Growing Together - Early Career Counsellors
Fostering the future generation of professional counsellors and psychotherapists.
At ALY'S PLACE, we are proud to be a teaching practice supporting early career counsellors and psychotherapists.
Our early career practitioners are Master-level professional counsellors, coming to private practice after years of tertiary education and rich life experience.
While they are still building their client base, they are able to offer reduced rates for counselling for clients that have a Health Care Card, or are in a situation of financial hardship.
The reduced rates are:
$130 for 60-minute individual sessions (or $66 for 60-minute limited sessions via TAPA affordable counselling)
$160 for 60-min couples sessions (after initial 90-min intake)
$220 for 90-minute couples sessions
All our early career counsellors hold professional registrations and attend regular supervision and debriefing sessions with our lead Counsellor, Alyona Cerfontyne.
Meet Adriana,
Early Career Counsellor passionate about helping couples & individuals,
Hi, I'm Adriana. I've come to counselling after a full and varied life, years running my own business working closely with couples, a background in scientific research, and a lot of time living and working overseas. Through all of it, one thing has stayed constant: a deep fascination with people, and with the relationships that shape us, how we connect, how we grow, and how we find our way back to one another when things get hard.
I believe so much of who we are is built in our relationships: with our partners, our families, and ourselves. I'm warm, curious and genuinely non-judgemental, and I see counselling as a safe space to slow down, feel truly heard, and make sense of what's happening beneath the surface. Having navigated significant change in my own life, and done my own therapeutic work along the way, I bring real empathy to the people I sit with.
I'm especially drawn to attachment, the way our earliest experiences shape how we love and relate as adults and to helping people strengthen the communication and connection at the heart of their close relationships.
I can help with
> Individual counselling
> Life transitions, separation and change
> Communication and connection
> Grief and loss
> Self-worth and confidence
CLIENT DAYS: Fridays
Meet Miranda,
Early Career Counsellor passionate about helping couples, individuals, & children
Hi! I’m Miranda.
I grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Wagga Wagga, NSW, before my family moved to the Mornington Peninsula, which has been my home ever since. As an adult I have travelled the world, and these experiences strengthened my belief in the importance of empathy, openness, connection and learning from different perspectives.
After graduating from highschool, I completed a Bachelor of Arts at Monash University, pursuing my passion for literature, history, psychology, criminology, and business. Alongside my studies, I became qualified as a personal trainer - a role that unexpectedly revealed how deeply I was drawn to supporting others on an emotional level. Working with clients as they navigated personal challenges, motivation and mindset is what ultimately inspired me to pursue my Master of Counselling.
As a counsellor I offer a safe space where clients can speak freely, feel heard without judgement, and can explore new ways to move forward with clarity and self-compassion. Having survived cancer and experienced significant personal loss, I hold a heartfelt commitment to supporting others through life’s difficult seasons. I also have an interest in working with young people as they navigate school, identity, and the many pressures of growing up.
My Qualifications
I am currently completing my Master's Degree in Counselling at Monash University. I hold a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University and a Graduate Certificate in Business from the University of Melbourne..
I can help with
> Couples relationships
> Individual counselling
> Anxiety and stress
> Grief and loss
> Children’s counselling
CLIENT DAYS: Tuesdays
