Counselling near Clontarf – Personalised Support, Wherever You Are
If you live in Clontarf and are feeling emotionally overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure how to move forward, professional counselling may offer the clarity and support you need. I’m Wendy Corliss, a psychotherapist and nurse practitioner with over 30 years of clinical experience helping individuals, couples and families navigate personal and relational challenges with care and compassion.
My practice is located a short drive from Clontarf and offers a warm, confidential space where therapy can unfold without pressure. While I do offer online counselling for flexibility, most clients benefit most from in-person sessions where trust, presence and emotional connection can be established more deeply.
Many of my Clontarf-based clients come from a variety of backgrounds — young professionals, parents, carers, and retirees — all seeking greater clarity and emotional support. Whether you’re facing a difficult life transition or simply struggling to stay grounded amid daily demands, this is a place to feel heard and supported without judgment.
Sessions are relaxed, but purposeful. I invite you to bring your questions, patterns, hopes, and hesitations — even when you’re not sure how to articulate them. The therapeutic space is yours to explore, and I’m here to guide, not direct
Why Clients in Clontarf Choose Living Consciously
Clients from Clontarf and surrounding suburbs choose Living Consciously for:
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Easy access to nearby in-person therapy
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A calm, grounded therapeutic environment
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Experience across mental, emotional and physical health
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Support for individuals, couples and families
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Medicare-registered services with rebates available
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Online sessions available when required for convenience
Common Concerns Addressed in Counselling
Therapy offers a space to explore what’s been difficult, confusing or overwhelming. These are some of the issues I frequently help clients address:
A Persistent Low Mood
You might notice that joy feels out of reach or that you’ve become emotionally withdrawn. Counselling can help identify underlying factors and support gradual reconnection with motivation and purpose.
For some, this may show up as emotional flatness — a sense of going through the motions without real engagement in life. Others may experience irritability, hopelessness, or loss of interest in things that once mattered. In Clontarf, I often work with clients who feel pressure to “keep it together” outwardly, even when they’re struggling inside. Therapy gently creates room for that emotional honesty — a place to stop performing and start healing.
Chronic Worry and Inner Tension
If your mind feels constantly active or worry is interfering with sleep and decision-making, it may be time to look at the deeper roots of anxiety. Therapy offers strategies for calming the nervous system and shifting patterns of unhelpful thinking.
This includes tools to regulate breath, challenge catastrophic thinking, and release stored tension in the body. It’s not just about “thinking positive” — it’s about understanding what your anxiety is trying to protect you from, and responding with compassion and skill instead of fear. Many clients in demanding careers or parenting roles find this particularly helpful.
Past Experiences That Still Affect You
Trauma doesn’t need to be dramatic to be impactful. Events that left you feeling unsafe, unsupported or emotionally overwhelmed may still be influencing your daily life. Together, we’ll create space to work through these experiences safely.
You might be triggered by small things — a comment, tone of voice, or setting — without understanding why. Trauma-informed therapy can help you develop a language for those experiences and process them in a way that doesn’t retraumatise, but gently releases. I use somatic psychotherapy to help you regulate your nervous system while working with painful memories.
Difficulty in Relationships
Recurring arguments, feelings of disconnection or cycles of resentment in close relationships can be exhausting. I work with couples and families to break these cycles and develop better ways of communicating and relating.
You may find yourself repeating the same argument or withdrawing completely to avoid conflict. These patterns often have deeper roots — shaped by early experiences, attachment wounds, and unspoken fears. Therapy creates a space where all parties can feel heard, and where blame gives way to understanding. In couples therapy, we focus on creating safety first — because change can’t happen if one or both partners are in survival mode.
Overwhelm and Burnout
Stress related to work, parenting, or personal pressure can gradually wear you down. Counselling can help you recognise the early signs of burnout and find more sustainable ways of living and working.
Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse — it might look like you’re functioning well on the outside while feeling numb, depleted or emotionally fragile inside. I support clients in re-evaluating their boundaries, expectations and relationship with productivity, especially those juggling parenting, careers and caregiving roles in the Clontarf area. Therapy may help you redefine what it means to live well — not just to keep going.
