Whatever you're going through, you don’t have to do it alone.
Paula Borges
Counsellor/ Brisbane
(She/Her)
About me
Hi, it’s a pleasure to have you here!
I am a registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA Level 4 – 81744). Originally trained as a psychologist in Brazil, I have over a decade of experience working with people navigating emotional and life challenges.
I work with adolescents and adults navigating chronic health conditions, sustained stress, migration and cultural adjustment, relational strain, or coping patterns such as gambling, food, or alcohol use. Many of my clients are capable and high-functioning, yet privately navigating difficulties that often remain unseen by others.
My Approach
Evidence- Based
My work draws mainly from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Process-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (PB-CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and broader contextual behavioural science approaches.
Working Together
A central part of our work together is building psychological flexibility, a well-established predictor of long-term psychological wellbeing, which means, helping you navigate challenges with greater steadiness and build a life that feels meaningful, even when circumstances cannot always be changed.
Meaningful Life
I aim to provide a space that feels emotionally safe, respectful, and non-judgmental, while gently challenging when needed. Together, we work to understand what really brings you to therapy and the patterns shaping your experience beneath the surface.
Areas of Practice.
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Living with ongoing health conditions can affect many areas of life, physically, emotionally, and relationally. Many people carry invisible challenges such as uncertainty, frustration, loss of independence, or changes in identity. Therapy can offer a space to process these experiences, develop steadier ways of responding to difficult moments, and continue building a meaningful life alongside the realities of health.
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At times life can feel heavy, overwhelming, or emotionally draining. You may experience persistent worry, self-criticism, emotional ups and downs, or a sense of disconnection from yourself and others. Therapy can help create space to process these experiences and develop steadier ways of relating to thoughts, emotions and to ourselves.
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Adapting to a different culture can be both enriching and deeply challenging. Many people navigate shifts in identity, belonging, relationships, and expectations during these transitions. Therapy can offer a space to process these experiences and reconnect with a sense of direction and stability.
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Sometimes we notice ourselves wanting to change certain ways we cope with stress or emotional discomfort — such as pornography, gambling, eating patterns, or alcohol use. These patterns often develop for understandable reasons and may once have helped us manage difficult experiences. Over time, however, they can begin to get in the way of the life we want to live while still feeling difficult to shift.
Change rarely happens all at once. Our work focuses on understanding what these patterns are trying to solve, meeting you wherever you are in the process of change, and gradually developing more flexible and supportive ways of navigating them.
Contact
Fill out some info and I will be in touch shortly.
Appointments in-person available in Spring Hill at Brisbane Counselling Centre and online sessions available Australia wide.