Guiding Paths to Inner Strength
At Cortex Counselling and Consulting, we are dedicated to guiding you on the path to inner strength and well-being. We provide a safe and confidential environment where you can explore, grow, and thrive.
Our Services
Our comprehensive range of therapy services is designed to help you overcome life's challenges and discover your true potential.
Do you ever wonder how come the same old patterns in your life keep repeating themselves over and over again, whether it is in personal relationships, work, or in social situations?
Have you considered how powerful our subconscious is, despite our best efforts to behave, think, or plan differently next time?
Individual psychotherapy is a talking, reflective therapy to help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself and your relationship with others. It is helpful in developing insight and awareness of the connection between:
Speaking with a counsellor helps us to identify patterns of thinking – or another way of looking at it is – ‘habits’ of thinking that keep unhelpful or unwanted outcomes reoccurring.
Find out how our thinking style, interpretations, and beliefs are intrinsically associated with different mood states.
Sometimes looking at problems from a new perspective with the help of a therapist can open up new ways of thinking about them, and along with this, new solutions become obvious or identify ways to manage the many paradoxes of life.
Meet with one of our therapists in a non–judgmental environment, who can help you shed light on a deeper understanding of self, interpersonal dynamics, and motivations.
The benefits of this form of therapy can identify new opportunities and pathways to making desired changes in your life.
Whether it is a particular issue bothering you or simply a wish to live a reflected – more conscious life, you are welcome to visit one of our counsellors
Would you like to bring more attunement into your relationship or require help to talk about the hard stuff?
We offer Relationship Counselling to enhance connection and intimacy or to help you deal with different stresses and changes that you may be experiencing.
These may include separation support – negotiating, establishing agreements, communication and listening skills, dealing with the trauma of infidelity, or other issues that may be troubling your relationship.
We accept referrals directly from Victims’ Support agencies, employer organisations, self-referrals, or via a medical or allied health practitioner.
This service at Cortex is offered to adults that have been affected either directly or indirectly by a sudden overwhelming or life-threatening event or incident that has left them feeling helpless, often resulting in shock or trauma.
Our services assist you in processing the events to minimise the risk of long-term complications and constructively manage the aftermath reactions, and restore coping resources. Every effort is made to provide prompt, priority appointments.
To clarify personal goals, understand and reduce self-sabotaging patterns to get the best from yourself, and work together by utilising positive psychology principles to thrive in life.
We have been providing EAP Counselling services (Employee Assistant Programs) to clients and organisations for over 13 years. We provide clinic-based counselling for work and non–work-related issues to employees and their families.
Our service is fully confidential to best support the client and the employer organisation to maintain the best possible mental health in the workplace.
Some reasons for referral may be:
Dealing with workplace conflict, work-life balance issues, interpersonal issues, substance overuse/abuse, discrimination and harassment, bullying, marital, family, and other issues, loss and grief, and adjustment during times of organisational change.
If you are a business or organisation wishing to explore how Cortex Counselling and Consulting can assist in providing your employees with a confidential, specialist off-site counselling service, please contact us for further information.
Our Team
Lucia Holt
With a person – centred approach in context with an understanding of the client’s environment and cultural setting, she provides a compassionate and respectful environment in her work with clients. Creating a space for authentic engagement where clients are safe to explore issues or dilemmas in non-judgemental dialogue. Fostering curiosity, connecting with courage and motivating clients towards positive changes - including meaning making from challenging experiences.
A registered psychologist since 1985, her formal qualifications from La Trobe University and other private Institutions, stem from the Behavioural Sciences, Rehabilitation, Somatic Psychotherapies and Trauma Counselling. Lucia's approach is integrative, whole person-centered (Mind, body and Spirit). She provides services to individual adults and couples.
She has provided numerous critical incident debriefings, extensive Employee Assistance (counselling) Programs, collaborated in community recovery projects, held Pastoral and senior Psychologist positions in private and public hospitals, as well as counselling to victims of crime, emergency services personnel and refugees.
In terms of therapeutic interventions, she is experienced in utilising Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy, Solution Focused counselling, Interpersonal (ITP) and Psychodynamic Psychotherapies, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Narrative Therapy, Hypnosis, Mindfulness Meditation, Existential Therapy, Action and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Brain informed and Trauma Informed Psychotherapies. When working with couples, Lucia incorporates the Gottman’s assessment tool with relationship interventions.
She finds fulfilment in giving back to the profession through providing supervision to peers and other practitioners.
Graham Cox
Graham is a registered Psychologist and has worked in the counselling field for over 25 years. His qualifications include a Bachelor of Science, a Graduate Diploma of Applied Science (Professional Psychology) and a Master of Psychology (Counselling). Graham has worked in a variety of positions, including:
Problem Gambling and Drug and Alcohol Counsellor, Family Counsellor and Student Counsellor (tertiary), Victims of Crime Counsellor.
Special areas of interest include cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression, and sleep disorders.
Stuart Brinkworth
Stuart has been enjoying counselling for the past 20 years. He specialises in the treatment of adults and young adults with the following issues: Anxiety, Depression Stress management, Grief and loss Relationship difficulties, Self-esteem, Mid-life issues, Addictions, Parenting issues, workplace struggles.
Stuart values a client centred approach developing a warm, genuine, empathetic professional therapeutic alliance. He integrates a range of treatment approaches including Attachment Based therapies, Emotion Focused therapy, Cognitive Behavioural therapy, Narrative therapy, Short Term Solution Focused therapy and Positive (strength based) therapy.
Stuart enjoys working with clients to ‘unpack, explore, understand’ what brings them to therapy and then to collaboratively identify and work towards their identified goals. This includes clarifying their own values, finding meaning in their life experience and utilising their strengths to reach their potential.