About
Phillipa Joy
My path - a Lifelong Practice
My hearts work is to deeply understand and sensitively respond to suffering, adversity and relational harm. I have now spent two decades in ‘not-for-profit’, community organisations and private practice contexts across South East Queensland dedicated to listening, learning with, and responding to those of us who have inherited and sustained complex harm. These people and experiences are my great teachers and have contributed to the depth of insight I now bring to my practice.
As a Clinical Member of the Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia, I bring eight years of academic training through a Master of Psychotherapy & Counselling, Master of Narrative Therapy & Community Work, and specialized post-graduate study in Childhood Learning & Development. My background in Peace and Conflict Studies and Community Development further enriches my understanding of complex human experiences. I have personally experienced the way good therapy has and continues to transform the relationship I have with myself, others and life. Integrated together, my personal, professional and academic experience equip me to offer steady companionship to those seeking sanctuary for healing, transformation and embodied wisdom to emerge.
Through a weave of practices including somatic contemplations, narrative therapies and creative processes I can work with you to bring gentle awareness to areas of life that need care, attention, and re-negotiation. It is my labour of love and deep honor to be able to welcome and accompany individuals, families and groups as we shape change, nurture healing and prepare the conditions we need to grow more compassionate worlds together.
Qualifications
Clinical Registration with Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia
Master of Psychotherapy & Counselling
Master of Narrative Therapy & Community Work
Bachelor of Peace and Conflict Studies & Political Science
Post Graduate Certificate Community Development
Post Graduate Certificate Childhood Learning & Development
Sample of Additional Professional Development Training
Clinical and Counselling Supervision Accreditation
Neurobiology of Complex Trauma - Australian Childhood Foundation
Trauma Informed Care - Blue Knot Foundation
Attachment & Parenting - Circle of Security
Specialist family violence, coercive control and sexual abuse trainings
Bush therapy approaches
Child therapy and play based approaches
Somatic Training including:
CranioSacral Therapy (Upledger)
As a lifelong learner, I continue to deepen my skills through ongoing personal therapy, professional development, supervision and collaborative practice.
UPcoming Professional Development Training
Somatic Experiencing 2026
“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together” Lilla Watson
“The primary instrument is the therapist’s trained, practiced, and disciplined sensitivity”
Interwoven offerings
My work unfolds in different but connected spaces. Each offers its own way of reflecting, learning, and tending to the complexities of life. You are invited to step into the pathway that feels right for you.
therapy practice
Individual and relational sessions held with care, attunement, and responsiveness. A sanctuary space to meet life’s challenges and nurture new possibilities.
the heart field
When I’m not practicing therapy, sometimes I’m reflecting on and writing about how I’m making sense of the complexity of our experiences and world.
studio ample
An online learning space for courses, resources, and creative explorations. Designed to nurture growth, reflection, and professional development.
alive – embodied – being
My work integrates various approaches, including interpersonal neurobiology, psychological, sociological and political sciences, history, philosophy, narrative, somatic and trauma-responsive practices. I bring multi-disciplinary knowledge to complex challenges.