Your story is significant and meaningful

It can take a lot of work to ask for help, but when you seek help, you state vulnerability and courage: “I’m struggling right now, but I’m worth fighting for.”

My mission is to honour your honesty and bravery by providing a safe, accepting, and caring space for you to be heard, understood, and assisted in recovery.

About Tim Dale

I provide personalised counselling for individuals and couples that utilise evidence-based psychological methods and therapies based on your needs, personality and beliefs. I come into the counselling profession with deep empathy for your journey, as I have experienced counselling for myself for over a decade. Counselling helped me find purpose, leave my comfort zone, and take responsibility for ensuring I lived life both present and fully. My journey through counselling has spurred on my passion to help others because I know how powerful counselling can be for positive change. Everyone needs someone to talk to!

Outside of counselling, I love a gritty game of basketball (go dubs!), swimming, op shopping, and digging through vinyl crates for the most obscure music I can find (I’m loving 70s Arabic disco right now). I love travelling with my wife and playing with my cat Cooper, who acts more like a dog than a cat…

Tim’s Credentials and Experience

  • Masters in Counselling

  • Accredited ACA Counsellor Member No. 28117

  • Gottman Trained Couples Therapist Level 2

  • Experienced men’s mental health group and retreat leader (LivingReal)

  • Practitioner with Foundations Counselling Centre

  • Experienced in pastoral care

Counsellors vs Psychologists - What’s the difference?

In the plainest terms, psychologists treat diagnoses, while counsellors concentrate on client goals. If you have a diagnosis, it’s best to see a psychologist first to learn diagnostic techniques. You may then benefit from seeing a counsellor afterwards to use those diagnostic techniques to manage your diagnosis in your daily life and achieve personal goals.

If you don’t have a precise diagnosis, Counselling may be more beneficial for navigating challenging times and finding the path towards your goals. Your counsellor can also refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist if getting a diagnosis will be beneficial.

Certified counsellors provide trauma-informed and client-centred care. Some psychologists are trained in these areas, but it isn’t a requirement for the profession. However, client-centred and trauma-informed care is a core element of counselling, in which the client’s goals are the central purpose of each session.

Finding the right counsellor or psychologist who meets your needs can take time, and there is no problem in trying both. If your first attempts at seeking mental health assistance didn’t meet your needs, it’s okay to try again; you are not obliged to see the same person. Feel free to look around for the right mental health practitioner that meets your needs and provides a safe and comfortable space to share and be listened to.

What Does Counselling Look Like?

Counselling often begins with the counsellor getting to know you and explaining the process of the first session. Your counsellor may ask: What do you do for work or study? What are your hobbies? Do you have family? Is there a particular concern or area that brings you to counselling? This is also your opportunity to see if the counsellor's personality and style suit you. At the end of your first session, your counsellor should have a good understanding of who you are and your situation to prepare for your next session.

Further counselling sessions involve you and your counsellor collaborating to work towards your goals, often through conversation, creativity, and practical tasks. You may chart your plans on a whiteboard, draw ideas on paper, practice breathing exercises, or develop thought routines. Your counsellor can provide ideas and concepts that complement your personality and preferences. If there’s anything your counsellor suggests that you’re uncomfortable about, it is completely fine to advise them; Your counsellor should acknowledge this and redirect the session to your needs.

During your sessions, counselling provides consistent encouragement while provoking new perspectives not previously considered. Counsellors don’t give advice but instead empower you to discover the solutions within yourself to take personalised, effective and enduring steps towards your goals.

The amount and frequency of your sessions can vary depending on your counselling goals, and your counsellor may discuss this with you. If there are personal factors that may affect the longevity of your sessions, such as finances or time restraints, it’s best to advise your counsellor as well so they can try to adapt your goals to fit within the limitations realistically.