Shifting
Terrains
Shifting Terrains Counselling is a trauma-informed, integrative and evidence based therapy service for children, adolescents and their families in the Blue Mountains. My work is focused on supporting young people who are experiencing mental health challenges in what can be a uniquely complex time of life.
Shifting Terrains is led by Gareth Thomas, a Social Worker with over 10 years’ experience counselling in child and adolescent mental health settings, including complex hospital-linked presentations.
I offer individual, family, and parent counselling sessions both in-person and online. I value the creation of a safe, confidential therapeutic space to make sense of things, develop insight, nurture skills and to help navigate through life’s Shifting Terrains.
Gareth is an approved Victims of Crime Counsellor.
Accredited Member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
Currently accepting appointments for Thursdays only 2pm - 10pm via Telehealth - Face to face options available but please contact us to have a chat.
As this is a child and adolescent focused service, I am aiming to provide counselling supports in the evening, to make accessible around school and work hours.
Areas of Focus
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Child & adolescent mental health
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Neuro Affirming approach
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I work from a gender affirming approach
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Suicide ideation and self harming
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Suicide related bereavement
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Trauma & complex trauma
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Grief & loss
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Identity and developmental transitions
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School disengagement
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Family separation & conflict
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Emotional regulation
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Neurodivergence
Service Types
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Individual counselling — young people
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Parent support sessions
About me
Navigating mental health with compassion.
Service Overview
Shifting Terrains Counselling provides therapeutic support for young people and their families navigating Mental Health concerns alongside all of the complexities of what life throws at us.
The practice offers a trauma-informed, relational, and integrative approach.
What does integrative approach actually mean in practice?
Integrative counselling approaches seek to individually adapt therapeutic methods/modalities to the individuals specific needs. An integrative approach would start with a comprehensive assessment (getting to know you on your terms) and the development of a collaborative care plan between therapist and the young person. The collaborative care plan would seek to draw on a young persons skills and interests alongside the counsellors clinical skills.
Counselling can be understood to be the meeting place between your experience (the most important bit!!), the skills of the counsellor, and the way we interact with the world around us.
Theraputic modalities
ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT)
DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY(DBT)
TRAUMA FOCUSED CBT (TF-CBT)
CREATIVE INTEGRATION OF THESE MODALITIES INTO A PERSON CENTRED CARE PLAN
INTERPESONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY - (IPT-A)
NARRATIVE THERAPY
My story
Shifting Terrains Counselling
My name is Gareth - He/him.
I’m a senior social worker and counsellor with over ten years’ experience supporting children, adolescents, and families across community and public mental health settings.
My practice has been shaped through working with young people navigating complex mental health challenges — including trauma, suicidality, emotional distress, family breakdown, and identity transitions.
I have experience within specialist child and adolescent services connected to hospital and community systems, supporting young people and families through high-acuity and complex periods of care. This work has involved collaboration with multidisciplinary teams across inpatient, outpatient, and community contexts.
My counselling is person centred, relational and seeks to honour the theraputic alliance.
I see mental health care in a community context and seek to develop wholeistic care plans that involve focused psycological support, interpersonal skills, and wrap around care models in an integrative method of utilising interests and skills that people have to make counselling support work well for them.
Group work and support groups
SHIFTING TERRAINS WOULD LIKE TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDE FREE AND LOW COST SUPPORT GROUPS AND GROUP WORK SETTINGS. PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINNK TO A GOOGLE FORM SURVEY TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT IS MISSING IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THIER FAMLIES - WE CAN USE THIS INFORMATION TO PLAY OUR PART IN ADDRESSING THESE GAPS.
Get in Touch
Please contact me on the phone or email address below - please leave a message so I can get back to you as soon as I can.
Phone: 0488 900 503
Email: gareth.evan.thomas@gmail.com
“The terrain may shift beneath our feet, yet the strength to navigate life’s complex transitions resides within a space of compassionate self-discovery.”
Future directions for Shifting Terrains Counselling
I am currently working on the following to create better accessibility for this counselling practice:
- Accreditation as a mental health social worker (AASW) which would provide medicare rebates under the better access scheme.
I am not able to offer this yet - But I will let you know when I get there!