About Sahra | Coastal Counselling Walk & Talk Therapy
Hi, I’m Sahra
a qualified counsellor and the founder of Coastal Counselling Walk & Talk Therapy, based in the beautiful Northern Rivers of NSW.
I offer walk and talk therapy and online counselling across Ballina, Brunswick Heads, Kingscliff, Lennox Head, Cabarita, Pottsville, and Tweed Heads, supporting teens, adults, and parents to reconnect with themselves in a calm, grounded, and nature-based way.
At the heart of my work is a simple belief:
When people feel safe, supported, and truly heard, healing becomes possible.
My Why
My journey into counselling is deeply personal and shaped by lived experience.
I grew up along the NSW North Coast in a home marked by emotional complexity, instability, and early responsibility. Like many children in similar environments, I experienced parentification — learning to hold emotional space for others before I had the support to understand my own.
As I moved through adolescence and into adulthood, I experienced trauma, grief, and significant loss. These experiences shaped not only who I am, but how I understand emotional pain, resilience, and healing.
I also understand what it feels like to become a mother without enough support in the early years — navigating identity shifts, emotional overwhelm, and the pressure to hold everything together while feeling depleted inside.
A key part of my work is understanding the connection between adolescence and matrescence.
Both are powerful developmental transitions that involve becoming someone new.
Adolescence is the shift into young adulthood.
Matrescence is the shift into motherhood.
While they look different on the surface, they share many similarities underneath — emotional intensity, identity change, heightened sensitivity, shifting relationships, and nervous system overload.
Understanding this parallel deeply shapes my work. It allows me to meet both teens and new mums with greater compassion, patience, and nervous system awareness — recognising that these stages are not about “fixing,” but about becoming, unfolding, and integrating change.
This is a core part of my “why.”
It is why I am passionate about:
supporting new mums and mothers in the early years
helping teens feel seen, understood, and emotionally safe
reducing isolation during anxiety, grief, and life transitions
supporting nervous system regulation and emotional safety
walking alongside people rather than positioning myself above them
I believe that when mothers are supported, families shift. And when young people feel understood early, their emotional world can change direction.
My Approach | Walk & Talk Therapy in Nature
Growing up on the coast, nature was always my grounding place. It helped me regulate, process, and reconnect long before I ever had the language for therapy.
Today, I bring that lived experience into my counselling practice through walk and talk therapy in the Northern Rivers.
Walk and talk therapy combines movement, nature, and conversation to support emotional regulation, clarity, and connection. Many clients find that being outside makes it easier to open up, feel grounded, and process emotions without the intensity of a clinical room.
Sessions take place in peaceful outdoor locations including:
Ballina, Lennox Head, Brunswick Heads, Kingscliff, Cabarita, Pottsville, and Tweed Heads.
Online counselling is also available for those who prefer or need remote support.
Who I Support
I work with teens, adults, and parents navigating emotional, relational, and life challenges, including:
Anxiety and overwhelm
Stress and emotional burnout
Grief, loss, and life transitions
Low self-esteem and self-worth challenges
Teen emotional regulation and behavioural challenges
Parenting stress and new mum emotional support (matrescence transition)
Feeling disconnected, stuck, or unsure of direction
You do not need to be in crisis to reach out.
Many people I support simply feel overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or disconnected from themselves and want space to breathe, understand, and reset.
My Therapeutic Approach
I work from an eclectic, integrative counselling approach, meaning I draw from a range of evidence-based therapies and tailor each session to your individual needs, goals, and nervous system capacity.
Rather than using a one-size-fits-all model, I adapt my approach depending on what feels most supportive for you in the moment.
My practice includes:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – exploring thoughts, emotions, and behaviour patterns
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – supporting values-based living and emotional flexibility
Solution-Focused Therapy – building on strengths and creating practical, achievable change
Mindfulness-Based Therapy – supporting grounding, awareness, and present-moment connection
Somatic-Informed & Nervous System Work – understanding stress responses, emotional activation, and regulation through body-based awareness
My practice is also trauma-informed and relational, meaning I prioritise emotional safety, trust, pacing, and connection.
For many clients, this means we are not only talking about experiences - we are also learning how the body holds stress, how anxiety shows up physically, and how to gently move from survival states into greater calm and regulation.
My Qualifications & Professional Background
I am a registered member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and hold a Diploma of Counselling, alongside ongoing professional development in trauma-informed and child and adolescent practice.
My training includes:
Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Grief and Loss Counselling
Child and Adolescent Counselling
Advanced Suicide Prevention & Safety Planning
Alongside counselling, I bring extensive experience in support work, NDIS services, and community-based care, which gives me a grounded understanding of real-life challenges and systems.
Safety, Ethics & Professional Standards
To ensure a safe, ethical, and professional practice, I hold:
NDIS Worker Screening Check
Working With Children Check
National Police Check
First Aid & CPR Certification
Professional Indemnity Insurance
My work is guided by confidentiality, respect, inclusivity, and trauma-informed care.
My Values
Empathy – meeting you where you are
Trust – building safe, consistent connection
Compassion – non-judgemental support
Quality Care – ethical and evidence-informed practice
A Final Word
You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out.
Whether you are a new mum navigating the emotional intensity of matrescence, a teen moving through the challenges of adolescence, or an adult carrying grief, anxiety, or change - you are welcome here.
Sometimes healing doesn’t start with answers.
Sometimes it starts with a walk, a conversation, and the experience of being truly met.
I would be honoured to walk alongside you.
Warmly,
Sahra
