A private grief counselling practice offering therapy and support to women from pre-conception through to motherhood has just opened its doors in Bundaberg.
Brave Collective is run by Joanne Lamond and was established after her own experience with postnatal depression and hearing about the ordeals of those around her.
“I have been working with women in the perinatal period for nine years now through antenatal and post-natal personal training sessions,” she said.
“I started mums and bubs personal training in 2012 after I found it helped me reconnect the bond I lost with my daughter due to postnatal depression and other personal experiences.
“During this time as a personal trainer, I have found myself having many conversations with women about their failed IVF attempts, miscarriages, terminations, traumatic births, relationship conflicts, anxieties, and post-natal depression.”
To offer more support to women, Jo said she signed up to become a qualified counsellor majoring in grief and loss in 2018.
“I now have the skills and qualifications to walk women through their grief as a perinatal therapist,” she said.
“As a perinatal counsellor I cover losses, anxiety and depression from pre-conception to the postpartum period.”
Brave Collective sessions are held from Jo's home studio and no referral is needed to make an appointment.
The service covers private counselling sessions, small group workshops and semi-private personal training sessions.
Brave Collective allows women to talk through fears
Jo said it was important for women to seek support when they found themselves struggling.
“The counselling environment creates a safe place without judgment, where women can finally let go of everything they have been holding onto,” she said.
“It's a place to talk through their fears, to release their worries and to walk through their grief with someone right beside them.”
Jo said she had plans to expand her services in the future to offer mental health support for mums and bubs.
“Over the next few months I will be taking part in perinatal and infant mental health intensive training,” she said.
“Perinatal and infant mental health is a specialised area of practice focusing on the emotional health and development of parents and infants.”
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