Whalecome !
Child, Adolescent & Adult Counsellor in Brisbane
Whale Breath Counselling offers compassionate support for children, adolescents, and families as they navigate emotional, behavioural and learning challenges including ADHD, learning difficulties, and emotional regulation issues.
I also offer counselling for adults seeking support through life challenges or personal reflection.
"With 17 years of experience, I support children, teens, families, and adults seeking emotional guidance."
Like the whale that dives into the depths before returning to the surface to breathe, I believe that growth often begins below the surface — in the quiet space where emotions, memories and inner strength reside.
Services
Child – Young People – Parenting - Adult
- Emotional regulation
- Learning challenges
- ADHD
- School anxiety, homework struggles
- Self-esteem, self-confidence
- Anxiety
- Behavioural difficulties
- Social skills
- Identity development
- Motivation or academic pressure
- Stress, emotional overwhelm
- Parental separation
- Grief and loss
- Parenting support
- Support for parents of ADHD or neurodivergent children
- Life transitions (career changes, relocation, personal milestones)
- Reflecting on past experiences or patterns
- Personal growth and self-understanding
Cocorico !
Sessions in French
I provide support for children, teens, families and adults navigating the unique challenges of expatriation. Moving to a new country brings many changes : school adjustments, loss of familiar routines, saying goodbye to your previous life, adapting to new cultural and language norms, and finding your place in a new community. These transitions can feel overwhelming for everyone.
Using a warm, supportive, and playful approach, I help people express emotions, build resilience, and develop coping strategies for this new chapter. Together, we focus on small steps, confidence, and emotional well-being, making the transition to life in Australia as smooth and positive as possible.
Services offered in French include:
- Individual support for children, teens or adults
- Family sessions to facilitate communication and adaptation
- Guidance on school integration, cultural adjustment, and bilingual support
- Strategies for coping with change, grief, and loss
My approach
At Whale Breath Counselling, I offer a compassionate and personalized approach to support children, teens, and families. Drawing from developmental psychology, I integrate various therapeutic techniques to address emotional and behavioral challenges.
Supporting insight, self-awareness and emotional growth
Play-based Therapy
For younger children, I utilize play therapy and creative approaches to create a safe and engaging environment where they can express themselves, explore emotions, and develop coping skills through play-based activities. These playful methods involve books, free play, symbolic play, and therapeutic stories. They help children express emotions, explore challenges, and develop confidence in a safe, engaging environment.
Projective Techniques
With both children and adolescents, I employ projective methods such as drawing, storytelling, and role-play. These techniques help uncover underlying thoughts and feelings, facilitating a deeper understanding of their experiences and promoting emotional growth.
Communication and expression
Sessions often encourage speech, storytelling, and creative expression, helping children and teens to put emotions into words and develop effective communication skills.
Learning support and cognitive strategies
For children experiencing learning difficulties, I use a playful and strength-based approach to build compensatory strategies that support working memory, attention, fine motor skills, and executive functioning. Activities may include board games, educational games, and practical cognitive exercises designed to strengthen focus and learning abilities while keeping sessions fun and motivating.
Whale done!
Parent Support
I provide guidance and support to parents, helping them navigate the complexities of parenting and strengthen their relationship with their child or teen.
I also offer individual or group Barkley program for ADHD. Based on the work of Dr. Russell Barkley, this evidence-based program helps parents of children with ADHD better understand their child’s behaviour and develop practical strategies to manage everyday challenges. Through structured sessions, parents learn effective tools for improving cooperation, emotional regulation, and family relationships — all within a supportive and compassionate environment.
Adult Support
I provide support for adults navigating various life challenges, including stress, transitions, and personal growth. Through individual sessions, adults can explore their emotions, process life experiences, navigate personal challenges, develop coping strategies, and work towards achieving their personal goals in a supportive, reflective, calm and confidential space.
Here, therapy is a safe harbour - a space to breathe, to grow, and to rediscover your own rhythm. True transformation happens gently, through awareness, compassion, and connection.
About me
Hi, I’m Séverine — a French-trained psychologist and counsellor based in Brisbane.
For over 17 years in France, I worked with children, teens, families and adults across various settings — private practice, early childhood centres, schools, maternity wards, and child protection services. I also collaborated with learning support networks, taught at university, and provided supervision and training for early childhood professionals.
Now settled in Brisbane with my family, I continue to support children, adolescents, adults and parents through a warm, playful, and compassionate approach.
My work focuses on helping each child and family understand emotions, strengthen relationships, and build confidence to navigate life’s challenges with greater balance and resilience.
Contact me today
Qualifications
After completing my university studies in Aix-en-Provence and Paris 8, I graduated with a Master’s Degree (Master II) in Developmental and Educational Psychology — valedictorian of my class. My specialisation combines knowledge from clinical psychology and cognitive psychology, disciplines that explore how children think, grow, and develop — the stages they go through, and the different developmental pathways that can unfold, whether typical or atypical.
This initial training was complemented by additional qualifications and ongoing professional development, including:
- A University Diploma in Perinatal Psychology (Paris 11)
- Advanced training in Learning Disorders (Résodys Summer University and ongoing neuropsychology seminars)
- Training in Cognitive Remediation (GREPE)
- Parenting Skills Training Program – Barkley Parent Workshops
- Montessori training
- Continuous professional development through regular reading and seminars to stay up to date with the latest research and best practices, ensuring that my approach remains informed and responsive to each child’s individual needs.
Please note that the above degrees and certifications were obtained in Europe and have not been accredited in Australia by AHPRA.
Session Fees
Individual counselling (45–50 min):
$120 per session
Parent workshops:
group : $85 per session
Individual : $120 per session
Social skills workshops:
group : $85 per session
Individual : $120 per session
Cancellation of appointments requires 24-hour notice. Without 24-hour notice a fee of $40 will be incurred.
Contact
Get in touch with Whale Breath Counselling.