Lara Melwani

I am unable to take new clients until early September 2024

I am passionate about the positive impact therapy can have on the quality of life and am committed to helping clients overcome challenges in a supportive, safe and non-judgmental manner. My multicultural background enhances my approach to therapy, empowering clients to gain new perspectives and a deeper understanding of their experiences. Working within the private and charity sectors, I have helped individuals from all walks of life and cultures address and manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, work-life balance and relationship issues. I have helped individuals understand the impact of adverse childhood experiences and worked with clients facing life transitions as well as those who have wanted to deepen their self-awareness.

TESTIMONIALS:

LT, Hong Kong, 25 yrs:

I have met with a couple of other counsellors in the past, but Lara proved to be the most effective. She was able to deal with my problem in a surprisingly short period of time and provided me with a secure space to confidently express the issues I was facing for the first time. We looked at how my past history had shaped my views and values which allowed me to engage better in all my key relationships. Lara was extremely professional but very warm and friendly. 

LB, Hong Kong, 46 yrs:

Lara helped me navigate the different factors which were preventing me from coping with the sudden loss of my mother  and helped me understand what I needed to do in order to move forward. She very quickly understood the type of person I am and helped me find coping strategies to get me to a point where I could manage my grief and not let it overwhelm me. She has a very calm and empathetic nature with a pragmatic approach and relatable sense of humour, all of which were critical for me to be comfortable with her. 

KK, Newcastle (Australia), 56 yrs:

Lara was a godsend during a very difficult period in my life when I was dealing with both trauma and anxiety induced by a major life transition. Through her care and guidance, I was able to put into perspective the issues I was facing and rationally deal with the psychological challenges that arose. Over the course of the nine months of counselling, Lara helped me move on and I now feel that I have come to a place of acceptance and emotional well-being.  

The first session is an evaluation session which takes 60 mins, not a counselling session (50 mins), so we will not start working on addressing your problems in this session. I need to ask you a lot of questions so I can properly determine the nature of your difficulties. Some questions will be relevant, many will not be, but I need to ask them to rule in or out the problems you have. Based on your answers, I will tell you what my initial impressions are and what I think we should focus on so we can collaboratively set some broad goals for counselling.