When therapy can help
People often come to therapy during times of loss, confusion, change, or transition.
This might be after a death, a breakup, a divorce, a career change, becoming a parent, moving countries, or finding yourself in a stage of life that feels different from what you expected.
Therapy can also support you if you’re experiencing anxiety, low mood, identity questions, relationship difficulties, workplace stress, or challenges at home.
You don’t need to be in crisis to seek support. Sometimes therapy begins with one simple feeling: “I don’t want to keep doing this on my own.”
When everything feels grey
When colors fade, and everything feels flat, heavy, or blurred. The feeling that there is no purpose or direction is a heavy burden, and it is not one you have to carry alone. Therapy is designed to help you rediscover feelings that may have been lost, bringing a sense of presence, vitality, and color back to your life.
When overwhelmed by emotion
Sometimes, our inner world can feel too loud, stormy, or out of control, and trying to "manage" or fight those emotions only leaves us feeling exhausted and drained.In therapy, we don't try to force the storm to quiet down; instead, we learn together to pause, take a breath, and find a stable ground to stand on. By slowing down and listening gently, we will understand what your thoughts, words, and body sensations are trying to tell you. Together, we will find new ways to meet this "overwhelm", not through a struggle, but with compassion, choice, and a true reconnection to yourself.
When seeking deeper understanding
By consciously slowing things down, together we create a safe, supportive, and unhurried space, a pause from the noise of daily life. Within this space, we can gently and without judgment notice your emotional responses, thoughts, and body sensations as they arise. This intentional slowing allows us to peel back the layers, trace where these feelings come from, and begin to truly understand the deeper needs and patterns that are happening beneath the surface.
I didn't start out as a therapist. I have always worked closely with people, listening, asking questions, and trying to understand what truly matters to them.
My academic background includes a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in social psychology, and I spent years working in qualitative research, marketing, and management roles, fields where I engaged with individuals and groups in complex, often sensitive situations.
Moving to Australia later in life changed something in me. It made me much more aware of how complex identity, belonging, and change can feel, especially when life looks different from what you expected.
Over time, I found myself drawn more and more to the personal side of those connections.
I wanted to stay with people for longer, not just to hear their stories, but to support people understanding these stories. That is what led me to retrain as a counsellor and psychotherapist.
I am a registered counsellor, member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA Level 1).
I hold a Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from The Cairnmillar Institute.
I work with adults of different ages and backgrounds, navigating grief and loss, life transitions, identity and belonging, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, anger, stress, and trauma. Sessions are available in English or in Hebrew, in person in Bentleigh, Melbourne and online.
I bring a calm, grounded presence, lived experience, and a genuine respect for each person's unique pace and experience.
About me
Avishag Rager
My approach
Therapy can be a place to breathe. A space to pause, reconnect with yourself, and begin to understand what's happening beneath the surface. My approach is integrative, with a strong foundation in humanistic and person-centred therapy. This means I see you as a whole person, not a problem to be fixed. I believe meaningful change begins in a safe, honest relationship. One where you can speak freely, feel heard, and explore your experience without judgment. We work at your pace. Sometimes that means sitting with difficult feelings. Sometimes it means noticing patterns, finding words for things that have been hard to name, or gently exploring what might need to change. I may also draw on practical tools from approaches such as ACT, when they feel useful. These can help you relate differently to difficult thoughts and emotions, and reconnect with what matters to you. Above all, my role is to walk alongside you as you build more self-awareness, choice, and connection in your life.
Let's begin our journey together
I am here to listen, to understand, and to help you rediscover the color in your life. Reach out to schedule a first conversation.