Meet The Team
Michelle Jennings
Michelle is the director of The Hills Holistic Wellness and founded the practice in 2009. She has a diverse range of experience and skills in providing therapeutic support, teaching, leadership and team building. Over the past 30 years she has worked with children, adolescents, families and people with disabilities in Australia, America and England. Initially teacher trained, Michelle qualified as a Psychologist 21 years ago after completing her Master of Psychology in 2000. She has worked in a range of settings including; early intervention providing support for children with disabilities and their families, aged care and forensic psychology. Michelle now provides counselling and therapeutic services for children, families, individuals and couples.
Michelle has developed particular expertise in supporting couples experiencing relationship difficulties, and people who suffer with depression, anxiety, grief and loss and trauma. She also has worked extensively with families from complex backgrounds throughout her professional life. Michelle has extensive experience in bush fire recovery; supporting traumatised families and individuals who were impacted by the Black Saturday bush fires. She is a mother of two children which assists her in developing a deeper understanding of the rewards and challenges of parenting. Michelle particularly enjoys helping others to develop more effective coping strategies and healthier ways of thinking and engaging with others. I believe that everybody with the right support possesses the capabilities to improve their functioning and happiness.
Meghan Tozer
Meghan is a qualified counsellor, helping people express themselves through connection with animals.
Meghan has three children; one traveling the world, one at University and one in high school, and brings considerable lived experience to her counselling approach.
Meghan has significant experience helping others with self-care, mental health, and wellbeing. Meghan uses animal-assisted therapy to help adolescents and adults with anxiety, self-esteem, and confidence, life transitioning, parenting stresses and grief and loss.
Meghan is excited to be bringing Equine Assisted Counselling to Monbulk and Panton Hill for both Private and NDIS clients.
Chloe Nicholas
Chloe Nicholas is a Psychologist with a passion for working with people and horses.
Chloe graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Psychology (Honors) and is completing her Masters in Psychology, specializing in Educational Development.
Chloe has also completed courses in Animal Assisted Therapy.
John Van Graas
John is a qualified Somatic Psychotherapist and specialises in helping people deal with trauma. John believes personal growth and mastery come from a journey that looks within ourselves, a journey best travelled with assistance and support. Working with individuals that suffer from anxiety, he helps sufferers make new meanings to what is happening to them and to help them reconnect to themselves and others in their world.
John’s approach is:
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To build and maintain a safe and trusting relationship with you.
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To provide psychological assistance for you to reach your goals.
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To help you integrate your experiences of life which compromise your relationships with other people.
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To support you through the use of empathy, attunement and understanding.
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To assist you in achieving your potential as a fully functioning human being.
Debbie Edge
Debbie practices relaxation massage and as its name suggests it’s a form of massage that focuses on relaxation, relieving muscle tension and improving blood circulation.
Relaxation massage has been known to have benefits lasting several days, clearly not an absolute cure for any health problems but when combined with holistic practices it can offer the following benefits:
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Relieves back and neck pain
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Lowers blood pressure – at least for a while
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Improves peripheral circulation
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Improves skin tone and appearance
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Improves gastrointestinal motility, hence improving bowel movement and overall digestion
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Reduces muscle tension such as the relief of muscle tension headaches
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Relieves some stress-related symptoms; this can include providing a boost to the immune system after undergoing regular treatments
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Improves sleep
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Supports healing of minor skin abrasions
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Speeds up recovery of soft tissue injuries
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Improves range of motion
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Promotes relaxation
Kathryn James
Kathryn is passionate about helping children and adults manage stress and big emotions such as anxiety and anger. Whilst she has a nursing background, the past 12 years she has specialised in more Holistic Complementary Therapies that include:
Reiki – Energy Healing ( Practitioner & Teacher)May help to clear and balance chakras helping the client to feel more relaxed and centred.
Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) - a great tool that can help to reduce the intensity of big emotions such as Anxiety, which may help the client to have more clarity rather than feeling overwhelmed by emotions.
Parenting Workshops – Tuning in to Kids & Teens. Learn the importance of allowing emotions to navigate life, self- care and emotion coaching.
And now adds EFL - (Equine Facilitated Learning) to her list of modalities to help people heal. grow and evolve.
Kathryn helps to provide a sacred space for the client to quiet the mind and be more mindful of the moment, as well as providing strategies and tools to help regulate and understand emotions and find peace in just “Being”.
She is married with 4 adult children and a gorgeous grandbaby and loves spending time with the family camping in nature.
Students & Graduate Counsellors
At The Hills Counselling and Psychology we also have recent counselling graduates and students working with us on placement while in the final stages of qualifying as counsellors. Our students work under the supervision of Michelle and clinical supervision through their university. Please note: our students are limited to see clients aged 13+.
You can see one of our students for a significantly reduced rate which is ideal for those who have no further sessions available on their mental health plan or for people who are facing financial challenges.
Kathryn James
Lisa is in her last year of her Masters of Counseling (Monash) and her Master Holistic
Counsellor Certification. A keen observer of human behavior, she brings her enthusiasm,
wisdom and sharp insight to her role as a student counsellor. Lisa likes to explore the
relationship we have to ourselves, and how that impacts our experience with others. Lisa
comes to the role of counsellor having spent multiple decades in various fields, most
notably hospitality. A mum to two Lisa also brings her life experience to the role alongside
her education. A keen dancer from a young age, she knows what it is like when one’s body
fails them and the road of recovery can be paved with many unexpected turns. Not one to
shy away from difficult conversations or experiences, she hopes that she can guide her
clients to a sense of better wellbeing. She is embracing using multiple modalities to cater to
her client’s individual needs. Passionate about the journey of self-discovery, she brings
experience and passion in trauma recovery, rehabilitation, self-discovery and relational
dynamics.