Melissa Martiensen is a qualified counsellor.
Melissa has a Bachelor of Science Degree (Hons), a Professional Diploma in Transpersonal Psychology (Applied) and an Advanced Diploma in Sandplay Therapy.
About me ...
I have had a lifelong interest in psychology/psychotherapy, theology, spirituality, meditation and the natural world.
I grew up in Sydney and have travelled extensively throughout the Americas, the UK, Asia and Europe. I have lived in various regions around the Australian mainland and have settled, with my husband, in the Blue Mountains, NSW.
I operate my clinic from my home in Katoomba and am an avid gardener. In the warmer months the path that leads to the front door runs through a sea of colourful, fragrant flowers.
I love what I do and feel honoured to be of service to people, supporting them through their difficulties and helping them discover their authentic Self.
What isTranspersonal Psychology?
The Transpersonal acknowledges that you are more than just your personality and desires. You are multi-dimensional in nature. It helps you to turn your gaze from the outside world towards your inner world. A session at Inner Room Counselling gives you the time, within a safe space, to be truly heard and to delve into the deeper regions of your psyche, in order to initiate real change in your life. Often it is difficult for us to see beyond our story and yet it is our unexplored story that keeps us repeating old patterns.
In order to change you need to access the parts of ourselves that are usually hidden. Your habits and behaviours are entrenched and and in order to truly change you need to become aware of what is driving you from below the surface of your conscious mind. But how do you access these hidden parts of yourself?
Transpersonal psychology gives you powerful tools that help you to safely discover the inner forces that control your behaviour. We can endlessly talk about our problems and conflicts but having an understanding of them does not mean that you can change. It is necessary to dig deeper. Transpersonal therapy allows you to safely access and navigate through deeper regions of your psyche, beyond your story, and make astounding discoveries about yourself that lead to positive, transformative change.
What is Sandplay Therapy?
Sandplay uses symbols, the language of the unconscious, to allow you to see what is usually hidden in your subconscious world. It is a powerful and deep therapy tool. Choosing from a large collection of miniature figurines and symbols, (representing aspects of the physical, mythical and archetypal worlds), you create a scene within the tray. The supportive presence of the therapist allows you to drop below the level of thinking-mind and express yourself from a deeper and more authentic place. The Sandplay helps you to gain insight into yourself: into what drives you, what inhibits you, what supports you, and so on. It is a space and a place for your inner world to reveal itself to you.
"As a plant produces its flower, so the psyche creates its symbols".
-Carl Jung
Sandplay is a process of discovery in which you are able to express and discover unexplored regions of your psyche. It is an invaluable, extraordinary and transformative experience to see your inner, hidden landscape expressed physically and symbolically within the sandtray!