Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General Queries
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I offer a range of services, from in-person psychotherapy, to regular Men’s Groups, migrant-focused sessions in Spanish, and outdoor-based eco-psychotherapy.
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Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form or schedule a call—we’ll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions along the way.
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Most traditional counseling practices focus heavily on talking therapy—analyzing thoughts and managing symptoms from the neck up. While processing ideas is valuable, it often leaves people feeling stuck in their heads, trying to think their way out of problems.
My practice is built differently by integrating two distinct frameworks that engage the whole person:
Somatic Psychotherapy (The Inner Environment): We don’t just talk about your challenges; we map how they physically live in your body. Using gentle, somatic mindfulness, we track real-time physiological responses, nervous system activation, and physical boundaries. This allows us to uncover and shift deep-seated emotional blueprints where they are actually stored—in the nervous system.
Eco-Psychotherapy (The Outer Environment): We explicitly challenge the idea that healing must happen in a sterile, windowless clinic room. By taking sessions outdoors into local public ecosystems, we invite movement and use nature as an active partner in your therapy. This grounds your nervous system, provides physical containment, and helps you locate your personal experience within a broader, living context.
Ultimately, I work as a grounded experiential partner. I combine these somatic and nature-based approaches with an acute awareness of real-world structural realities—providing a space that respects both your inner complexity and your material constraints, without resorting to forced optimism or generic fixes.
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You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.
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Individual Session (50 minutes) | $140.00
Extended Individual Session (8- Minutes) | $190.00
Couples / Relationship Session (80 Minutes) | $275.00
Extended Couples / Relationship Session (110 Minutes) | $375.00
Please note that I have a quote of reduced rate sessions that may be available if you are in financial need. please contact me directly to discuss these arrangements.
All prices in AUD.
About Somatic Therapy
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Somatic Therapy recognises that our experiences are held not only in thoughts and emotions, but also in the body. Rather than focusing solely on talking about problems, somatic therapy invites gentle awareness of sensations, movement, posture, breath, impulses, and patterns of activation within the nervous system.
By learning to listen to the body's signals, many people discover greater self-understanding, emotional resilience, and a deeper sense of connection to themselves and others.
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Somatic Therapy may be helpful for people experiencing:
Anxiety, overwhelm, or chronic stress
Trauma or difficult life experiences
Burnout and nervous system exhaustion
Emotional numbness or disconnection
Relationship challenges
A desire to feel more present, grounded, and alive
No previous experience with meditation, movement, or body-based practices is required.
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Many people find themselves understanding their challenges intellectually while still feeling stuck in familiar patterns.
Somatic Therapy offers an additional pathway by including the wisdom of the body. It can support a greater sense of embodiment, self-trust, resilience, and connection in everyday life.
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Many contemporary trauma approaches recognise that traumatic experiences can affect both mind and body.
Somatic Therapy can support nervous system regulation, helping people gradually build capacity to stay present with difficult experiences without becoming overwhelmed. This work is always approached with care, consent, and attention to safety.
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Somatic Therapy can include gentle movement, grounding practices, or awareness exercises, but only where they feel safe and appropriate.
Many sessions involve simply noticing sensations, emotions, breathing, posture, or patterns of tension as they arise. There is no expectation that you will engage in movement beyond what feels comfortable and relevant for you.
In some circumstances, and only with clear, ongoing, and attuned consent, somatic approaches such as Hakomi may include therapeutic touch. This is typically used to support awareness and exploration rather than as a treatment in itself. Touch is always optional, discussed beforehand, and can be declined, modified, or withdrawn at any time without explanation.
The therapeutic relationship is collaborative. We work at a pace that respects your autonomy, comfort, and nervous system capacity, recognising that a sense of safety and choice is central to meaningful therapeutic work.
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Our nervous system continuously responds to our environment, relationships, and life experiences. Sometimes patterns of protection that were once helpful can become limiting, leaving us feeling anxious, disconnected, overwhelmed, or stuck.
Somatic Therapy helps bring awareness to these patterns and supports the development of greater flexibility, regulation, and choice. Rather than fighting against ourselves, we learn to work with the body's innate capacity for adaptation and healing.
That feels very aligned with your broader TAO Psychotherapy language and differentiates you from generic somatic therapy websites.
About Eco-Therapy
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Eco-therapy, also called nature-based therapy, blends professional counselling with the healing presence of the natural world. Sessions are held outdoors — walking, sitting, or gently moving — so you can connect with yourself in ways that feel grounding, restorative, and safe.
Nature provides a unique space for slowing down, releasing stress, and rediscovering balance.
It also offers a supportive way to meet eco-grief and eco-anxiety — the feelings that arise as we witness ecological change and loss. In nature, we can honour these emotions while cultivating resilience, belonging, and hope.
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Eco-therapy may be right for you if you’re:
Feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed
Working through trauma or life transitions
Longing for deeper connection and grounding
Drawn to nature as part of your healing journey
Experiencing eco-anxiety or eco-grief about our changing world
Seeking resilience and grounded ways of facing uncertainty
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Hello, I’m Tristan, the therapist behind TAO Psychotherapy.
Yes, you will be safe.
I bring together my training in social work, psychotherapy, and somatic approaches (like Hakomi) with my deep respect for the natural world. My work is guided by values of authenticity, compassion, and ethical care (Right Use of Power).
Alongside my clinical training, I bring years of experience in outdoor education in Australia and Canada, and hold a Day Walk Leader qualification. Time spent leading groups in natural settings has shown me how deeply nature supports reflection, resilience, and emotional healing. These experiences now inform my therapeutic approach, where I integrate nature-based practices and an awareness of eco-grief with evidence-based psychotherapy.
Eco-therapy is not about “fixing” you — it’s about creating a safe and supportive space in which you can listen more deeply to yourself and your surroundings.
Additionally, I practice to the Australian Association of Bush Adventure Therapy (AABAT) Ethical Principles and Outdoor Council of Australian Adventure Activity Standards, where possible.
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Many people today feel grief, fear, or despair about climate change, species loss, and ecological uncertainty. These feelings are real and valid.
Eco-therapy offers a way to sit with these emotions in a supportive, embodied way. By grounding in nature, you can begin to:
Honour grief without being overwhelmed by it
Restore balance and inner calm
Reconnect with meaning, community, and belonging
Transform despair into compassionate awareness and action
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Reduce stress and anxiety through mindful nature connection
Build resilience and grounding with gentle, embodied practices
Experience a unique, client-led approach not widely available in Adelaide
Supported by research showing nature’s positive impact on wellbeing
A supportive space to process eco-anxiety and eco-grief
Transform feelings of despair into grounded action and connection
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Location: Various parks and natural spaces in/around Adelaide (discussed before booking).
Format: Walking, seated, or a mix — whatever feels right.
Length & Fee: 50 minutes, standard counselling rates.
Availability: Flexible weekday options.
What if it rains?
We can reschedule, meet in a sheltered location, or switch to an online session.Do I need to be physically fit?
Not at all. Sessions are always adapted to your comfort — from gentle seated reflection to light walking.Is eco-therapy covered by Medicare or insurance?
Currently, eco-therapy sessions are private-pay only.