Elenja is an ACA registered integrative perinatal counsellor & psychotherapist with a passion for creating a safe, judgment-free space for mums to feel heard, supported, and championed. Elenja takes a person-centred and strengths-based approach to counselling, implementing evidence-based interventions to give mums the tools they need to navigate the perinatal period. Put simply, she draws on the inherent strengths of her clients to help them recognise their own capacity for healing and how amazing they are! 

A mum to a little boy herself, Elenja understands the often tumultuous nature of transitioning to motherhood, with personal experience of navigating perinatal mental health challenges and the emotional roller coaster that is becoming a mum. After sustaining a birth injury with her son’s birth, Elenja turned her postgraduate research focus to helping mums navigate the psychological challenges associated with maternal birth injury, earning an HD for her Masters thesis on the topic. She aims to continue her research with a PhD, and is in the application process as we speak. As such, she is uniquely placed to help mums who are dealing with the grief, frustration, embarrassment, and isolation often associated with pelvic organ prolapse, levator ani injuries, obstetric fistula, severe perineal tearing, and c-section injuries. 

Elenja can support mums from preconception through to established motherhood, and every moment in between. She will create space, listen deeply, provide unconditional support, and show you practical tools to help navigate whatever challenge you’re facing. She knows healing is rarely linear, and that our journey to motherhood takes many unexpected twists and turns, but you don’t have to walk this path alone. Elenja is here to support you, empower you, and help you get back to enjoying and embracing motherhood for the unique and life-changing experience it is! 

Elenja will be in the clinic on Thursdays, offering both standards perinatal counselling sessions and longer birth debriefing sessions. A GP referral is not required to book in (but is always beneficial), and no Medicare rebates are currently available for counselling services. Some private health policies may cover counselling services, check with your individual provider. 

Qualifications:

• • BA(Psychology), University of New England (2017)
  • Master of Counselling (Oct 2023), University of New England 
  • PANDA certifications in perinatal mental health and parenting support (2022) 
  • Training in Lifeline CARE framework (2023) 

Memberships:

• • Australian Counselling Association 

Areas of Specialty:

• • Infertility 
  • Anxiety, depression, and overwhelm in pregnancy 
  • High-risk pregnancy
  • Birth trauma 
  • Breastfeeding/feeding difficulties 
  • Birthing after previous birth trauma
  • Postnatal anxiety and depression
  • Maternal birth injury
  • Birth-related pelvic floor dysfunction 
  • Adjustment to motherhood 
  • Stress, overwhelm, and grief in motherhood 
  • Stress surrounding subsequent pregnancies/trying for another baby 

Services:

• • Standard counselling sessions (60 mins) 
  • Birth debriefing (110 mins)