Ms Chardonnay Zerbst Counsellor

Chardonnay brings over a decade of experience in the community services sector, working across homelessness, neurodiversity, family violence, and child, youth, and family services. Her extensive experience includes providing counselling, crisis support, and mental health services to children, youth, parents, and individuals. She approaches her work with a deep commitment to being person-centred, sensitive, respectful, and trauma-informed. Chardonnay has worked with children, adolescents, and young adults facing trauma, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. She has also supported adult rough sleepers in St Kilda, focusing on trauma, mental health, addiction, and homelessness. Understanding the trust and vulnerability involved in seeking support, she strives to create a compassionate, non-judgmental therapeutic alliance with every person and family she works with. Chardonnay tailors her approach to meet each individual’s unique needs, drawing on a wide range of therapeutic modalities. These include Trauma-Informed Care, Attachment Theory, Family Systems, Art and Expressive Therapy, Play Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. Her holistic and strengths-based approach ensures that the strengths and resources of each person are recognised, addressing the many dimensions of their lives to foster healing and growth.