Across cultures, societies, generations and communities, Family Structures can exhibit a significant degree of variation. Examples of family structures include nuclear, combined, extended, single-parent, step-family, divorced, childless, same-sex, foster, and grandparent arrangements.

Intra family dynamics refers to the complex interactions, relationships, and patterns of behavior that occur within any particular family unit. These dynamics can involve various aspects such as communication styles, power structures, roles and responsibilities, money dynamics, conflict resolution methods, and emotional connections among family members.

Fairness: The perception of fairness in family units is subjective and often results in conflicts if not openly and honestly discussed.

Close relationships are often a source of profound joy and happiness. Unfortunately, even the most ideal of relationships involve  conflict, stress, and alienation. A dispute is a disagreement, conflict, or argument between two or more parties or individuals, typically arising from differences in opinions, interests, rights, or claims.

Disputes can occur in various contexts, including legal, business, family, personal, or interpersonal relationships. They often require resolution or negotiation to reach a mutually acceptable outcome or resolution.

Internal family disputes can involve issues related to raising children, relationships, contracts, property, finances, interpersonal conflicts, legal matters, and more. They may be resolved through counselling, mediation, negotiation, arbitration, or legal proceedings, depending on the nature and complexity of the dispute.

Dan works with you to untangle the complex networks of behavioural patterns, history, emotions, personal characteristics and expectations that are often at the cause of the disputes.

Anxiety/Depression: Different periods of life often brings about existential questions and transitions, which can contribute to mental health struggles such as anxiety and depression.

Caring for Aging Parents: Many individuals in mid-life find themselves in the "sandwich generation," simultaneously caring for aging parents while still supporting their own children. They may also find themselves dealing with parents who have dementia.

Struggles: Life can be confronting with significant relationship changes and conflicting intergenerational dynamics. Some may experience marital issues or divorce, while others may disconnect from parents. Others may struggle with empty nest syndrome as children leave home or disconnect.

In the context of Life’s Challenges, Dan is committed to be a beacon of support for you, a trusted guide through life’s transitions, helping you redefine priorities and discover new paths forward.

Money dynamics exist in every relationship, couple, family and extended family. It is one of the most sensitive topics in people's lives. 

Favouritism, control, rivalry and jealousy can manifest in any structure, whether a relationship, couple, blended, nuclear, extended, step, single-parent, same sex family or any other structure. These dynamics can be attributed to a range of factors, such as historic attitudes, the interplay between siblings, dynamics of a relationship, parental attitudes, individual personalities or external influences. 

Dynamics and Conflict: Irrespective of the monetary value involved, partners financially help each other, couples help each other, married and de facto couples receive access to funds from their partners, parents financially help children, grandparents help grandchildren.

Monetary Disputes frequently arise regarding disparities in expectations, amounts gifted or borrowed and allocation of resources to various family members. These conflicts have the potential to severely impact mental well-being and may permanently sever bonds.

Dan discusses the impacts of differing attitudes to money, the challenges associated with differing attitudes to money in families. He supports you through the navigation of the mental health challenges associated with the intricate and emotive processes of discussing money.

Guardianship of the Person is a legal arrangement in which the guardian is accountable for the personal care of the elderly individual, which includes the decision-making process regarding living arrangements, healthcare, and daily activities.

Guardian of Financial Affairs is responsible for the financial affairs of the elderly individual, which encompasses handling income, managing assets, and paying expenses. The guardian of the Person and the guardian of Financial Affairs may or may not be the same individual. Each situation is unique, may be highly complicated and may depend on whether spouses, family members or any children have been are alive and involved in the elderly person's life.

Dan’s insight into Elderly Guardianship assists in the comprehension and identification of practical solutions during emotionally charged circumstances including elders with various physical and psychological ailments such as the challenges of dementia.

The Mental Health of a guardian/carer is an important often overlooked consideration. Taking on the responsibility of caring for another individual can have significant emotional and psychological impacts.

Emotional Burden: Guardians of family members may experience feelings of guilt, anxiety, or depression related to the responsibility of making decisions for another person's well-being. 

Social Isolation: Caregiving responsibilities can limit a guardian's ability to socialise and maintain connections with friends and family, leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness. As a carer, learning how to care for yourself in such demanding circumstances is vital for maintaining positive physical and mental health.

Dan offers carers a safe space to explore emotions, confront challenges and attempt to make sense of the many mixed emotions that may occur in a caring role which may or may not be a family member.

Families of LGBTQIA+ individuals are diverse in structure encompassing a wide range of configurations.  

The amount of acceptance and support among Biological Families varies. Some LGBTQIA+ individuals have supportive parents, siblings, and extended family members, whilst others may experience rejection, misunderstanding or estrangement.

