Counselling & Psychology Services - Tanya Jarrett

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As a registered psychologist, Tanya Jarrett provides support to adults  for many different concerns. You may have reached a point where you feel that things are too challenging to cope on your own, or perhaps you are wanting to address issues early before they become too big. 

You do not have to have a formal diagnosis or significant mental health issues to access counselling. If you are uncertain about whether you have a diagnosed mental health condition, Tanya, like all psychologists, is experienced and trained in the clinical assessment process and can help you work out if your experiences may be explained by a particular diagnosis. Of course, this is not essential but optional; as the most important thing is to help you cope with whatever you are experiencing. Counselling is for everyone, regardless of the issues you'd like to work on.

Tanya is experienced in supporting people with the following:

• Work and life stress
• Depressed mood
• Anxiety
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 
• Working through traumatic experiences
• Personality Disorders
• Sleep issues
• Adjustment to many life changes including COVID related life and work changes, diagnosis of illness or condition, new baby, parenting situations including blended family challenges
• Challenging family dynamics
• Coping with chronic pain
• Relationship concerns through relationship counselling
• Grief and Loss (this includes bereavement as well as separation from loved ones)

Therapies utilisied during counselling are evidence based. Tanya's approach is person centred and eclectic, which means that a variety of therapeutic modalities could be used which are best suited to your symptoms, personality, and often, the therapy you choose. Some people have done some research and are familiar with the different therapies. Tanya is happy to go in the direction of your choosing, as well as introducing other therapies as needed.  

Some of the therapies Tanya is trained in include:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
• Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Schema Therapy
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Solution Focused Therapy
• Mindfulness (incorporated in a number of therapies as well as stand alone)
• Grief therapy
• Relationship counselling
• Family Therapy

One of Tanya's special interests is the diagnosis (discovery) and support of Autistic adults or adults who suspect they are Autistic. This includes adults have have previously been diagnosed with Aspergers. Diagnosing an adult with Autism can be difficult, especially women and gender diverse people; as by the time an adult is identified as possibly being Autistic, they have developed many coping strategies which may "mask" the features of Autism. Coping strategies can include camouflaging autistic traits, masking and compensation strategies which are "work arounds" to help the person cope or "fit in".

Tanya is experienced in both the diagnosis and ongoing counselling support for Autistic adults. The assessment process for an adult differs slightly  to that of a child. A child's autistic features are often easier to see and assess, whereas some of the gold standard assessment tools used do not account for the various strategies adults use to mask or cope with their autistic traits. Tanya will help you to understand  these strategies or masking features to help determine if Autism could be a possibility.

Autistic and non-Autistic people often see the world through different lenses. As society creates expectations that the majority of people will "fit in" and behave in non-Autistic ways, this  can create  vulnerabilities for autistic people; such as increased mental health concerns, social exhaustion, burnout and overwhelming sensory experiences. Ongoing support could include counselling for these things but will be tailored to the unique strengths and differences of each individual.