe that in many dark corners we find our gold. In therapy I offer gentle curiosity, to help create safety for the intelligence that lives inside you to speak and be heard. Entraining new patterns in the nervous system and new possibilities in life. Working together, from the present moment, to cultivate a deeply rooted sense of relational safety and trust in life. I draw on years of my own lived experience in therapy as well as life long creative, nature, embodiment and story telling practices. As a neuro-divergent woman I value diversity and the gifts of difference; I welcome all flavours of weird and folks from all walks of life. \ I look forward to sharing the path of the brave and the curious. If finances are a barrier, please reach out via email: sage400@hotmail.co.uk for an alternative booking link

Zena Rose
Background in: A Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, yoga teaching, and Lomi Lomi therapy and teaching. My work blends emotional insight with body-based healing, helping people reconnect with themselves and their relationships. I love working with: People navigating relationship challenges—both couples and individuals—as well as those wanting support with boundaries, conflict, communication, anxiety, self-esteem, and shifting unhealthy relationship patterns. Fun fact: I grew up in France and speak French. I almost became a professional equestrian, but chose to dive into the human psyche instead—though I’ll always have a deep love of horses. My partner and I now live off-grid on a 40-acre property on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

Melanie Blacksmith
Melanie's heart has been broken open, shredded and mended into an untameable love for Nature. Her greatest passion is to support others in their journey own healing journey toward a life of Soul. Through one-to-one therapy and couples therapy, we engage the mind and body through somatic and narrative processes, to feel, heal, and integrate the client's inner wisdom, becoming more and more one's own essential truth, the whole self. Vibrant in aliveness. Welcoming the dark, the unknown, the repressed forgotten parts. Welcoming them home. In her work Melanie invites the felt-sense and the imagination into a cohesive generative dance, through practices such as; nature and rewilding processes, movement as medicine, and ritual and ceremony in the personal and community spaces. Offering: One-to-one Therapy Couples Therapy (first 3 sessions free) Focus areas include: Emotional attunement Developing safety in the body Welcoming home and integrating parts Healing Narratives and making way for the new Supporting clients in grounding, connection, safety, attunement to Self, finding clarity, nurturing trust, feeling and healing the past, courting client's inner truths, to follow their path of Soul.

Richard Van De Veerdonk
Richard van de Veerdonk is a compassionate and grounded certified Holistic Psychotherapist whose work is shaped by more than four decades of clinical practice, life experience and a respect for the human journey across all stages of life. As a remote area registered nurse, Richard has provided care across the full lifespan, working in diverse settings including remote and regional communities, acute and community health, palliative care, men’s health, midwifery, and long-term follow-up support. His extensive frontline experience as a first responder in trauma situations, combined with over 30 years of ongoing trauma and after-care. This extensive experience has given him an exceptional capacity to support individuals navigating grief, shock, loss, addiction, self-harm, and major life transitions. Richard’s therapeutic presence is enriched by his comprehensive training in psychotherapy, allowing him to bridge medical understanding with a clear somatic understanding and psychological insight. He brings a steady, attuned approach to themes such as communication, boundaries, identity, and relational healing, supporting clients to feel safe, seen, and respected as they reconnect with themselves and others. As a father of five and a proud grandfather, Richard holds a lived understanding of family systems, generational patterns, and the complexities of intimate and evolving relationships. This personal experience informs his work with individuals, parents, men, and families, helping clients navigate both inner and relational landscapes with clarity and compassion. A defining feature of Richard’s work is his strong nature-based orientation and commitment to cross-cultural learning. Years spent working alongside diverse communities have fostered a deep appreciation for cultural context, connection to land, and the wisdom that emerges when healing is approached holistically. He views wellbeing not as something to be fixed, but as something to be gently remembered and restored through presence, relationship, and self-reflection. Richard’s self-reflective approach to life underpins his therapeutic work. He meets each client with humility, maturity, and genuine care, creating a grounded and respectful space where people feel valued and understood. His sessions are characterised by steadiness, warmth, and an unwavering belief in each person’s capacity for growth, resilience, and meaningful change. Through his work, Richard continues to support individuals at all stages of life to navigate challenge, deepen self-awareness, and move forward with greater connection - to themselves, to others, and to life itself.