Many LGBTQIA+ individuals create Chosen Families consisting of friends and loved ones who provide support, understanding, and acceptance. These families may be critical for people whose biological families are not welcoming.  

It is becoming more prevalent for LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples to become parents via a variety of routes, including adoption, surrogacy, fostering, and having biological children. Same-sex couples and transgender people are increasingly recognised and protected by law, however problems persist in certain locations.

Legal recognition for LGBTQIA+ households varies. This may have an impact on adoption rights, parental recognition, inheritance, and eligibility for family health benefits. In certain areas, legal progress has been achieved to protect and assist LGBTQIA+ families, while others face major legal barriers.

Dan offers tools, advocacy, lived experience and support for LGBTQIA+ individuals and/or family members encountering challenges.

Relationship or Family estrangement can occur for various reasons, including unresolved conflicts, differing values, or toxic behavior.

Couple Estrangement is frequently accompanied by sorrow, loss, anger, and confusion. Some individuals may find it difficult to determine whether reconciliation or separation is the more beneficial course of action with regard to the relationship's future.

Interpersonal Conflict: Disputes, stress, and anger can arise within families irrespective of their structure for reasons such as communication breakdowns, differing values, or financial control issues. Nuclear, Single-Parent, Extended, Same Sex, Childless, Step, Grandparent or Adopted Family Relationships should be based on mutual care and support, however conflicts and misunderstandings arise, leading to estrangement between individuals who were once close. Irrespective of the family structure, feelings of loss, sorrow, and loneliness may arise as a result of estrangement from any family member, whether chosen or biological.

Relationship & Family Estrangement is often a manifestation of underlying wounds and family disharmony. It is a delicate issue that involves navigation with empathy and skill. Dan offers you a safe space to explore emotions, confront challenges, attempt to understand wounds, and potentially heal estranged relationships.

Grief is a normal reaction to loss, especially the death of a loved one. It includes a wide spectrum of emotional, physical, cognitive, and behavioural responses. Understanding grief's multidimensional character and using supportive measures may help people navigate this difficult life journey.
Emotional reactions of grief may be: sadness, despair, anger, frustration, guilt, regret, anxiety and fear.
Physical reactions of grief may be: fatigue, sleep disturbances, appetite changes, somatic symptoms.
Cognitive reactions of grief may be: disbelief, denial, confusion, preoccupation.
Behavioural reactions of grief may be: social withdrawal, changes in routine, searching.
Grief counseling may be quite effective when dealing with the wide spectrum of grieving feelings. Dan can provide you skills and methods to help you mourn in your own manner and at your own pace while working through your emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. There is no timetable for grieving.

Families can be ripped apart when promises about transferring businesses, property, and other financial interests are dealt with in court after lengthy and costly fights. Inheritance can be a complex and highly sensitive topic, often involving intricate legal, financial, and emotional considerations. Expectancy of an Inheritance: Amid the loss of a loved one, anticipation of receiving an inheritance can lead to conflicts and tensions within families, especially if there are differing expectations or perceptions of fairness. Inheritance Inequity: Actual or perceived unequal distribution of inheritance can exacerbate existing tensions and lead to feelings of resentment and betrayal among family members. Disputes among heirs, perceived or actual unequal distributions, complex asset and trust structures, debts, liabilities or executor complications seem more common than not. Given the Diversity of Family Structures, including nuclear families, same-sex families, extended and step families, lone-parent families, no child families, reconstituted families, and grandparent families, this can all become exceedingly complicated.

Experienced in the interpersonal and Mental Health aspects of Inheritance Issues, Dan provides clarity, guidance and direction while you navigate the complexities of personalities, legacies, complex financial issues and familial expectations.

50 minute online live video link Electronic - Consultations via private and secure video link. Facilitated by Zoom or a comparable video conferencing application. Convenience, accessibility, long-distance support, flexibility, and supplementary communication opportunities are all benefits of online live video link Electronic -Counselling.

$160 INCL GST

Home consultations at the client's place of residence. This is primarily for people who experience challenges with online video E-counselling, have travel/mobility restrictions or other confidential requirements or simply prefer to have the consultations at their home. Home consultations take place only via mutual agreement.

$170 INCL GST

Face to Face Consultations take place in person at my rooms on St Kilda Road, Melbourne and are 50 minute duration. Personal, face to face counselling provides a secure and conducive environment that encourages open and uninhibited communication, free from concerns of interruption.

$180 INCL GST

The purpose of a 90 minute extended consultation is to build rapport, collect comprehensive information about the client’s background and understand the reasoning for coming to counselling. Ongoing extended consultations of 90 minutes are at the discretion of the client and via any of the three consultation options of their choice.

LONG-VIA ZOOM: $220 INCL GST

LONG-YOUR HOME: $250 INCL GST

LONG-MY ROOMS: $270 INCL GST