Natalie Rinehart
Counsellor/Life Coach/Author
B.A.Sci(Psych); Grad.Dip.App.Psych
Young Person, Family Counsellor/Life Coach & Author
Natalie Rinehart
My approach is through a combination of solution-focused, cognitive-behavioural and narrative therapies alongside life coaching. In other words, it’s not just about exploring feelings but how to interpret them and manage them. Its very much about setting goals for where each individual is at and where they would like to get to. Clients get to drive where we go with me as the navigator and upskiller. My style is more informal with multiple activities outside of normal counselling including whiteboarding, ball throwing, basketball, dog hugs, stretching, pool table, anything that keeps people connected whilst we do the mind work.
I have extensive work and personal experience with the fabulous neurodivergent mind. Clients diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and other conditions very much benefit from my style. Those facing anxiety and/or depression challenges also get to explore their personal experience whilst being taught multiple management techniques.
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Key topics explored may include:​
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Anger management
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Anxiety
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Assertiveness training/communication
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Body image
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Coping skills
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Depression
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Diagnoses education
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Executive functioning
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Family conflict
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Grief and loss
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Making and maintaining friendships
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Mainstreaming at school or work (neurodivergent)
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Self-esteem
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Sexuality and gender identity
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Stress management
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Study skills
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Time management
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Trauma
Learn multiple management techniques
Helping people achieve their goals
Support That Makes a Difference
One-on-one client sessions
Counselling/Life coaching sessions held with Natalie and the client to identify life areas that are presenting as difficult.
We map out their world, their strengths and challenges so we can work on the key issues and learn the skills to overcome them.
Youth LifeCoach Toolbox
Natalie has begun writing up her unique methods into tools other Counsellors/Life coaches can use with their clients. A mix of CBT, Narrative and Solution-Focused activities to target specific problems across one or more sessions.
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Free example anxiety sessions available along with other session types.
I support all young people needing to explore and understand their sexuality or gender as they experience it.
Youth LifeCoach Toolbox Series
After hearing from clients that they didn’t get much out of standard counselling and didn’t know what to talk about or do differently after sessions, Natalie decided to develop a new method — part-counselling, part-workshop, very visual, interactive and challenge-based.
Her approach pulls from multiple therapy types, such as solution-focused, cognitive-behavioural and narrative therapies. Based on her experiences running resilience-building workshops in schools (The SMART Program and books), she has developed multiple methods to help her clients process information and emotional states.
She works with many neurodivergent clients and uses a lot of white boarding to help show how they are processing information and setting challenges to use that information before the next session. Techniques are tried and tested and work across multiple ages, genders and neurodiversities.
Natalie has started writing these up as The Youth Lifecoach Toolbox Series© and has made them available to other providers to help enhance their techniques when dealing with a range of clients. Subscribe to find out as more are released!
My Story
I've come full circle in my career where I originally started in counselling, then moved to research and data science and now back to counselling. Counselling is my soul food. I love working with client's energy, their passion and setting them up with skills and understanding for a happy and productive life.
Some of my career highlights related to counselling/life coaching and raising resilience include:
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Bachelor of Applied Science (Psychology)- this was a double degree with education units included as well. (1995-1998)
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Graduate Diploma of Applied Psychology (1999)
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Masters in Counselling classes.
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Certificate of Developmental, Learning and Behavioural Disorders- Children and Adolescents (2023)
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Pathological Demand Avoidance for Professionals Training (2023)
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Counsellor at Children’s Protection Society and Strengthening Families with families and young people.
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SMART (Skills, Mentoring And Resilience Training) project design, implementation and evaluation. The project aimed to raise resilience in 10-17yo through school workshops and a mentoring program for ‘at risk’ kids. I wrote two books for the Australian Drug Foundation which were used by schools and community groups here in Australia and internationally. 'Skills and Resilience Training: The SMART Manual' & 'Mentoring: The SMART Manual'.
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Wrote and published two books on romantic relationships and did the radio/TV circuit. 'The Mechanics of Women: A Do-it-Yourself Manual for Men' & 'The Organics of Relationships: A Do-it-Yourself Manual for Women'.
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Wrote a number of articles for Cleo Magazine
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Multiple casual teaching roles or lectures at TAFE and Universities
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Ongoing mental health column in the Warrandyte Diary newspaper.
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Testimonials
"I am a health professional and was completely thrown when my daughter received her ADHD diagnosis. The paediatrician recommended Natalie to support my daughter which has been a game changer. Natalie is warm and engaging and my daughter was happy to attend one on one sessions after initially being reluctant. Kai, the therapy dog helps too.
Natalie has extensive knowledge about neurodiversity and educates and supports her clients to understand their diagnosis and empower them in a challenging world. She provides practical strategies which were particularly helpful for my daughter’s anxiety and learning.
