Ms Sarah Tuckett
Counsellor, Somatic Psychotherapist
Sarah Tuckett Psychotherapy and Counselling
Kelvin Grove, Brisbane QLD 4059
In Person + Telehealth
Philosophy & Vision
Hi, I'm Sarah Tuckett, an anxiety specialist, body psychotherapist, counsellor and dance movement therapist based in Brisbane. I have helped hundreds of clients over the last six years get their life back from the grips of anxiety, stress, trauma, relationship issues and more. I combine talk therapy with movement and breathing. You feel the symptoms of anxiety in your body, so let's work with your body to speed up your recovery.
Background
In 2006 I spiraled down into depression and anxiety due to chronic stress at work. This started me on an exploration of mainstream and complementary techniques for managing my mental health. I was introduced to the Institute of Body Psychotherapy in 2012 as a client. I learned first-hand how the body holds emotions and that you can release this tension through movement and breathing.
I started practicing as a body psychotherapist in late 2014 and completed my psychotherapy studies at the end of 2015. I'm now a teacher at the Institute. I also studied a Master of Mental Health through UQ so that I can offer additional evidence-based psychotherapy techniques to clients. In 2019 I studied Advanced Clinical Skills in Dance-Movement Therapy.
Services
I offer 1:1 therapy for adults (over 18), weekly group therapy, and movement workshops. I use evidence-based counselling, body psychotherapy and dance-movement techniques,
Quality Provision
I am a clinical member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia and I abide by their standards for ethical conduct.
When you book in to see me, what you will find is that I am interested in your emotional wellbeing - your feelings - not just your thoughts and behaviour. I am not just a face behind a clipboard, I'm connecting with you as a human being so I can walk side by side with you.
Areas of Special Interest
Accreditations
- Diploma of Integrated Somatic Psychotherapy - 2016 - Institute of Body Psychotherapy
- Masters of Mental Health (Psychotherapy) - 2018 - University of Queensland
- Adv Clin Skills Somatics & Dance-Movement Therapy - 2020 - Tensegrity Training
- Adv Diploma of Integrated Somatic Psychotherapy - 2020 - Institute of Body Psychotherapy
Modalities
ACT - CBT - Dance Movement Therapy - Emotional Release - Mindfulness - Psychodynamic - Somatic Psychotherapy
Therapy Approach
When you feel anxious or depressed you don't just feel it in your head, you also feel symptoms in your body. So I offer a technique that works with both.
Body psychotherapy integrates talk therapy with breathwork, movement and mindfulness to help restore your mental and emotional wellbeing.
When we track sensations in your body, your body gives you clues as to how you're feeling, even when your mind tries to deny it. It will bring awareness to unconscious feelings and stored memories - helping you understand unconscious self-sabotage patterns and limiting beliefs.
It's not just putting on a band-aid, it's helping you learn about yourself so that you don't repeat the same mistakes. It's about personal development.
Professional Associations
- Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
A conversation with Sarah Tuckett
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Back in 2006 I spiraled down into depression and anxiety due to chronic stress at work. Thankfully I saw an Integrative GP who took into account my lifestyle, nutrition and underlying health issues instead of just prescribing me antidepressants. This started me on an exploration of mainstream and complimentary techniques for managing my depression.
I found that massage had a wonderfully calming effect on my nervous system and my mood. So I studied remedial massage and started my own part-time remedial massage practice.
I noticed that people would relax deeply during their massage treatments and I would be able to release the tension in their body. However, the next time I saw them the tension would be back - they would be bracing their body in the same way. Why was this happening? I realised that the solution must be as much in their mind as in their body. I later learned that this is a concept we call armouring - where the muscles brace against potential emotional or mental danger.
I was introduced to Andrea Alexander at the Institute of Body Psychotherapy in 2012 and became a regular client of hers. Through my sessions with her, I learned first-hand how the body holds emotions and that you can release this tension through movement. Combining talking therapy and body movement was the answer I had been looking for. -
Taking a holistic approach to mental health - looking at underlying medical conditions, health, nutrition. sleep, hydration, and lifestyle factors. I particularly like body psychotherapy because you don't just feel anxiety or depression in your mind, you feel it in your entire being. So I work with your whole being.
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I'm really interested in soothing the nervous system (for anxiety) or getting more energy into it (depression). I'm interested in the psychosomatic illnesses and also in the emotional component of pain.
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I predominantly use body psychotherapy (which is talk therapy combined with breathing, movement, poses, and mindfulness) but I also use movement-dance therapy techniques in my workshops, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
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Whilst the initial session is mainly about getting to know you, and what it's like to be you, I always try to give the client some techniques and poses to help with their anxiety or depression, so that they can help manage their symptoms even when they're not with me. I always think of how if you see a therapist 1 hour a fortnight that is just 0.5% of the time you are awake (assuming you're awake for about 16 hours a day). So I like to focus on giving people self-care tips and techniques on top of the important work we do in the session. I find that by session 6 people's symptoms are dramatically reduced, but most people choose to stay on longer for personal development because they get so much out of it.
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My own therapy journey has made me more 'open' emotionally and more tolerant. It has also forced me to grow up and accept ownership/responsibility for my feelings and my reactions. I think it has really helped me see and understand my family of origin as the people that they are, not just my brother/mother/father.
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I love helping people to feel better. I'm really curious about people so I love finding out what it's like to be them. And I feel really honoured when they trust me with their innermost secrets.
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I frequently have literal bad hair days - curly hair and humidity do not make it easy! But yes I'm a human being and I struggle with the things that some of you struggle with - being vulnerable, intimacy, dating, dealing with my father's Alzheimers.
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Social isolation, even in big cities.
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My favorite film ever is the romantic Italian film "Il nuovo cinema paradiso". I literally balled my eyes out when I first saw it in the cinema.