How I work
‘Hello’, I am Frederikke Jensen, a master’s qualified counsellor based in Bendigo, Victoria. I believe in the power of deep listening and helping people find their own words for what has been difficult to speak about. If you are looking for a therapist who gives you strategies and worksheets, I might not be for you. I am trained in narrative therapy and informed by psychodynamic thinking, and I focus on helping you make sense of what pains you and sits underneath symptoms and diagnostic labels.
My approach to therapy
Therapy is not something that is “done to” you—therapy happens with you.
Meaningful psychological change can happen when we begin to explore emotions, thoughts, sensations, and patterns you may have struggled with for a long time.
I work from the understanding that we are shaped in relationships, and that we can heal through relationships. This relational understanding is foundational to narrative therapy.
Narrative therapy is my primary training, but I apply contemporary psychodynamic understanding to how I work and understand human struggles and how we attach to other people. The psychodynamic perspective in particular shapes how I view the therapeutic relationship and use it therapeutically.
I don't provide advice or general strategies about what to do. That said, if you feel like asking me a question, please do—ask what you think you cannot ask a therapist!
Importantly, what you ask or say in therapy is fair game and part of exploring who you are, or figuring out a different way of being in relationship—where you can bring yourself as you are, and speak with a more authentic voice, with less fear.
Beginning therapy
The goal might be to figure out the goal—sometimes we have to make space for not knowing. You also do not have to have it all worked out or know exactly what pains you before starting therapy.
First contact & initial phase of therapy
You are welcome to send me an email first to enquire about availability. But before we have a session, I offer a phone call to find out if our expectations match regarding my fee and way of working.
Next, I allow the first three sessions as a space for us to understand what you want from therapy. It is also important for you to have the time to think about whether therapy with me is for you. You are free to stop at any point in time—but I always offer the opportunity to discuss with me why you might want to stop.
Fee
I will provide you with my fee when we have an initial phone call. I charge on par with psychologists and mental health social workers in my local area and keep one spot for a client who may not otherwise be able to afford ongoing therapy at a lower cost.
Scheduling therapy sessions
I usually work with people on a weekly basis. You can read more on this page where I explain how meeting regularly helps us build trust, maintain momentum, and provide consistent support through difficult periods.
Sessions take place on the same day and time each week, as part of our mutual commitment to the therapeutic work and a predictable and trauma-sensitive way of working. Sessions start and finish on time.
Short-term or longer-term therapeutic work
Therapy can be short-term or longer-term depending on the depth of your struggles, your goals, and where you find yourself in life right now. Some people come to therapy through a particular crisis in their lives, going through a divorce or the loss of a loved one, while others are seeking to work deeper, longer term on persistent mental health issues.
If you have limits on the time you can set aside for being in therapy, we may work differently. I recommend you bring that up if relevant in our initial call. Shorter-term therapy is not always recommended for problems you might have struggled with for a long time, and I strive to be transparent in the way I work with people and what is realistic to achieve.
Ending therapy
Endings are important to work towards and discuss throughout therapy. If you have seen me for a while, I recommend us working through this for at least 1-3 sessions. The thought of ending therapy may bring up previous losses, and it is an important part of therapy to understand this together and allow the loss to be acknowledged and mourned in order to also hold any previous losses with compassion.
Questions people often ask about therapy
How do you work with trauma?
I have explained in more depth how I work with trauma on my page dedicated to the topic.
Will you diagnose me?
No I don’t diagnose, but I can help you make sense of patterns, emotions and how you relate to others. I have knowledge of different mental health diagnoses from my undergraduate psychology studies, but I look at people as shaped by relationships and, in particular, early life experiences, and a diagnosis only tells us a fraction about how we are as people.
How do you deal with a conflict of interest?
I am mindful of dual relationships and of how close connections might have an impact on my ability to work with you. This is something we can discuss in the first phone call and at any time if it becomes necessary.
What about privacy? I worry about meeting someone I know if I come in person.
My in-person practice room in Bendigo, Kangaroo Flat, is located in a quiet setting. If you have any concerns, let us discuss them. Attending therapy in person in a regional city like Bendigo, where you have friends, acquaintances, clients or patients, can feel exposing, depending on how you feel about being in therapy.
Some mental health professionals are open about this; some are not. I wrote an article on this to reduce stigma about helping professionals in therapy.
How can I attend weekly therapy if I do shift work?
I will try to accommodate as best I can, and I do have some early morning and after-hours appointments available. I will discuss this with you in our initial phone call.
Whether you’d like a call back for a brief talk or have a specific question, feel free to get in touch.
There is no charge for a brief initial conversation.
No need to share sensitive information by form, if we decide to meet in person or via telehealth, I set aside the first three sessions to understand more about what you’re going through.
You can read more about me and how I work before you reach out.
Warmly
Frederikke
E: frederikke@throughlinecounselling.com
M: 0427 043 171