Mount Barker · Adelaide Hills
Safe Refuge
Counselling
Trauma-informed, Catholic-informed care for women
A quiet, professional space for women in the Adelaide Hills to heal from trauma, grief, anxiety, and the pressures of motherhood — with dignity, discretion, and without a wait.
Our Practice
You Don't Have to Carry It Alone
Many women in the Hills carry the weight of past trauma, family breakdown, the isolation of new motherhood, or a quiet sense that something essential is missing. Safe Refuge exists to meet you there.
At Safe Refuge we offer one-on-one, trauma-informed counselling that honours the whole person — mind, body, and spirit. Our approach goes beyond managing symptoms toward genuine flourishing: not just a “freedom from” pain, but a “freedom for” a life of authentic connection, meaning, and purpose.
We are a practising Catholic counselling practice. For women who want therapy that respects their faith — or simply a practitioner who understands the language of prayer, parish, and the deep questions of meaning — Safe Refuge offers something few other counsellors in the Adelaide Hills can.
You do not need a GP referral, a Mental Health Care Plan, or a psychiatric diagnosis to book. You simply need to be ready to begin.
Why A Counsellor
Five Reasons Women Choose Safe Refuge
Counselling is not the same as seeing a psychologist. For many women, it is the better fit.
01
No Wait
Psychology waiting lists in the Hills stretch to three or six months. We can usually offer you an appointment within the week.
02
No Diagnosis
Counselling requires no formal mental health diagnosis. Nothing goes on your medical record. Your story stays yours.
03
No Session Cap
Medicare limits you to ten psychology sessions a year. Real trauma work often takes longer. Counselling has no artificial ceiling.
04
No Referral
Book directly, without a GP visit or a Mental Health Care Plan. You do not need anyone’s permission to start healing.
05
True Choice
You choose your counsellor based on fit, specialisation, and values not on who has availability on a public list.
What We Help With
Our Specialisations
Safe Refuge focuses on the areas where we see the greatest unmet need for women in Mount Barker and the Adelaide Hills.
Trauma Counselling
Gentle, paced work for women healing from abuse, family breakdown, and the long shadow of old wounds.
Learn more →Perinatal Mental Health
Support for the identity shift of motherhood, postnatal anxiety, birth trauma, and the loneliness of early motherhood.
Learn more →Grief & Loss
A steady companion through bereavement, miscarriage, and the losses no one sees.
Learn more →Anxiety & Depression
Evidence-based, practical support for women who have spent too long pretending to be fine.
Learn more →Christian Counselling
Therapy from a practising Catholic counsellor for women who want their faith taken seriously as part of their healing.
Learn more →Women's Counselling
A space that understands the particular pressures of being a woman, a mother, a daughter, and a friend in the Hills.
Learn more →Honest & Accessible
Thoughtful Pricing
Safe Refuge sessions are $140, matching the out-of-pocket cost most women pay for a psychologist after Medicare. Prepaid blocks bring the effective cost as low as $125 per session, and a small number of concession places are reserved for women experiencing genuine financial hardship.
Begin
A Quiet Place to Start
The first step toward healing is often the hardest. Book a discovery call and we will walk the rest of the way with you.