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.
PSYCHO-EDUCATION
You shouldn’t have to struggle with overthinking, overwhelm or reactions you later regret.
The Noticing Way is a practical six-week course for thoughtful, sensitive people who care about how they show up — but still find themselves caught in overthinking, overwhelm or reaction.
It teaches you how to notice the moment before the pattern takes over, find your way back to yourself and choose how you want to respond.
So you can feel calmer within yourself and more present, open and connected with the people who matter most.
Next 6-week Group Course: Tuesday, 4 August, 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.
Understand Yourself
The Inner Critic: How to Stop Self-Criticism and Build Self-Compassion
Most of us live with a harsh inner critic, but there’s another voice waiting to be heard—the inner nurturer. This gentle, compassionate part of you offers care instead of judgment, helping you feel safe, supported, and free to grow.
How to Really Listen
Most of us listen while our mind prepares what to say next. Real listening begins when we notice this shift and choose to pause our own thinking. Learn how a simple internal cue can help you stay present, understand others more deeply, and transform your conversations.
Why People Feel Emotions Differently
Why people feel emotions differently isn’t about intensity alone. It’s about how we interpret what we feel. This article explores emotional granularity and how clearer understanding can improve connection and communication.
FREE EBOOK FOR OVERTHINKERS
When the mind feels busy, tight, or stuck — start here
If you’re tired of feeling like your mind won’t switch off, The Thinking Room offers a calmer, clearer way to understand what’s happening inside you.
This easy-to-read book explains why thoughts loop, why the body holds tension before you’ve even caught up, and why “knowing better” doesn’t always help in the moment.
Written for thoughtful, sensitive, overextended minds as an introduction to The Noticing Way framework, this book invites you to relate to your experience in a new way, opening a quieter space within you.
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.