Lisette Deumer
Background in: Yoga teaching, meditation facilitation, and performing and storytelling—bringing together body awareness, creativity, and deep listening. I love working with: Neurodivergent folk, creatives, deep feelers, LGBTQIA+ and gender-expansive humans, and people navigating overwhelm, anxiety, or emotional intensity. I especially love working with anyone curious about slowing down and listening inward. Fun fact: I genuinely wanted to be Teen Wolf growing up. 🐺 (Yes—Michael J. Fox in 1985.)
Taylor King
Background in: Research, education, and guidance in tattooing as a transformational process, alongside writing and over seven years in the international not-for-profit sector—largely working in safeguarding, child protection, and social inclusion. I love working with: Men and women feeling stuck in patterns they can’t seem to shift—such as anxiety, OCD, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and boundary struggles. I also love supporting those navigating grief, trauma, overwhelm, addiction, recovery, and the longing for relationships and a life that feels more true to who they are. Fun fact: I’ve spent the last seven years being tattooed—working toward a full body suit—as a way of recording my story through life and marking moments of transformation and deep healing.
Suzi Willson
Background in: My background includes early childhood education, deep nature connection, bush school mentoring, and community-based cultural regeneration programs. I’m also a mother to six adult children and grandmother to five, which has shaped so much of how I meet people. I love working with: Women navigating the many thresholds of life - parenting, relationships, nuclear and blended family dynamics, grief and loss, separation, divorce, distance, and the many forms of change that shape us. Fun fact: A few years ago, I had a vision of being the grandmother at the kitchen table or fireside—making tea, sitting in the sunshine, and listening deeply as others rediscovered their own inner wisdom. In many ways, that has become the shape of the work I offer.
Margy Reed
A recent client has said “Margy’s empathy, insight and understanding felt like a warm embrace”. As a Holistic Psychotherapist, Margy‘s intention is that you will feel this supported during a therapy session - from one human heart to another. Guiding you to find your way back to self with care, compassion, mindfulness and connection. Margy walks alongside clients helping them to deepen their understanding of their own needs, and reconnect with their own internal guidance system. Client rapport and safety are Margy’s highest priorities, two essential elements for healthy therapy. Margy’s background of the last 35+ years have been working with and supporting young children and their families in Early Childhood Education and Care, and Forest/Bush School. Margy offers ‘Elder’ wisdom -that of lived experience -through the ups and downs of life, coming from a place of deep understanding. Margy is passionate about Mental Wellbeing, and warmly invites clients who may be experiencing overwhelm, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, addiction, parenting and relationship challenges. Welcoming individuals and couples as you are.

Pamela Forward
Background in: Psychotherapy and Rapport Based Relating, early childhood education, permaculture design and teaching, and building and landscape design. I’m also a mother, grandmother, writer, storyteller, meditation practitioner, and lifelong seeker with a strong belief in common sense and kindness. I love working with: Parents—especially new parents—teenagers, families under stress, people in transition, and those stepping from the empty nest into elderhood. I also love supporting people navigating grief, chronic illness, employment challenges, and the lasting impact of CPTSD and its many expressions. Fun fact: In 1999, I spearheaded a campaign to stop the development of pristine coastal land at Margaret River—and to this day, it remains untouched.
Our Established Therapists
Meet our team of therapists who have been offering with Clinic for over 2 years. They are all deeply passionate about their work.
Book your session via the link in each profile.
*Please note, we are not a crisis service. If you are in crisis please contact Lifeline 13 11 14.*

Rachel DeSumma
Rachel is passionate about health, connection and helping clients embrace fulfilling lives. She offers insights that enhance self-understanding through deep listening, guiding her clients with gentleness and clarity. Strongly inspired by nature, Rachel encourages clients to strengthen their relationships with themselves and others. Her background includes community roles with youth and individuals in need, event organisation for those with vision-loss, and postgraduate studies in Psychology, Community Development, and Forest Therapy.
_edited_edited_edited.jpg)
Karina Barbosa
Background in: Holistic psychotherapy, Family Constellation therapy, and over 13 years as a Waldorf Steiner early childhood teacher, alongside more than 20 years dedicated to personal growth and inner work. I love working with: People who are ready to break patterns and live more fully, those exploring personal and generational trauma, and parents feeling overwhelmed and wanting a deeper sense of clarity and connection. Fun fact: I’m endlessly fascinated by understanding people at a deep level, and I love creating spaces where people feel grounded, seen, and connected to something greater.

