Dr Rachel Berrisford
A Life Worth Living:
Psychotherapy, Counselling and Coaching.
With over 25 years of experience in psychiatry and psychotherapy, my aim is to provide a safe, collaborative and empathetic environment in which we can identify and explore unconscious habitual thoughts, feelings and behaviours that might be keeping you stuck in a pattern that no longer serves you.
This is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are at immediate risk or need urgent care, please call 000, Lifeline Australia on 131114, or the Mental Health Emergency Response line on 1300 555 788.
Do you ever feel as though life is passing you by, leaving you feeling stuck and unable to move forward? Perhaps you are searching for meaning and fulfilment in your day-to-day life or relationships, yet find these just out of reach.
You might be living with ongoing illness or physical pain, trying to cope with a recent diagnosis, or navigating the complex emotions that come with grief and loss.
Maybe you are facing uncertainty—whether that’s changes at work or at home—or simply feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands.
Whatever your circumstances, it’s entirely natural to feel this way and to reach out for support. You are not alone in these experiences, and taking the step to seek help is both courageous and important.
Working with individuals and couples, my approach incorporates the psychodynamic use of mindfulness (meaning I help you notice how your present-moment awareness can reveal underlying patterns), as well as an exploration of existential concerns such as meaning and purpose, and an emphasis on experience rather than explanation.
Is this for me?
Psychotherapy provides a collaborative environment in which the deeper questions of life can be explored. By recognising that ultimately we are responsible for ourselves and our choices, we can take ownership of our future choices, including how to live more fully in the moment.
As with life itself, there are no guarantees, but for those who are willing and able to fully engage in the therapeutic process it can lead to a more meaningful, authentic and ultimately satisfying life.
My office is in the heart of Nedlands close to King’s Park, UWA campus and within a short walk of Matilda Bay. The building is on Stirling Highway with plenty of free street parking nearby, several bus routes and close to an array of coffee shops and restaurants.
Inside, the therapy space offers a safe, quiet and confidential environment for us to work together.
Dr Rachel Berrisford
BSc (Hons). MBChB. MRCPsych. Advanced Course in Group Work (Institute of Group Analysis, Glasgow). Hakomi (Levels 1&2). Dip Couns. Executive and Organisational Coaching Certificate (EOCC) and Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety (Grad Dip OHS.)
I chose to complete my medical degree in my early twenties, subsequently training in Psychiatry.
Early in my career, I began to work psychotherapeutically with clients, choosing roles that included psychotherapy and counselling skills as a core feature.
I spent time within therapeutic communities, forensic settings, palliative care services, aged care, and drug and alcohol services, to name a few.
Through this work and my own therapy, I realised that most people, despite their unique situations, share many underlying themes. So often, I saw how concerns about how to exist in this world impact on our self-worth, sense of belonging and satisfaction with life, for example the relationships we make, our sense of freedom and ability to choose and our sense of meaning and engagement.
A collaborative exploration
This type of therapy is not for the faint-hearted. It requires:
- The courage to be vulnerable, to look closely at and to challenge long-held assumptions and patterns of behaving.
- Recognition and acceptance that often there are no quick fixes as we attempt to find our own answers to some of life’s most important questions such as meaning, purpose, relationship, mortality, freedom, choice.
- A willingness to work in depth to understand what your ‘distress’ is attempting to tell you about your way of being in the world.
I will be coming alongside you, supporting you on your path of self-discovery.
If you feel ready to begin this journey, I invite you to reach out so we can take the first step together. I look forward to working with you.
Qualifications and training
I am a retired medical practitioner and psychiatrist with additional qualifications and training in individual and group psychotherapy and counselling.
As such, I am a Member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, (PACFA), holding clinical membership of both the Colleges of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Start with a
15-minute call
If what you read here resonates, and you would like to know more, please complete the form to request a free 15-minute conversation to discuss your needs and answer any questions you may have.
This is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are at immediate risk or need urgent care, please call 000, Lifeline Australia on 131114, or the Mental Health Emergency Response line on 1300 555 788.