Yarra Valley Counselling
For Individuals & Couples
Supportive counselling and courses for individuals and couples in Healesville, Yarra Valley
Based in Healesville, Yarra Valley Counselling is the private practice of psychotherapist and author Joanna Joustra.
Jo provides counselling for individuals and couples, with a particular focus on relationships, overthinking, emotional overwhelm, anxiety and ADHD. Her work is practical, compassionate and grounded in helping people understand their patterns, respond with greater choice and build more connected lives.
Jo’s primary areas of support include:
RELATIONAL DIFFICULTIES
DEPRESSION & ANXIETY
NAVIGATING ADHD & ASD
LOW MOOD & SELF ESTEEM
GRIEF, LOSS & LIFE CHANGES
STRESS & ANGER MANAGEMENT
Change is just a conversation away
COUPLES THERAPY
What’s wrong with us?
When it comes to relationships, many of us feel stuck, unable to find the sort of love we need or to make our needs understood by our partners. Many of our troubles stem from a myth that loving another person should be something we instinctively understand how to do. Contrary to popular belief, being and staying in love is far from easy. It’s perfectly normal not to know what to do when things go wrong.
Love is a skill, not just an emotion. Like learning any other skill set, building a healthy, lasting relationship takes knowledge and dedicated practice.
Couple’s therapy is designed to help you bridge this knowledge gap, build strategies in communication, rediscover shared meaning and rekindle intimacy.
SIX STEP COURSE
Learn to break the cycle of overthinking, overwhelm and reactions you regret
The Noticing Way is a six-week course offering practical training in emotional and relationship skills for thoughtful, capable people who want less overthinking and overwhelm — and more room to think clearly, respond well and stay connected under pressure.
Through small, repeatable practices, you’ll learn to recognise familiar patterns earlier, steady yourself in the moment and respond with greater awareness, care and choice. The aim is to feel calmer within yourself and more present and open with the people who matter most.
Next 6-week Group Course: Wednesday, October 7 at 7 pm.
Or Learn Online: Self-Paced — Start Today
Living with ADHD
More than just thoughts
At Yarra Valley Counselling, we go beyond surface-level conversations. Jo’s approach helps you explore the patterns behind your thoughts — the how, not just the what. By understanding the mental habits and unconscious narratives shaping your experience, we open up new pathways for clarity, resilience, and genuine change. It’s therapy that meets you where you are and helps you think differently about what’s possible.
FREE EBOOK
For thoughtful people whose minds keep working long after the moment has passed.
If you replay conversations, anticipate problems or find it hard to switch off, Thinking Room: Where Noticing Beginsoffers a gentler way to understand what is happening. A short, accessible guide to overthinking, pressure and the first moments of noticing, it helps create a little more space between you and the thoughts that keep pulling you in.
Enter your email below and we’ll send the download link straight to your inbox.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Unsure about your next step?
Talking through your troubles and reflecting on some practical actions you could take to make real changes to your life can be an effective way to improve your wellbeing, relieve distress and enhance your relationships. Attending a single session will give you an opportunity to consider if Yarra Valley Counselling is a good fit for you.
Our mission
Yarra Valley Counselling seeks to empower self-understanding and encourage individual ownership of how we think, feel, behave, and connect with others and the natural world.
