About
Honest Conversations
Honest Conversations is a Counseling service for anyone wanting a safe space to have real conversations about what's going on in their life.
Teghan McGruther started Honest Conversations to create a Counselling space that is comfortable and easy. One that people will happily go to without thinking 'My situation isn't bad enough yet.' A sp
Honest Conversations is a Counseling service for anyone wanting a safe space to have real conversations about what's going on in their life.
Teghan McGruther started Honest Conversations to create a Counselling space that is comfortable and easy. One that people will happily go to without thinking 'My situation isn't bad enough yet.' A space where therapist AND client can be authentic, open and honest.
If you want to talk to someone, about anything, this is the place for you.
LGBTQI+ and Neurodivergent friendly.
Teghan's Therapeutic Approach
My therapeutic approach includes skills from Narrative Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Collaborative Therapies. This means I go into every therapy session with a clean slate of expectations. I carefully listen to your story to understand what is important to you, and what your values are. I pay close attention to your language and
My therapeutic approach includes skills from Narrative Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Collaborative Therapies. This means I go into every therapy session with a clean slate of expectations. I carefully listen to your story to understand what is important to you, and what your values are. I pay close attention to your language and take the time to generate a shared understanding between us on what an experience means to you. I ask questions to evoke your strengths, resources, protective factors, values, and skills. I see the problem as separate to you. And I support you to separate yourself from the issue so we can talk about it more easily.
Areas of interest include (but are not limited to!):
* Trauma (PTSD & CPTSD)
* Identity & Sense of Self
* Exploring values and inner beliefs
* Motherhood / Fatherhood / Parenting
* ADHD / Autism / AuDHD
* Life transitions
* Workplace stress
* Boundary work
* Emotion regulation work
* Sex Therapy and couples work (including non-traditional and LGBTQI+)
* Self-Esteem
* Self-Blame & Shame
* General Mental Health (Including Anxiety & Depression)
I have experience with providing therapeutic services to families, couples, children and teens, and individual counselling.
Regardless of the topic, I am passionate about supporting people to get in touch with their values, find their self-worth, and live authentically.
If this resonates with you, I invite you to take a step towards self-care, and book in for a chat.
Teghan's Story
I began my journey into the helping profession by pursuing a Double Degree in Social Work and Behavioral Science (Psychology) at QUT. This experience allowed me to view the world and the people in it as a whole picture. I found it fascinating how many different factors could connect and interact with each other, shaping individuals' experiences and actions. It was during this time that my empathy grew, and my view of the world expanded.
Throughout my degree, I had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings, including Child and Teen mental health and a Family support service. I enjoyed working with individuals of different ages and backgrounds, gaining valuable experience along the way.
After graduating, I started working as a Social Worker in an intensive family support service. The families I worked with had complex needs, often involving Child Safety. We addressed a wide range of issues, such as mental health, domestic violence, substance abuse, parenting struggles, hygiene, child behavior, and schooling. Over the course of three years, I gained extensive experience in various topics and received training in areas such as Domestic Violence, having tough conversations, and motivational interviewing.
During my time as a Social Worker, I discovered my passion for therapeutic conversations. Listening to these families' stories, showing kindness, understanding, and patience, became incredibly rewarding for me. This led me to take a leap and enroll in a Master of Counseling degree at QUT.
My Master's degree focused on a Post-Modern Approach to counseling. Postmodernism challenges the notion of one objective reality and acknowledges that each person's version of reality is influenced by their unique experiences, environment, and culture. This perspective aligned perfectly with my expanding view of the world.
During my degree, I had the privilege of working as a Child Therapist, primarily with children aged six to twelve. This experience taught me that therapy can always be engaging and enjoyable, and there are various ways to conduct therapeutic interventions. I recognized the importance of hearing children's perspectives and valuing their unique worldview.
At the age of 29, I was officially diagnosed with ADHD, and later at 30, unofficially diagnosed with Autism (awaiting an official assessment). I have a unique and personal understanding of the "Late Diagnosis" experience and being a neurodivergent parent. I am not an expert on neurodivergence, but I do provide a neuro-affirming approach and am happy to learn from you and share my learnings about neurodivergent living. I continue to explore and research neurodivergence and how trauma may be experienced differently for neurodivergent folk.
After becoming a parent myself, my view of the world and the importance of self-care has deepened. This inspired me to start my counseling business, Honest Conversations. The focus of Honest Conversations is on being authentic with yourself and having genuine conversations with others. I aim to encourage people to consider therapy not only during moments of crisis but also as a means of promoting well-being, mental health, and self-esteem. By embracing self-care and prioritizing our own needs, we can contribute to a world where looking after oneself is the norm.
I am not a believer in waiting until something is "big enough" to go to therapy for. If you want a chat about anything at all, I'm here to listen.
Certifications
Trauma Work
Trauma Work
Trauma Work
Teghan has completed Certifications levels 1 and 2 in Clinical Trauma (CCTP-II) with Evergreen Certifications. This means Teghan has received training in how to recognize and work with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (Childhood Trauma & Adult CPTSD).
Teghan's approach to trauma is as follows:
1. Prevent Re-traumati
Teghan has completed Certifications levels 1 and 2 in Clinical Trauma (CCTP-II) with Evergreen Certifications. This means Teghan has received training in how to recognize and work with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (Childhood Trauma & Adult CPTSD).
Teghan's approach to trauma is as follows:
1. Prevent Re-traumatization by building on essential skills in emotion regulation, connecting with body sensations, expanding window of tolerance, and teaching relaxed-muscle body techniques.
2. Identify and Deconstruct the Trauma Identity by validating the trauma response, providing psychoeducation on trauma, unpacking social expectations around trauma healing, identifying automatic protective responses, separating the self from the trauma identity, and pulling apart "should have" thinking.
3. Re-Authoring your story by uncovering who you really are outside of the trauma tale, highlighting what you did do and continue to do to keep yourself safe, building new responses alternative to automatic protective reactions, evoking values and strengths, and reprocessing emotions, bodily sensations, OR memories with techniques in parts work and EMDR therapy*.
Teghan will never expect you to share traumatic memories. Exploring feelings and bodily sensations is enough to process trauma.
*Please note: Teghan is working towards full qualifications in EMDR therapy and IFS (parts work) therapy. Through CCTP I & II training, Teghan has been trained in techniques from EMDR and IFS therapies that can be applied to practice immediately (with constant consideration for appropriateness and therapist comfort and skill level). Teghan is always mindful of preventing re-traumatization and will refer on if unable to meet your therapeutic needs.
Sex Therapy
Trauma Work
Trauma Work
Teghan is a Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional (CSTIP) with the Integrative Sex Therapy Institute and Evergreen Certifications. This means Teghan is trained in couples therapy and providing support on a range of sex-related issues:
- Dead bedrooms or mismatched libidos (Erotic Recovery)
- Navigating Consensual Non-monogamy
- Affair rec
Teghan is a Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional (CSTIP) with the Integrative Sex Therapy Institute and Evergreen Certifications. This means Teghan is trained in couples therapy and providing support on a range of sex-related issues:
- Dead bedrooms or mismatched libidos (Erotic Recovery)
- Navigating Consensual Non-monogamy
- Affair recovery
- Struggles with arousal or pain during sex
- Moving from performance based to pleasure-based intimacy
- Non-traditional relationships and sex-lives
- And more!
Teghan is open-minded, non-judgmental, and puts people at ease even when discussing "taboo" topics. Teghan does not push for information you are not comfortable providing and is happy to go at your speed.