Albury-Wodonga Counselling

ABOUT

Couples counselling, marriage therapy and relationship counselling can bring you the happiness you’ve always wanted. No matter if you are single or in a relationship, you don’t have to be stuck in a cycle of pain and unhappiness.

Hi my name is Cyan.

Cyan von Gija – Relationship therapist
It’s really important that you make the right choice in therapist so that you feel safe, supported and comfortable. So here is a bit about me…..

an early life struggle
Life for me started in Fremantle, W.A. in the late 60’s, being the first of two children.

As a child I had to struggle through school having Dyslexia, which at the time meant I was labelled as ‘dumb’. Back then hardly anything was known about this differential learning style, in fact I remember going for all sorts of tests, including eye-exams to work out why written words seem so alien to me.

Fortunately, for me, eventually I ended up going to a primary school with one of the very few teachers who had some understanding of my unique thinking process (which Dyslexia is), who persevered to teach me to read and write.

I believe this sense of alienation and rejection by society lead to my later struggles as an adult with depression.

You might relate to the feeling of loneliness, alienation and disconnection. This help me understand people like yourself who might be struggling with a sense of isolation and loneliness.

over 25 years of counselling and helping others
In my late teens I followed a passion for spirituality and for helping others, which lead me to become one of the youngest Ministers of Religion. During this time I relished working with many different peoples, particularly helping homeless youth – ‘street kids’.

I didn’t continue in the ministry long, but I did continue humanitarian works such as counselling for Gays and Lesbians, working with Asian men and Aboriginal youth groups.

In between these times I worked in retail, restaurants, and set up my own vineyard and winery, as well as producing a TV show and writing and publishing for several newspapers and magazines (I get exhausted just remembering). This wide range of experience helps me to understand various different people from all walks of life, like yourself.

Through what is now years of study as a professional counsellor, gestalt therapist, virtual reality hypnotherapist, and nutritionist, I now find more drive, joy and passion for life, which I love to share.

I have been honoured to work with couples, single men and women, gay men and lesbian women, those with addictions such as cigarettes, marijuana, and alcohol, people in crisis, those who have been abused, people feeling depressed, anxious, and lonely.

If you decide to choose me as your therapist (I hope you do), you can be assured that I bring to you over 25 years of experience, and a compassion and sense of understanding that comes from my rich life’s journey.

My loves, besides my partner and family, include good food and wine (being a former winemaker), especially growing my own heirloom vegetables, and making my own cheeses. Music is a big part of my life too (being an ex-DJ).

But I suppose my greatest joy now is the process of development for me as I continue to gain the skills of life and relating to others, and working with people like yourself to help with their growth and fulfilment in life.

Two years ago I moved to the border, where I have have the pleasure of working with a wide range of couples and individuals who all struggle trying to make relationships work for them, and I am there to help.

This wealth of life experience gives me the experience to help you gain the life you have always wanted.

So let’s get together and see how this could be the first day of your new happier and healthier life.

having such a high level of tertiary training means that I am up to date with the latest developments in counselling and
psychotherapy to give the best help possible.

I am passionate about my own personal and professional development, which includes regular training to enhance the quality of my work.

What this means for you, is that you’re getting the best experience and support.

SERVICES

Counselling for individuals

Many people ask if counselling can also work for singles or individuals who come on their own.

I help singles who:

• feel that it’s too difficult and not worth the effort being in a relationship, yet you still are lonely.


• have been hurt before and are too scared to commit to someone else.


• don’t like fights, so you run away when it all gets too hard.


• are sick of the endless cycle of on-line dating and dead-end affairs.


• always seem to end with the wrong person.

I help individuals already in a relationship who:

• are unhappy and unsatisfied with their partner but you hate the thought of being alone.


• don’t trust their partner. Always doubting them and wondering when they are going to leave you.


• have very little sex any-more and wonder what’s going wrong.


• seem to fight over and over again over the same old stuff.


• have lost the ‘spark’ and feel more like flat-mates than lovers.


• keep ‘sexting’ and chatting on-line even though you still feel for your partner.

Counselling can be highly effective for singles and individuals in a relationship who want to learn how to improve their current relationship or learn how start a new more meaningful one.

Counselling for couples

Couples counselling and marriage therapy is really effective for those couples who want to ‘work together’ to develop a better relationship.

I help couples who:

• are frustrated that no matter how much they discuss problems they never get solved.


• never seem to be able to communicate without arguing.


• feel more like just parents or workmates than lovers.


• struggle to get over past hurts, including affairs.


• don’t know how to be intimate, wanting more then just sex.


• have an OK relationship, but want more excitement and fun with each other.

Every relationship has it’s problems from time to time. One of the biggest hurdles that a couple can experience is dealing with differences. Differences in values, differences in behaviours, differences in like and dislikes, all can cause conflict. Couples therapy using proven techniques, can be highly effective in helping couples like yourself work through conflict so that you both feel heard and respected.

Many couples, like you, find that as time goes on that their partner and themselves have changed. These changes need to be accommodated and understood. Relationship therapy and marriage counselling can help bring back the spark and excitement into a long-term relationship.

Relationship therapy for Gay and Lesbian couples

Cyan has has nearly 30 years working in the GLBTIQ community, and has the experience and compassion to help you. All couples are facing more and more challenges in today’s world. Pressures from work commitments. Costs of housing going up. Marital breakups and infidelities all take their tolls. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered couples experience all these as well as their own unique issues.

For all enquiries contact us today!