Michelle McCosker
Background in: Holistic Psychotherapy, Art Therapy, Narrative and Somatic healing, with a creative foundation in public art, community workshops, colour, textiles, storytelling, gallery curation, and marketing. I also hold a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and bring deep lived experience through motherhood, Rapport Based Relating, Vision Quest, and ceremonial work. I currently work as Community Steward for Connection Culture, helping hold the threads between people, healing, and learning. Loves working with: Anyone interested in healing. I’m especially passionate about trauma work: helping people move toward safety, acceptance, and empowerment after experiences that have left them feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from themselves. I also love supporting people through life transitions, relationship patterns, old wounds, and the deeper work of returning to themselves with more compassion, clarity, and trust. My work is gentle, creative, and grounded in the belief that healing already lives within us. Fun Fact: I believe nature speaks, magic is real (and everywhere), and hope is still alive for the future. One little magical moment I can share - during a public art project in central Sydney, I was lifted up by crane to clean paint off King Edward’s horse’s bum with a toothbrush. The statue was four times the size of a human—it was a very big bum. I spent most of the day laughing and crying, which feels like a fairly accurate metaphor for the more challenging days life offers.

Erika Steller
Erika has over 15 years of experience working with people in self-belief, mind-body connection, and embodied spirituality through yoga and mindfulness. Her life purpose is to help others by addressing their challenges using Holistic Psychotherapy and honouring clients' internal guidance. Erika specialises in parenting, family life, emotions, grief, and rediscovering purpose, often incorporating body awareness, breath-work, nervous system regulation, and nature connection into her sessions. Clinic sessions now available for COUPLES. Contact Erika via her booking link to find out more.
.jpg)
Dahna McConnachie
Dahna is a Holistic Psychotherapist, Yoga and Meditation teacher, Lomi Lomi practitioner, and part-time public servant. Passionate about adventure and nature, she creates a safe space for individuals to explore their inner selves and rediscover forgotten answers. Dahna specialises in parenting, neurodiversity, ADHD, mid-life and anxiety but is also completely able to meet clients where they are and work with whatever arises in the moment. With 20 years of experience in teaching yoga and as a body worker she particularly enjoys working somatically if that's what clients are seeking. She also now offers relationship counselling (couples or family). In her words “I trust in people’s ability to heal and transform and feel honoured to be part of that journey.”

Lisa Petheram
Lisa fosters curiosity, openness, and integrity in her client-led sessions, guiding individuals to trust their inner wisdom and deepen connections in their lives. With a background in nature-based facilitation, community development, breath-work and the arts, she emphasises the bond between humans, creativity and nature. Her trauma-informed sessions welcome anyone on their personal growth journey, focusing on areas including chronic illness, life transitions, purpose, ecological grief, and creative expression.

Candice Storey
Candice is a Holistic Psychotherapist with a background in Somatic Movement, Tantric Philosophy and the Creative Arts. Her sessions are a unique blend of somatic therapy, internal ‘parts’ exploration and intuitive guidance. Candice works under the notion that if we want to experience transformation in our external worlds, then we must first turn towards our internal, felt experience. A devoted mother and partner, she brings a keen interest in supporting couples and families.

Becky Flores
Becky is an accomplished Psychotherapist with a rich background in Allied and Holistic health. She guides her clients through personal growth, at their own pace, fostering a safe and organic journey tailored to each individual. With expertise in attachment theory, trauma-informed practice, perinatal health, parent coaching, carers counselling and mindfulness, Becky's approach is grounded in the Thic Nanh Hanh belief that "Our own life has to be our message". She strives to empower and support clients as they navigate life stressors, finding inner peace and joy.
What to expect
in an online session
Holistic Psychotherapy is multi-dimensional, because people are. As we practise it, it's really just a healthy chat with a kind person who is equipped with the psychological and emotional literacy to listen beneath the surface and guide a client, gently, to deeper clarity and self-knowledge.
We use the ELDER acronym - Empower, Listen, Down-Regulate, Educate and Reframe.In the more traditional life of our human ancestors, it was the Elders who fulfilled this role, a person you can turn to for support and guidance when things are tough.
Therapy really works and can be both subtle and life-changing.During a one-on-one session with any of our therapists, clients experience a nurturing and safe environment, while benefiting from Holistic Psychotherapy techniques which may include Narrative or Somatic work, Guided Imagery and Meditation, or parts work.
At the outset of each session, your therapist establishes agreements to honour your needs and boundaries. They respectfully guide you towards your goals while remaining open to addressing any emerging needs.
Clients often emerge from sessions feeling lighter, peaceful and more expansive. Issues like Anxiety, Depression,Trauma, Grief, Addictions as well as everyday niggles or relationship issues are welcome.



