Clarity, purpose and control

Counsellor Jamie Brown is passionate about helping others be their best selves, and now he’s opening a practice in Ballarat.

He initially went into education as an English and drama teacher before becoming a Lifeline counsellor, but a life-long curiosity for psychology steered him to mental health.

Now Jamie runs The Therapy Stop, a counselling practice based at The Healthy Hub Wellness Centre, responding to ever present needs for access to mental health treatment.

Jamie ran his business for two years in Melbourne’s CBD, but has settled into the Bridge Mall space this month, drawing upon the approaches of various schools of counselling.

“I take a bit from everything to create an integrative approach which will help the person in front of me. It’s about them, it’s very much person-centred and goal focussed,” he said.

“My areas of interest are anxiety, depression, grief and loss, gender and sexuality, and the whole purpose of someone coming to me for counselling is to unpack an issue of their choosing.

“It’s all about them, they tell the story and I take from that what I need to come up with this integrative approach to help them gain clarity, purpose and control over their life.”

Both Jamie’s teaching and counselling careers have had similar purposes, “making people believe in themselves.

“Helping people, whether it be skill or thought wise, to be the best version of themselves, it’s really rewarding,” he said.

“You might have someone come in who’s down and out with depression and they’ve lost all hope, but you work with them slowly but surely, and you see them come back to life. That’s a great feeling.”

When The Therapy Stop found its home at The Healthy Hub, it was “meant to be.

“As a practitioner, you’ve got to find your spot. As soon as I went in there, I just knew this was the place I wanted to relocate my business to,” Jamie said.

“It’s an allied health place so there’s people I can refer clients to and people who can refer clients to me. It’s different, it’s funky and it’s got a good vibe.”

A session lasts 50 minutes, costing between $60 and $90. Appointments are available on Saturdays. During their first meeting, people can see Jamie for half a session, free-of-charge to discover whether the service is right for them.

“That way they can see this is who I am and how I operate. Plus, it gives me a chance to see if I can help them to help themselves,” he said.

“You can’t change everything, but if you focus on one thing with the greatest potential gain, it can have a domino effect.”

Find The Therapy Stop at 100 Bridge Mall, Bakery Hill. Visit thetherapystop.com.au.