Welcome
Trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming therapy for adults and couples across Australia
Supporting people navigating trauma, anxiety, burnout, identity struggles, relationship difficulties, grief, and the lasting impact of early relational wounds.
Therapy grounded in compassion, curiosity, and evidence-informed care — offered via Telehealth Australia-wide.
About Helen
I’m Dr Helen Mursell, a Clinical Psychologist with more than 30 years of experience supporting people through emotional pain, trauma, stress, relationship difficulties, and life transitions. My approach is grounded primarily in Internal Family Systems (IFS), alongside trauma-informed care, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Gottman Method Couples Therapy. I work with warmth, depth, and curiosity, creating a space where people can explore their inner world without shame or judgment. I have a particular interest in: •complex trauma and attachment wounds •emotional neglect •neurodivergence •chronic illness and burnout •identity and belonging •anxiety and self-criticism •relationship and intimacy difficulties As someone who is neurodivergent myself, I value creating therapy spaces that feel safe, respectful, collaborative, and genuinely attuned to the individual. My work is based on the belief that symptoms and protective patterns make sense within the context of a person’s life experience. Rather than trying to “fix” parts of ourselves, therapy can help us understand them with greater compassion and clarity. Before becoming a psychologist, I was an international Royal Tennis player, ranked in the top ten in the world. That experience shaped my understanding of resilience, discipline, and the relationship between mind and body — perspectives I continue to bring into my clinical work today. One of the greatest lessons I learned, was that the mind and the stories it shares about ourselves and the world around us, can make, or break us.
My Approach
I aim to create a therapy space that feels thoughtful, grounded, and emotionally safe.
Therapy with me is collaborative and paced carefully according to your needs and capacity. Some people come seeking support through a specific crisis or transition, while others want to better understand longstanding emotional patterns, relationship dynamics, or the impact of earlier experiences.
I see both therapy and life as being less about reaching a destination and more about the journey along the way. Meaningful and lasting change often unfolds gradually, through curiosity, reflection and compassionate awareness of the patterns and experiences that have shaped us.
This rarely happens through quick fixes or rapid solutions, but through a thoughtful and often gradual process of understanding ourselves more deeply. Along the way, we gather greater clarity, resilience, wisdom, self-compassion and a more connected relationship with ourselves and others. It is these moments of beauty that slowly and surely become part of who we are.
With this in mind, my role is not to pathologise or push for rapid change, but to help you make sense of your experience in a way that supports greater self-understanding, emotional regulation, and connection.
Sessions are tailored to the individual, with an emphasis on:
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emotional safety
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nervous system awareness
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curiosity rather than self-judgment
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insight and practical integration
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building a more compassionate relationship with yourself
Services
Individual Therapy
Helping you make sense of your inner world
Individual therapy provides a space to explore emotional difficulties, behavioural patterns, relationships, identity, and the impact of past experiences.
I work with adults experiencing:
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trauma and complex trauma
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anxiety and chronic stress
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burnout
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neurodivergence
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emotional overwhelm
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self-esteem difficulties
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attachment and relationship challenges
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grief and loss
Sessions are collaborative, reflective, and adapted to your unique needs and goals.
Couples Therapy
Building greater understanding, safety, and connection
Couples therapy offers a supportive space to strengthen communication, rebuild trust, and better understand relational patterns.
Drawing on IFS, Gottman Method Couples Therapy and attachment-informed approaches, I work with couples navigating:
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communication breakdown
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conflict and disconnection
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intimacy difficulties
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emotional distance
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recurring relational patterns
The goal is not simply conflict reduction, but fostering greater emotional understanding, safety, and connection within the relationship.
IFS can be a powerful approach in couples therapy, helping each partner recognise and differentiate the protective parts within themselves and one another that are often working desperately to guard against the deep pain of rejection, abandonment, shame, or disconnection.
Please note that Medicare rebates are not available for couples therapy.
Supervision
Supporting thoughtful and sustainable clinical practice
I provide supervision for psychologists seeking a reflective and supportive space for clinical growth.
My supervision style is collaborative, trauma-informed, and grounded in ethical, relational practice. Areas of interest include:
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Internal Family Systems (IFS)
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trauma and attachment
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neurodiversity
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complex presentations
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therapeutic use of self
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reflective practice
I enjoy supporting both early-career and experienced psychologists in developing confidence, depth, and sustainability in their work.
Therapy Modalities
Trauma Informed Therapy
Trauma can shape the nervous system, relationships, identity, and sense of safety in the world.
I work from a trauma-informed perspective that prioritises emotional safety, collaboration, pacing, and respect for protective responses. Therapy is never about forcing disclosure or pushing beyond what feels manageable
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS is a compassionate, evidence-informed therapy model based on the understanding that we all have different “parts” within us — aspects of ourselves that carry emotions, beliefs, wounds, needs, and protective strategies shaped by our life experiences.
From an IFS perspective, symptoms such as anxiety, perfectionism, emotional shutdown, self-criticism, people-pleasing, or reactivity are not viewed as signs that something is “wrong” with us. Rather, they are often protective parts that have developed in an attempt to help us cope, survive, or prevent us from experiencing deeper emotional pain.
A core principle of IFS is that there are no “bad” parts. Instead of trying to get rid of these protective patterns, therapy focuses on building a more compassionate and curious relationship with them, helping them feel understood, less burdened, and less alone in the roles they have had to carry.
Over time, this process can support greater emotional balance, self-understanding, internal trust, and a deeper capacity for connection — both with ourselves and with others.
can also be deeply effective in couples therapy, helping partners recognise and differentiate the protective parts within themselves and one another that may be working desperately to guard against the pain of rejection, abandonment, shame, or disconnection
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Lux Soren
Where Therapy meets song
Alongside my clinical work, I also write and release music under the name Lux Soren — a creative project exploring themes of identity, grief, belonging, protection, and healing.
The songs are inspired by shared human experience and brought to life through original lyrics, and AI-assisted vocals and electronic production.
You can explore the project via the Music page.
