About Heartstrings Counselling
Welcome to Heartstrings Counselling, where genuine care meets evidence-based practice. We are a Melbourne-based counselling service offering flexible daytime and after-hours telehealth options to suit your unique needs.
At Heartstrings Counselling, we aim to provide an integrative and holistic approach in addressing your mental health concerns. We use an integrated approach that draws upon wel- established modalities including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), and Narrative Therapy. We believe in a holistic approach to mental health and well-being, reconiszing that each individual is a unique blend of biological, psychological, and social factors. This comprehensive perspective allows us to address the full spectrum of your needs, ensuring that our support is as effective and personalized as possible.
During our sessions, we aim to focus on what truly matters to you and want to help you achieve mental wellness that aligns with your unique values and aspirations. We will support you on your journey towards healing, self-discovery, and growth. Whether you're struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, work-life balance and stress, self-esteem, relationship issues, or a victim or survivor of domestic or relationship violence, and sexual abuse, we are here to help. Our goal in therapy is to help you grow in the face of obstacles and overcome past circumstances that have been set aside. Most importantly, we want you to find and work towards what is most important to you, your values, and your goals.
To provide comprehensive care, we collaborate with a network of specialists and healthcare providers. If we identify areas that require additional support, such as medical concerns, nutritional counselling, perinatal and postnatal counselling, we will assist you with referrals to specialist healthcare professionals. This integrative approach ensures that you receive the most holistic and effective care possible, addressing all aspects of your well-being.
We want our clients to feel future-proof amid life’s constant change, and know they can adapt and handle any challenges. Our goal is not to change or “fix” who you are, but to build on your existing strengths and recognise your resilience. We want you to be able to look at your reflection and love the person you have become today, despite all the challenges and setbacks. If this resonates with you and feels like something you are looking for, please feel free to reach out to us and see how we can best support you.
Our Journey
I started Heartstrings Counselling to make mental health support more easily accessible, affordable, and available. Recognising or admitting that we are struggling can be extremely difficult, especially when we feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. Even when we feel as though we are aware that we need help, it can be easy to put it off. “I’ll see a therapist next year" or “Work is very busy at the moment so I cannot make the time”. That is so often the case. We feel that we need to show up for everything and everyone else, and as a result, we forget to put ourselves first.
Finding the right support can also be confusing and often tiring. Do I need to see a GP first? How long will I have to wait for a counsellor? Can I afford to see a therapist? Do I need to go through a referral service and how many organisations will do an intake until I can see someone.These are common questions that hold people back from getting the help they need.
I founded Heartstrings Counselling with these barriers in mind. My goal is to create a safe, calming space where individuals can explore their issues and be themselves. I believe everyone should have access to mental health support, regardless of their financial situation or location. That’s why at Heartstrings Counselling, we offer affordable services that consider your current circumstances, so you can get the support you deserve without compromising your other needs. We are flexible and available afterhours, so you do not need to travel or find time out of your busy schedule to see someone.
When is the right time to seek counselling? There’s often a worry that our problems aren’t significant enough to bring to a professional. We may have everything that we need and are getting by just fine, but some extra support can still be helpful. Whether you’re struggling right now, dealing with unforeseen circumstances, or simply wanting to learn more about yourself and address issues you’ve pushed aside in the past, now is as good a time as any to start on your journey.
So wherever you are on your mental health journey, and whatever challenges or barriers you may be facing which is preventing you to seek help, I encourage you to reach out so we can work out a way to best support you.
-Samiya Mowla
About Samiya (she/her)
Samiya is a trained and qualified counsellor with a strong passion for mental health and mental health advocacy. She has a background in psychology, human behaviour, psychological studies and research, and counselling. During her academic years, she exhibited strong leadership and advocay for students with mental health issues and disabilities with the Monash Student Association. She completed her Masters from Monash University, and found her passion for helping domestic violence and sexual abuse survivors during her clinical placements. She is experienced in helping clients address grief, anxiety, depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), domestic violence and sexual abuse.
Samiya works with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences and aims to honour and empower individuals on their unique experiences, diversity, and mental health journey. She comes from a diverse background and has cultural roots in South Asia, being born in Bangladesh and completing her final school years in Malaysia before embarking on her journey to become a counsellor in Australia.
Samiya is a registered counsellor under Australian Counselling Association Membership Number 23586
MCouns, Monash University | BPsychSci, Monash University
