Counselling is time for you, where you get to be listened to without interuption, by someone who is interested and invested in hearing you. Counselling can involve creative activities that keep your hands busy, while you discuss and process life!
Creative Counselling is where you can come to be heard, whilst doing art and craft activities, spending time in nature, grooming a horse and patting a dog!
Zephlyn offers counselling in a natural setting, surrounded by animals, in Melbournes outer East. You are able to create your session so that it is interesting and engaging for you! All sessions are designed around your needs on any given day. You can choose to have a horse present and interact with them as we chat. You can also communicate using art materials and other creative processes. Sometimes we might walk up to a paddock and sit with the herd, whilst we talk. All sessions are trauma informed and evidence based. Zephlyn is a professional member of ACA and is NDIS qualified. Phone and zoom sessions are available.
Counselling sessions
Zephlyn can support you to look at life situations and to explore them from different angles. We can spend time together in nature, and focus on assisting you with anxiety and nervous system regulation. We can talk while you pat or groom a horse, to assist with any anxiety about attending counselling. We can work over a large table laid out with paints and art materials and you can let your hands intuitively express what you need to. Creating with found natural objects craft materials is an option whilst we discuss issues of concern. All sessions are created to suit your needs and each one can be different.
Who are counselling sessions appropriate for?
Adults, young people, children
people with life challenges
people with mental health issues
people with ASD, ADHD, PDA
Options
Your sessions are able to be created with your needs in mind and can change from week to week.
A session can be a simple as a chat and a walk around in the bush.
We can sit in the paddock on a log and watch the herd of horses graze.
You can choose to do your session whilst grooming a horse.
You can choose to work with art and craft materials, inside a barn or on a big spaceous table in an undercover arena.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Zephlyn is a registered counsellor with ACA Australian Counselling Association and is able to invoice your NDIS account under the counselling line item, found in therapies.
You are able to lead, feed and groom a horse but all our counselling is done from the ground. The focus is on counselling, with the horse present to facilitate learning about our emotions and nervous systems as well as help us to feel calm whilst talking about difficult topics.
Zephlyn currently works on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Available sessions will change from week to week. There are potential sessions available other days also. This is why you need to contact Zephlyn directly to organise a time.
These are counselling sessions where art materials are used to aid and augment communication. Zephlyn is a tertiary qualified art therapist as well as counsellor, and so is experienced at working with art materials in therpaeutic sessions. We prefer to say we 'make marks' with art materials versus 'do art'.
Yes, we have a cosy barn with a fire place and kitchen, where we can sit and sip a cup of tea whilst talking. We also have a large outdoor arena where we can conduct a session with a horse and stay dry.
Links
Contact Us
Phone
0429 778 277Operating Hours
Monday 10-5
Wednesday 10-5
Saturday 10-5
Testimonials
About Zephlyn
Zephlyn Neilsen is a nature lover, forest dweller and artist. She brings her passion for creating with your hands to her counselling.
Zephlyn grew up on a saltwater inlet in QLD, surrounded by nature and animals. Life was simple, all day outdoors, rowing boats in the mangrove marshes, fishing, riding horses, bonfires, and BBQ’s, and creating with natural found objects. Her profession now reflects these passions.
She studied business: human resources: training and development, before switching to a therapeutic focus by studying a post graduate diploma in creative arts therapy at RMIT.
She also has a post graduate diploma in counselling and is a professional member of the Australian Counselling Association.
She has worked as a art therapist/counsellor with youth, people with mental health issues and older people for over two decades, one on one and in group settings.
Some of the activities and characters you may meet.
Meet the herd
If you should choose to work with a horse in your counselling session, these are the horses you might like to work with?
Making marks (expressing yourself with art materials).
Sometimes it can be hard to put feelings into words or too confronting sitting looking at someone, whilst trying to do this. Using art materials to express your feelings can look very different to 'Art'! It can be making a mess, whilst using the texture and movement of paint on the page, to regulating your nervous system through sensory motor actions.
Dogs, cats, birds...
This is a description, explain what this gallery/project is about.
