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Rainbow Muse Clinic has a New Team Member! Portia is a Clinical Family Therapist and Credentialed Mental Health Nurse and all round amazing human. Read all about her, by her, we know you will love her as much as we do.
I have an immense passion for family therapy. From a young age, I have always been curious about families. Whenever I met people, my mind would wander and think about who is in that family. A brother, a pet, a grandma? Noone exists as an individual entity, but rather we are all part of a family or other system. Each person in a family, is impacted by other family members they grew up with, in such a profound way, even if we sometimes do not realise this. Parts of who we are, and how we do things now all trace back to our family in some way.
I am incredibly privileged to listen to people talk about their family. For people to be able to trust me with their story, and to walk alongside them in those moments as they are telling a story, is an honour. I love to get to really know people, to listen to them, talk to them, and hold space for their story in a safe, therapeutic way. I am there with them, in their family, and I seek to understand each person's unique experience within that family, as told by them, all in a non-judgemental, non-blaming manner. I am always curious, non-assuming, and each family member is a teacher to me, of that family. I am there for the whole family, even those who are not there.
I have worked in many settings, in mental health over the past 20 years, with complex mental health issues across the age spectrum, gaining my experience initially as a mental health nurse in the UK, working in areas such as eating disorders and a vast array of complex mental health conditions. Within that, I was drawn to working with families, away from diagnoses, as often this focuses solely on the individual and not the family, and so I pursued that passion.
Currently, I enjoy working with families that represent marginalised and diverse communities, utilising therapy and interventions that are inclusive, anti-racist, and affirming to those who have lived their lives as "other" or "different", either in family systems or in any current systems of belonging.
If I'm not drinking coffee somewhere, I'm either spending time with my family, tending to a ridiculous number of indoor plants, or chasing sunshine and/or adrenalin outdoors.
More about Family Therapy
Family therapy helps people in close relationships help and understand each other. It helps them express difficult thoughts, emotions in a safe, non-blaming way. It is flexible in that it can be conducted with every family member in different ways. Individuals may find it useful to reflect on important family relationships, as part of improving their parenting style or their own personal relationships for example. Couples may find it useful to address conflicts that are impacting or stemming from family life, and children may be able to have a space to discuss difficulties between siblings for example. At Rainbow Muse, I can see parents of children, children themselves, grandparents, any member of a chosen or extended family. I
particularly welcome those from LGBTQI communities, neurodivergent families, First Nations families, and families that experience marginalisation and discrimination.
Portia is currently taking referrals for individuals and families via Telehealth. Email us on hello@rainbowmuse.com.au to find out more.