Becoming aware of being human is a creative adventure; assisting the growth of this awareness is an adventurous creation.
- Joseph Zinker
Psychotherapy
Life can be hard, uncertain and confusing, and yet there is an expectation that we inherently know how to live and relate well. This is a fallacy. The realms of the personal are complex, made even more complex when two or more lives come together in relationship. Guidance, mentorship, support and education are necessary elements to navigating the vicissitudes of life and relationship.
Living Story guides a unique exploratory process of understanding, discovery and growth, taking a deep and supported dive into relationships, struggles, longings and the foundational circumstances of life. There is a reclamation of who you are and because of this, opportunities arise for choice and self-determination that were previously out of reach.
Living Story’s work is informed by a unique combination of contemporary research in neuroscience, attachment theory and relational therapy, as well as mindfulness, transpersonal and depth psychology, the wisdom of the natural world, the arts and mythology.
Talk therapy is combined with somatic and mindfulness practices, experiential techniques and imagery work to help access hidden facets of the psyche, make meaning of lived experiences, and move towards a richer and more fulfilling life.
Education
Living Story educates about psychological principles that largely govern our lives. So often we are unaware of the root causes of our suffering and relationship adversities. Living Story sheds light on: human development, the nervous system, emotions, the psyche, relational skills and methods of communication.
In this context, skills acquisition, helps create an empowered life. Fundamental understandings of the functions of the human body and its nervous system can help you behave and relate in ways that you choose, rather than how you have been habituated. This can lead to a life of increasingly more freedom, fulfilment and flow.
The healing and transformative potential that lies between two beating hearted humans is nothing short of miraculous.
We know from research that the quality of our relationships has a direct impact on our physical and psychological health and wellbeing. Secure, supportive and loving relationships lessen the adverse effects of stress, leading to improved mental and physical health. Conversely, dysfunctional relational dynamics are damaging to our health. The aim of couples therapy then is to transform difficult relationships into sanctuaries for healing, growing and thriving.
We do this by developing greater insight into how a couple entity operates, why it behaves as it does, and what it needs and longs for. We then work on ways to uncover errors of perception and create a more harmonious, adaptive and creative system.
Living Story primarily works with the Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT) created by Dr Stan Tatkin (Wired for Love). This model of couples therapy is informed by research in:
Attachment Theory – the biological drive to form bonds with others.
Neuroscience – the way the structure of the brain impacts behaviour.
Biology of Human Arousal – the way we cope with the demands of life.
Couple Therapy
Ariella Gery
I have a particular interest in body-centred self-awareness practices (including mindfulness and interoception) and the transpersonal and soulful exploration. Talk therapy helps us make sense of our lives and create meaning. And… it’s through powerful experiences and mindful practice that we discover what is actually possible, and essentially, the untapped vastness of who we are. The modalities I work with are Gestalt, Somatic Experiencing, PACT couples therapy, Interpersonal Neurobiology and Internal Family Systems.
My path has been long and windy and I stopped to explore many places before I landed here. Previous to psychotherapy I worked as a lawyer, in social justice and the arts. It is the extent of my therapeutic interest and training, and lived experience that allows me to engage each client in a unique, creative and nuanced way.
Education and Training
Master of Clinical Mental Health Counselling - Mindfulness-based Transpersonal (Naropa University Colorado)
Certificate of Gestalt Therapy (Gestalt Institute of the Rockies)
PACT Couples Therapist - Level II (PACT Institute California)
Somatic Experiencing - Level I/II (Somatic Experiencing Australia)
Mindfulness Instructor (Naropa University)
Internal Family Systems (IFS Institute)
Interpersonal Neurobiology (Mindsight Institute)
Bachelor of Law (Monash University)
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology/Anthropology (Monash University)
Member of the Australian Counselling Association, Level 2
Member of the American Counseling Association
Get in touch…
Living Story works both online and in-person in Abbotsford and Northcote.