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practitioner health
Anchor 1
personal growth is
professional health
As a younger physiotherapist, I often felt I was expected to fit a mould—to become a cookie-cutter version of what a practitioner “should” be.
Know all the things.
Diagnose.
Treat.
Repeat.
Yet this way of being felt inherently wrong.
The human parts of me—my heart, my intuition, my desire to truly witness and support—were being suppressed by the very system in which I worked.
I felt disconnected, and this disconnection made it difficult to relate to people in genuine or meaningful ways.
I often wondered: “Is this it? Is this all it’s ever going to be?”
Despite my investment in my chosen profession, I began to question whether I wanted to continue at all.
I now see that the younger version of myself didn’t yet know how to fully bring her humanity into her work and, more deeply, didn’t yet know how to truly relate to herself.
I needed a space to explore my experiences, listen deeply to myself, and learn how to show up authentically—both for myself and those in my care.
I needed a way to bridge the gap between my own health and wellbeing and my capacity to support others.
supporting the person
behind the practitioner
Through Hakomi mindful somatic psychotherapy, I have come to understand that personal growth is foundational to professional health. How we show up as practitioners directly impacts how we relate to ourselves.
When we’re disconnected from our inner world, it limits our capacity to foster meaningful therapeutic relationships. But when we explore and integrate our own experiences, we create the conditions for deeper connection, clarity, and presence—both for ourselves and for our clients.
Exploring your experiences and developing who you are as a person, brings your humanity into healthcare.
I believe we need to explore ourselves to become competent, compassionate clinicians. You are your biggest asset, and investing in your personhood brings your humanity into healthcare.
This kind of exploration asks for space—space to slow down, notice, and welcome all the moments that are often overlooked in the busy flow of clinical practice.
the therapeutic relationship
as a safe container
Research shows that the therapeutic alliance is a crucial component of patient-centered care. The way we show up in relationship with our clients impacts their experience, their engagement, and ultimately their outcomes.
Yet, as practitioners, we’re rarely given the tools to explore this aspect of our work.
Through Hakomi principles, I provide a space where practitioners can develop their relational awareness and create their own safe therapeutic container—one that nurtures growth, curiosity, and self-understanding.
We do this through mindful exploration of your thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and beliefs. By attending to your nervous system health and cultivating your capacity to tend to yourself, you can learn how to create conditions of safety and presence in your client relationships.
For some, this can be quite confronting as it's generally not been encouraged as part of how we learn to be a clinician.
Hakomi’s emphasis on mindfulness and the body’s innate intelligence allows us to uncover the deeper layers of our patterns and beliefs. This process not only helps us connect more authentically with clients but also transforms how we navigate the inevitable challenges of our work.
Importantly, it offers a unique way to explore the complexities of pain and the deep beliefs our clients may hold—beliefs that often influence their experiences and outcomes. By learning to be present with what arises in the moment, we can support deeper exploration and meaningful shifts, both for ourselves and for those we serve.
Including our own body intelligence to gain clarity and understanding is a powerful act of disruption as it challenges conventional ways of knowing or understanding, often leading us into more embodied, present, and authentic ways of being.
a mindful and
experiential approach
When the patient walked through the door and nodded hello, I noticed something had shifted.
Her torso seemed longer whilst her shoulders more square. Her face held a resolution of sorts.
Perched on the edge of my seat, I crossed my legs. Left over right, then right over left. Then left over right again.
I felt a stab of pain in my ribcage and noticed my lungs braced in protection. Letting some air out allowed both feet to find the ground.
The space between us was still.
As she spoke, her words walked towards my ears with purpose.
Her voice, her needs as a patient seeking care, led the dialogue. Open, raw, and honest feelings. Hard to hear truths, despite their kind and intentional delivery.
I became aware of my cheeks, as they housed creeping pink streaks. My hammering heart was their supplier.
I noticed the urge to fix was strong and the impulse to please palpable.
My throat felt like quicksand, and my mouth was dry. I noticed a slowness to my mind that felt uncomfortable yet familiar.
Words were not yet required.
And so, I turned towards my body for dialogue; to meet her in the moment, with respect and dignity.
I watched my posture soften, sensed my jaw release, heard myself breathe. I noticed a tension to my legs that kept me anchored to the spot.
Having traversed my body's insides, the words that emerged were messy in shape and heartful in colour. And whilst vulnerable to form, they held my expansion.
I noticed her pause and absorb my response. Her eyebrows smoothed and torso slackened. Her shoulders turned ever so slightly towards me.
A moment of humanness and reciprocity held embodied common ground. A sense of self was felt within the other.
Our bodies were creating messy yet fertile soil; gardening together, unearthing unfamiliar nutrients from which we could both grow.
walking alongside you
I am passionate about supporting practitioners in their personal and professional growth because I believe that when we tend to our own humanity, we create the conditions for transformative care.
I would love to walk alongside you as we creatively explore what it means to bring your full self into your work—with curiosity, courage, and compassion.
what to expect
what will a session look like?
I listen to what its like to be you, what you need and inquire for understanding
It 's crucial that I gain a clear understanding of what it is like to be you and what your life context looks like
We figure out the best approach to support your needs
Together we put the pieces out in front of us and decide how best to support you.
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We explore your
body-mind, beliefs, and your responses
The way you meet the world and yourself & the beliefs you hold impact the way you provide care and relate to others
We integrate and reflect on your experiences
Growth occurs through experience. Being curious and explorative about your experiences fosters self-compassion and the conditions for expansion
"Kit was so different to what I initially expected. She didn't yap on about pain and the brain. She spoke of humanness, of being a human. Of the nature of complexity. She spoke of stories, and her words came out in stories.
She also asked for mine. This already felt unusual because often I am the one listening to my patients, or I am the student listening to the teacher.
It's taken me awhile to figure out that what I am gaining from having mentor sessions with Kit, is not necessarily learning about how to understand complex pain and complex patients. Instead, I have been learning how to understand my SELF. Just like those in pain, I am complex and human."
Loren
"A professional training often wounds us. It encourages us to repress certain parts of our human wholeness and focus ourselves more narrowly and cognitively on the grounds that this will make us more useful and effective.
Often parts we have repressed are human strengths - the heart, the soul, the intuition - aspects of ourselves that are resources in times of stress and crisis and enable us to understand and strengthen others."
- Rachel Naomi Remen -
get in touch
or book a 30 min exploration to discuss your needs
Located at: 7b Campbell St Yarraville, VIC 3013
ph: 03 - 90 - 888 - 029
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