Welcome to Ground Zero Counselling
Holistic support for grief, loss, change and life transitions
Grief and Loss Counselling - Dementia Services - End of Life Services
Kate Nankivell - PACFA Reg. Clinical Counsellor and Psychotherapist 24346
Ground Zero Counselling - Kate Nankivell - Clinical Psychotherapist
Ground Zero Counselling
Supporting You Through Grief, Loss, Illness and Change
Sometimes life takes us somewhere we never expected to be.
A relationship ends. Someone we love dies. We receive a life changing diagnosis. Work becomes overwhelming. We experience trauma. We become a carer. Our independence or identity changes. We lose confidence, hope, security or a sense of where we are heading.
Sometimes life brings us to what feels like ground zero - a point where something important has changed, something has been lost, and we have reached a point where we have always coped, isn't working anymore.
Loss isn't only about losing someone.
Loss can be about a relationship, a role, our health, our independence, our identity, our sense of safety or control, or the future we imagined we would have. It can sit underneath grief and bereavement , but it can also be part of anxiety, depression, trauma, illness, disability, relationship breakdown and major life transitions.
Ground Zero Counselling provides a place to stop, make sense of what is happening and work out what you need now.
HOW I HELP:
Ground Zero Counselling provides specialist counselling and support for children, adolescents, adults, couples and families experiencing a wide range of emotional, relational and life challenges, including:
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Grief & loss
Bereavement, anticipatory grief, relationship breakdown, ambiguous loss and the many losses that can accompany significant change.
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Anxiety, depression & feeling stuck
Feeling overwhelmed, losing motivation or hope, struggling with emotional regulation, or finding that your usual ways of coping aren't enough. -
Relationships & family
Relationship difficulties, separation, changing family roles, communication, conflict and the impact of difficult life experiences on those closest to us. -
Trauma & difficult experiences
When something has affected your sense of safety, trust, stability or ability to feel in control. -
Illness, disability & life transitions
Adjusting to changes in health, independence, identity, work, relationships or expectations for the future. -
Dementia & caring
Specialist support for people living with dementia and for family members and carers navigating diagnosis, changing relationships, uncertainty and loss. -
End-of-life & palliative care
Support for people living with life-limiting illness and those around them, including difficult conversations, caregiving, preparation and grief.
Ground Zero Counselling doesn't only focus on what has been lost. We focus on the whole person - their strengths, relationships, identity, hopes and what matters most moving forward.
Supporting you to develop your knowledge and strengthen your skills to optimise wellbeing, hope and self efficacy.
Because even in life's most uncertain moments, there is a place to begin again.
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Holistic, strength - based and trauma informed counselling to explore the grief, loss, anxiety, depression and trauma which can occur as a result of unforeseen change or a life changing diagnosis.
Therapy promotes self- awareness by exploring the patterns that keep us 'stuck' in unhelpful cycles, and provides optimism and resilience when we feel empowered to choose new ways to respond to our distress.
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Emotion Focused Therapy ( EFT) is designed to repair and strengthen bonds in the couple and family unit by focusing on each person's attachment needs and emotions. It helps people explore relationship ruptures, gently break unhelpful interaction patterns, and provides strategies to foster respectful, trusting and emotionally secure relationships.
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Group therapy invites people who share a similar experience ( such as grief, anxiety or being a carer) to gather as a small group ( typically 5-15) to explore their concerns.
Groups meet regularly to discuss issues that arise for them, share experiences, receive support from peers, learn new coping skills and build networks that reduce isolation.
About my approach
I am a clinical psychotherapist and counsellor, with more than 20 years' experience supporting people through change, distress, relationships and difficult life experiences.
My particular areas of experience include grief and loss, dementia, caring, illness, disability and end-of-life. These areas have taught me a great deal about the ways significant change can affect not only an individual, but also their identity, relationships, family and sense of what comes next.
My approach is warm, collaborative and grounded in the belief that you are the expert in your own life. I don't believe counselling is about fixing people or rushing them towards acceptance. Sometimes what we need first is a place where we can slow down, be heard and make sense of what is happening.
Together, we can explore what's happening for you, what has changed or been lost, what matters now, and what might help you move forward.
You set the pace. We start where you are.
Ground Zero Counselling - offering something different in SE Queensland:
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Clinical counselling expertise paired with both dementia and end of life expertise - offering a genuinely deeper level of support and care for people living with a life limiting condition or other significant change
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Continuous support throughout the journey, alongside medical care
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Lived experience with dementia, brain injury and cognitive impairment coupled with two decades practising as a clinical psychotherapist and counsellor
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A deep understanding of anticipatory grief and complex grief that comes with sudden change and the clinical expertise to help people process their grief
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Recognition that a life changing diagnosis reshapes your relationships - expertise to explore the shared impact of a diagnosis on a family unit and empathy for each person's response
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Therapeutic skills to support individuals navigating complex family dynamics that may occur when someone receives a life changing diagnosis
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Acknowledging loss, while working together to highlight possibilities and find new ways to connect
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Providing a confidential, non judgmental space for authentic conversations
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Prioritising trauma- sensitive care, safety and stability - no rushing to reach acceptance or healing before you are ready. This is your journey and you set the pace.