Life Matters; Counselling & Wellness Solutions
When you need to talk to someone.
When you want someone to genuinely listen.
When you want to feel better.
Take charge. Take a step towards positive change.
Come to Life Matters; Counselling & Wellness Solutions
How can I help?
Individual Counselling
Working one on one, sessions are conducted with men, women, teens or children individually, to explore personal concerns, set goals and develop healthier ways of coping.
Couple Counselling
Working with two people within a couple dynamic, sessions are generally for relationship counselling of any kind to explore issues, strengthen communication and find healthier ways to connect.
Family Therapy
Family therapy is about helping family members to work as a unit, to foster greater understanding and cooperation and to find new ways to relate to each other more positively.
Who Sees a Counsellor?
People from all walks of life—children, teens, adults, couples (same or opposite sex), and families in all their forms. I’ve supported clients as young as four and as senior as eighty.
Why Counselling?
Because sometimes, we just need to talk. Whether it’s something recent or long-standing, counselling offers a safe, confidential space to share openly with someone impartial and non-judgmental. It’s a place to be heard, understood, and supported.
Counselling helps you:
Gain clarity and insight
Understand yourself and your relationships
Resolve current challenges
Heal from past experiences
Set meaningful goals for the future
What Issues Can Be Addressed?
Counselling can support you or someone close to you with:
Anxiety, panic, depression, low self-esteem
Anger management and emotional regulation
Relationship and communication difficulties
Stress (work, family, financial, life transitions)
Grief, loss, and trauma
Parenting challenges and family dynamics
Addiction (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.)
Abuse recovery and boundary setting
Identity, life direction, and personal growth
Health-related emotional concerns
Conflict resolution and assertiveness training
Emotional processing and resilience building
I also integrate skills such as mindfulness, cognitive-behavioural strategies, psychoeducation, and solution-focused techniques to support lasting change.
If you or someone you care about needs a space to talk and be truly heard, reaching out to a counsellor can make a real difference.
Professional Profile
Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to get to know me.
I’m a qualified Counsellor, Couple and Family Therapist with nearly two decades of experience supporting individuals, couples, and families through life’s challenges. Since graduating in December 2006, I’ve worked in private practice with clients ranging from young children to seniors in their 80s, and with families and couples of all backgrounds and configurations.
My therapeutic approach draws from a range of evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Gestalt, Client-Centred Therapy, and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). I tailor each session to meet the unique needs of my clients, often blending techniques for the most effective outcomes.
I hold specialist training in relationship and couple dynamics through Relationships Australia and The Gottman Institute (USA), and completed a Graduate Diploma in Counselling with a focus on Family Therapy, alongside additional qualifications in Health Counselling and Hypnotherapy.
My practice is grounded in holistic principles—treating the whole person across physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions. While I incorporate these insights into my counselling work, I also collaborate with qualified practitioners, including local therapists and naturopaths, to ensure clients receive comprehensive care.
I regularly use mindfulness, guided visualization, and meditation in sessions, and have facilitated group meditation classes, including volunteering at an over-55s lifestyle resort.
In addition to clinical work, I’m passionate about education. Since earning my initial TAE qualification in 2012, I’ve trained and assessed many students in Counselling and Community Services across private RTOs and TAFE QLD North and TAFE NSW. I’ve taught Certificate IV in Mental Health, Diploma of Counselling, Diploma of Community Services and Graduate Diploma of Relationship Counselling. In addition I've hosted practical placements through my practice, Life Matters: Counselling and Wellness Solutions.
After 18 months of travel, my partner, our dogs and I settled in Port Macquarie in April 2023. Previously, I ran a multi-modality wellness clinic on the Northern Gold Coast and Tweed Coast, where I mentored emerging practitioners in building their own businesses.
My journey into counselling began with my own experience as a client—both individually and as part of a couple. The insight and transformation I gained inspired a career change in my late 30s, following a successful chapter in recruitment, where I owned a firm specializing in architectural and engineering placements.
You’ll find a full list of my qualifications in the FAQ section of the website. I look forward to connecting with you.
Our Team
Dawn Wilson
Senior Counsellor
Testimonials
What others have said about their Counselling experience:
Frequently Asked Questions
With some counsellors or psychologists, a session can sometimes run for only 50 minutes. However, it is my normal practice that a first session runs for approximately an hour and a half and further follow up sessions for approximately an hour to an hour and a quarter. It is important to allow enough time for your sessions, as sometimes important issues are only discovered well into the hour, and the extra time is required to continue the discussion adequately and to know how best to work with the issues at hand. However, our sessions are not charged by time. So even though your session may be a little longer time-wise, you will only ever pay for the 'session' fee and not an 'hourly' fee.
Couple counselling or family sessions are slightly different. With two people involved, or a family, more time is naturally required to allow each person to adequately discuss their troubles and issues. So, in this instance, our sessions could run for up to two hours. However, like individual sessions, we do not charge on a 'time' basis. It is a set 'session' fee.
Absolutely. Each session is private and confidential. The information gathered during each session is for the purposes of assessment and treatment which helps provide the best possible support for you.
However, there are limitations to confidentiality. These limits apply if it is considered that there is an immediate risk of harm to either yourself, as the client, or another identified person (or property),; or if a client's file is subpoenaed by a court of law.
Accredited Mental Health First Aider
Graduate Diploma in Counselling
Diploma in Health Science (Holistic Counselling)
Diploma in Health Counselling
Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis and Psychotherapy
Specialist Course in Relationships & Couple Therapy (Relationships Australia)
Certificate of Completion in Levels 1 & 2 Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Certificate of Completion in Levels 1 & 2: Shamanic Healing Practitioner Training
Diploma in Regression Therapy
Certificate in Medical Terminology
Advanced Bush Flower Practitioner
Certified Ho'oponopono Practitioner
First Degree Seichim Reiki
Certificate in Fitness Leader – Health & Fitness
Completed specialist Lifeline Domestic Violence Training & the AVERT Family Violence training programme.
Certificate IV TAE (40116 and the 40110 with upgrades)
This is a difficult question to answer in one response.
It truly depends on a number of factors, including if sessions are for one person or a couple, or perhaps an entire family, the nature of the sessions, i.e the reason/s why counselling is required, the severity of the issues at hand and how simple or complex things are etc.
Some issues can be addressed in one session by using a therapy called Solution Focused Brief Therapy. However it's been my experience over more than 15 years that in general, real change requires more than this.
General Individual Sessions: Men/Women/Children $95 per session.
Couple Counselling: $130 per session.
Family Sessions: $165 per session
If you are a Student, or hold a current Concession Card, please let me know about your circumstances. I'd be happy to discuss this with you directly.
I work by appointment Monday to Saturday.
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