Meet Mik.
Meet Mik.
Hey there, I’m Mik!
An accredited Counsellor, working with women in the messy middle bit of our 20s and 30s. Whether you’re navigating challenges in your relationships, friendships or career, struggling with low mood, low self-worth, or a million other things, my goal is to be in your corner for the ups and downs, have a laugh, but also hold you accountable to move towards your goals.
I have been working in mental health for over 5-years, with experience in various areas including general counselling, mood disorders, low self-worth, suicide prevention & addiction.
I have completed my Diploma of Counselling, Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), and I am currently completing my Master of Clinical Psychology, with a goal of becoming a Psychologist in the future; I am not currently accepting clients as a psychologist.
If you’re wondering if counselling is the right space for you, we can jump on an initial call and have a chat, and I will always be super honest if I think it’s a good fit, or whether you might need something/someone different to support you.
Whatever you’re navigating with your mental health right now, I wish you all the best on that journey!
Mik
My Approach
I believe in meeting you where you are at with a bit of humour, honesty, and a commitment to helping you find genuine change. If you’re looking for someone who’ll be real with you, who can tell it like it is, offer tough love when needed, but also be in your corner through it all, then you’re in the right place!
My therapeutic approach draws from various evidence-based modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) & Motivational Interviewing, just to list a couple.
My approach is holistic, recognising that mental health is intertwined with every area of our lives. Whilst talk therapy itself is powerful, good mental health requires looking at the bigger picture, exploring habits, nutrition, movement, relationships, sleep, and so much more! I don’t just focus on getting you back from a crappy place to functioning “well enough”, but on actually feeling good; helping you reconnect with your values, build resilience, and create a life that feels more aligned with who you want to be!
Therapy doesn’t have to be stiff or formal to be effective and my approach is pretty casual. Sometimes, a dry sense of humour and a candid conversation go further than the “perfect” approach. If we don’t have the answers yet, we will work on finding them together!
My Values
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Of course, a professional approach to therapy is important… but so is having a laugh! I guarantee I’ll be stirring you up along the way and aim to make therapy a safe space for both the tears and a bit of dry humour as needed too!
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Valuing my own education & growth has shaped me into a completely different person, more compassionate, kind & understanding.
One of my favourite quotes is “there aren’t many people you wouldn’t like, if only you knew their full story”. Education allows us to understand people in a way that opens us up to compassion.
If I don’t understand something, I’ll apply the same skills that got me this far & I’ll dive into it, ensuring we work together to figure out what’s going on and how to best support you moving forward. We can create the space to work things out together!
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I aim to approach everything with curiosity, rather than reacting with ‘Why would you do that?!’ Instead, it's about looking deeper and asking, ‘Wait, actually, why would someone do that?’ and developing a deeper understanding of human behaviour without the shame.
I don’t care what you bring to the table… if you’ve done something you regret, if you’ve made mistakes, if you’re not your best self right now, that’s okay! We’ve all been there. That’s the whole point of getting support, so we can approach where you’re at right now with compassion, understanding and kindness, and make a plan to get things back on track. -
The word holistic can sometimes generate some eye-rolls, I know… but hear me out!
What it means to me is looking at all the moving parts of your life and knowing that nothing exists in isolation. It’s an understanding that an hour of talking on its own won’t change your life, but if we actually consider how different areas (e.g., physical health, nutrition, habits, childhood, education, etc), influence each other to impact your progress, we have the best chance at making positive change & achieving goals!
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I promise you, you cannot improve your mental health without considering your physical health too. They are deeply intertwined. It doesn’t have to be complicated or hard, it’s about taking small steps in the right direction to help you build momentum!
Are you getting enough sunlight? Are you sleeping well? Are you moving your body? Do you see a doctor when needed? etc etc.
The version of me who isolated and stayed in bed all day couldn’t have just talked her way into better mental health, I had to work on my other habits too.
Mikayla is currently a registered Counsellor. Additionally, Mikayla is a provisional psychologist at uni while studying her Master of Clinical Psychology. Mikayla is not currently accepting clients as a provisional psychologist.