I highly recommend Natalie’s support for your neurodiverse child and to help your family adjust to a new way of seeing your child and helping them." Parent
"Natalie has helped my daughter understand where her anxiety is coming from and has shown her different techniques to manage it. Since seeing Natalie, she has become more confident in stepping out of her comfort zone and dealing with the situations that make her anxious." Parent
"Natalie is wonderful with teens, she makes them feel at ease the minute they walk in the door, and is incredibly understanding and supportive of many issues they are facing in the world today. After 6 years of trying different therapists for 2 of my children we are finally getting positive results. Thanks to her we now have hope for a brighter future." Parent
"My teenage son has worked with a number of professionals in the past, but no one has connected with him as quickly or as easily as Natalie has. She has been able to engage him on issues he finds difficult, and has been creative in inspiring him to work toward goals. We would recommend Natalie to anyone." Parent
"Before Natalie my daughter was barely able to make it through a school day and had not completed a full week due to severe anxiety and panic attacks. To see her smiling after the very first session gave me a sense of hope and I knew we had found our saving grace. Nat is not your average counsellor and her non clinical approach resonates with the young of today, gaining their trust and helping them with their issues. My daughter calls her the cool awesome counsellor." Parent
"Natalie made an instant and lasting connection with our teen son. He's always keen to go to his sessions. She has been an encouraging, colourful and positive presence for him, and for us as a whole family. Her space is welcoming and the dog therapy is a bonus. She is always adaptable to his sometimes challenging needs and moods. I feel very lucky we found Natalie!" Parent
“Watching our son struggling with anxiety, school refusal and withdrawing from everything that he loved was breaking our hearts. Luckily, we found Natalie. Natalie gave our son a safe and non-judgemental place to work through all the things going on in his life. She has a special way of engaging with her clients in a relaxed informal environment. Our son was able to work through issues and set attainable goals that gave him a real sense of accomplishment. Cuddles from a gentle dog named Kai always helped too. We would highly recommend Natalie.” Parent
“Both my children have used Natalie's services. We would not go anywhere else after meeting Natalie! She instils positivity into my children that I have never seen before when using other therapists and she points them towards building a solid future and making them the best they can be. Natalie is assisting with organisational skills, building healthy relationships with peers, help with anxiety and coping skills in general.
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The follow-up email to parents after each session is extremely thorough so there is great communication. Natalie puts lots of effort into her work, she genuinely cares about her clients and she is very easy to talk to. Her aura is "positivity" and "let's get to it and reach our goals!" Parent
"You were exactly the tonic my daughter needed. She was resistant to speaking with anyone at the time we first contacted you, and although I managed to get her to commit to two sessions, I was not expecting you to be able to secure her commitment for more. Yet, here we are six months later with a transformed child. Thank you." Parent
FAQs
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Who do you see?I see many young people (12-30yo) but also a number of women looking to explore where they are at in their life and where they would like to get to. A large proportion of my clients experience neurodivergent conditions such as Autism or ADHD.
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Where are sessions conducted?Sessions are conducted in a large bungalow out the back of my home in Warrandyte. Parents are always invited in to see the area where we do the work. Some sessions may include walks down at the Yarra River or local park areas if we need to mix things up. Outreach is available in some special circumstances where disability may prevent a client attending here.
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Can you conduct sessions via zoom?I do zoom session at times with clients who have already spent time with me and may be unwell or on holidays. My style works much better when we are mostly face to face. A mixture is possible for clients who are further away.
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When do you offer sessions?I try to offer sessions that do not interfere with school too much. Some early morning sessions (starting 8:30-9:20am), mid-morning, lunch-time and after school
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My child hasn't responded well to any sort of therapy in the past. How is this different?My approach is to provide a more informal environment that allows for movement, fidgeting, board writing, photo options, weekly challenges and most importantly, humour. We also have a lovely large Malamute X who loves coming in for sessions and cuddles if he's welcome. This approach is all about counselling through any pain but also upskilling for resilience. Clients find it empowering and hopeful that they can take back control of their life from whatever personal challenges they are facing.
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What do I do if they don't want to come?If you can get them to agree to come for the first two sessions then we will be right. I've never had a client not want to come back after the first two sessions. I'm sure there will be a first at some stage but it hasn't happened yet.
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Can I use NDIS funding?Yes I see a number of clients with NDIS supports
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Can I claim this on my health insurance?If you have alternate therapies such as life coaching listed you will be able to. However, many insurances do not classify life coaching as a covered item. Important to check with your individual provider.
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Can I get a Medicare rebate?Unfortunately, as with health insurance, Medicare does not recognise life coaching as a covered item.
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Do you have relevant insurances and working with children check?Yes- I have professional indemnity, public liability and a working with children's check (WWCC).
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What are your fees?Counselling/life coaching sessions are $179 (GST inclusive). Group life skills workshops vary depending on the group. Multiple workshops within a school or organisation will reduce the costs. I also try to keep prices lower for sports and community groups.
Contact Us
Mental Health Resources
Mental Health Column
I write a monthly mental health column for the Warrandyte Diary with a special focus on young people and their families. Links to articles are listed below.