About Leigh and Jenni - Skewes Therapy Consultancy

Workshops and Courses BSFF workshops

Jenni & Leigh Skewes
6 Otway Street South
Ballarat Vic 3350

Phone: +61 (03)
5333 4944

• About Jenni
• About Leigh
• About Zoe
• Our Practice

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About Skewes Therapy Consultancy

Our Story

Coming as we do from backgrounds of Psychiatric Nursing, we originally learnt the Psychoanalytical style of counselling. However, as we continued to work with different clients and their different needs, we realised that an important part of our approach was our belief that clients can discover their own strengths and use these to create the life changes they wanted; and that our clients, particularly those working with rehabilitation issues, were looking for counselling that pointed them to the future and how they might get there.

Later on in our counselling studies we experienced the training offered to Psychologists and found some aspects useful but we still felt there should be a style out there which was more natural.

Finally in Ampersand www.ampersandaus.com.au, we were introduced to Ericksonian Brief Therapy and the Solution Oriented Approach, based on the work of Milton Erickson and the many therapists who learnt from him. Jenni felt as if she had 'come home' in her first day of study and Leigh was totally inspired. This was the start of what has now become very much our style and led to our expanding our range of studies of different therapies that focused clients' attention on their future and how to get there.

One of the things we particularly like about this style is Erickson's comment, "The client is my theory". This allows us to work with each person as an individual and follow their individual needs, assisting them to discover and recognise the strengths they have to enable them to become the best they can be.

Erickson also said "People come in with miserable problems; they don't want miserable therapy too!" so there is room for laughter and fun in the appropriate moments!

Community support
Living in Ballarat where we have made our personal home, we enjoy the experience of being part of a growing and vibrant regional community environment. Jenni has been able to pursue her passions for health promotion and community work through local organizations such as the Rotary Club.

Professional association links
Nowadays professional associations play an important role in regulating sound practice. Jenni's primary professional association is ASOCHA, the Association of Solution Oriented Counsellors and Hypnotherapists of Australia. ASOCHA is a member of PACFA, the Psychotherapy and Counsellors Federation of Australia, the prime body that represents all professional psychotherapy and Counselling Associations at government level. She has also served as President and Vice President of ASOCHA and is currently a member of its Executive Committee.

Jenni Skewes

Leigh Skewes

Association of Solution Oriented Counsellors & Hypnotherapists of Australia