Problematic Habits or Coping Tools
If you’re relying on substances, avoidance or rigid routines to get through the day, therapy may help unpack why those habits formed and how to change them without judgment or unrealistic expectations.
These coping tools often begin as attempts to survive — to self-soothe when nothing else felt available. Together, we explore the emotional needs behind the habits, offering more supportive and sustainable alternatives. Whether it’s alcohol, food, scrolling, work, or emotional withdrawal, change begins with understanding, not shame.
A Therapy Process That Builds Real Momentum
I’ve developed a counselling framework that allows us to move through the work in clear, manageable stages. Every client is different, but the structure gives us a solid foundation for progress.
1. Creating a Safe Starting Point
We begin by building a relationship that feels respectful and steady. This step matters just as much as the techniques we use. Trust forms the groundwork for everything that follows.
2. Learning to Settle the Mind and Body
When you’re in a state of constant alert, it’s hard to reflect or make thoughtful decisions. Together, we introduce calming strategies that help reduce emotional reactivity and improve your ability to cope day to day.
3. Exploring Relationship Influences
Many patterns emerge in how we connect with others. This phase helps you recognise those dynamics, understand your needs and adjust boundaries where necessary.
4. Developing Greater Insight
We explore the origins of certain behaviours or beliefs and begin identifying choices that support change. This isn’t about assigning blame; it’s about understanding and taking responsibility.
5. Improving Emotional Resilience
As insight grows, many clients find they respond to stress and relationships with more steadiness and flexibility. Mood often improves, and confidence starts to return.
6. Applying Change Outside the Session
Finally, we focus on integrating what’s been helpful into daily life. You leave therapy not with vague encouragement, but with practical tools and greater self-understanding.
Somatic Psychotherapy: Reconnecting with the Body
Modern life often keeps us in our heads — overthinking, planning, worrying. Somatic psychotherapy invites us back into the body. It recognises that our nervous system holds onto unprocessed stress, and that talk therapy alone may not be enough to create lasting change.
In somatic sessions, we slow down. I might guide you to notice sensations, breathing patterns, or subtle emotional shifts. This isn’t about reliving trauma — it’s about learning to feel safe again in your own body.
- This approach is especially helpful if you:
- Struggle with anxiety or panic
- Feel disconnected or numb
- Have a history of trauma or chronic stress
- Want to be more present in your day-to-day life
Clients are often surprised at how small shifts — like noticing tension before it builds, or learning to ground through breath — can significantly improve emotional stability and resilience.
A Bit About Me
With over three decades of clinical experience, I bring both medical and psychological knowledge to the work. As a nurse practitioner, I’m qualified to assess physical health concerns that may relate to emotional challenges, and I’m authorised to prescribe medication if that’s something we decide to explore together.
My style is calm, thoughtful and grounded. I work with people who are ready to make meaningful changes and need someone to walk alongside them in that process.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. In fact, many of my clients from Clontarf are new to therapy. You don’t need to be in crisis to start — even a sense that something feels off is a good reason to reach out. We go at your pace, and nothing is expected of you beyond showing up.
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Yes. Some people come in for a handful of sessions to process something specific, while others choose ongoing therapy to explore deeper patterns. Both are welcome.
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Yes, I support clients aged 16+ who are struggling with anxiety, identity questions, school pressure, or family conflict. This age group often responds well to the somatic and relational focus I provide.
Areas We Serve
We offer counselling and psychotherapy services across the Northern Beaches, including those located in Dee Why, Manly, Chatswood, Mosman, Frenchs Forest, Ryde, Brookvale, Mona Vale, Baulkham Hills, Newport, Belrose, Narrabeen, Cromer, Forestville, Avalon Beach, Balgowlah, Davidson, Allambie Heights, Palm Beach, Manly Vale, Clontarf, Warriewood, Freshwater, Beacon Hill, Seaforth, Fairlight and other surrounding suburbs of Sydney with online counselling.
Providing Local Counselling Therapy near Clontarf
Living Consciously is situated in Dee Why, offering easy access for local residents seeking professional counselling services near Clontarf. Choosing Wendy Corliss for your counselling needs means you have the advantage of regular, accessible support right in your community, helping you stay consistent on your path to well-being.