Online counselling for women when someone close has caused harm
This is an individual counselling service designed to support emotional safety, clarity, and self-agency after relational harm.
This page is for women who have been hurt within close relationships — through infidelity, deception, emotional harm, or coercive dynamics — and who are now trying to steady themselves after something deeply destabilising.
You may feel shocked, numb, hyper-alert, or caught in cycles of replaying conversations and questioning your own judgment.
You may still love the person who hurt you.
You may feel ashamed for struggling.
You may feel unsure whether to stay, leave, rebuild, or simply breathe again.
Relational betrayal doesn’t just affect your heart.
It affects your body, nervous system, sense of safety, and ability to trust — both others and yourself.
If any of this feels familiar, you’re not weak — your nervous system is responding to rupture.
What you experienced mattered.
Many women arrive here carrying:
• shock or disbelief after discovery or rupture
• loss of trust in themselves or their instincts
• intrusive thoughts or replaying events
• emotional exhaustion after prolonged vigilance or caretaking
• grief for the relationship, future, or version of self that was lost
• shame or isolation, especially when harm was hidden or minimised
• confusion about what was real, promised, or changed
• difficulty sleeping, concentrating, or making decisions
Often this type of harm unfolds over time — through repeated boundary violations, gaslighting, emotional withdrawal, or secrecy.
You may have been trying to hold everything together while quietly falling apart.
You don’t have to do that here.
• infidelity or broken trust in intimate relationships
• emotional or psychological harm
• gaslighting or coercive dynamics
• repeated boundary violations
• manipulation or control within close relationships
• family relationships marked by emotional harm
• loss of emotional safety or consent over time
You do not need to prove what happened.
You do not need to justify why it affected you.
Your body and nervous system already know something wasn’t right.
This work is not about telling you what to do, pushing you toward decisions, or rushing healing.
Counselling focuses on helping you regain steadiness, clarity, and self-trust after relational harm.
My trauma-informed approach usually moves through phases:
Supporting nervous-system regulation, grounding, sleep, and emotional containment after shock or discovery.
Making sense of what happened, gently untangling confusion or gaslighting, and rebuilding trust in your perceptions.
Clarifying limits, values, and choices — without pressure to stay, leave, forgive, or reconcile.
Reconnecting with your sense of self, worth, and inner strength at your pace.
There’s no pressure to make decisions right now.
We begin with steadiness.
From there, we work toward clearer thinking, stronger boundaries, and a renewed sense of self.
This counselling is:
✔ individual, private, and confidential
✔ trauma-informed and collaborative
✔ paced according to safety and consent
✔ focused on clarity, emotional regulation, and self-trust
✔ respectful of your autonomy and lived experience
Faith-sensitive support can be incorporated if desired, and is always guided by your preferences.
This counselling is not:
✘ couples therapy
✘ crisis or emergency care
✘ pressure to forgive or reconcile
✘ advice on legal or relational outcomes
✘ judgement about your choices
Your wellbeing comes first.
Many women reach out feeling uncertain, guarded, or tired of being pushed.
That’s why I offer a low-pressure introductory session.
Online | Private | No obligation
This session is designed to:
• understand what you’ve been carrying
• provide gentle stabilisation and emotional support
• answer questions about counselling
• help you decide whether ongoing support feels right
There is no expectation to continue. You remain in control.
Qualified Counsellor | Trauma-Informed | Online
My name is Amanda Butel. I’m a qualified counsellor offering support to women across Australia.
I work with women recovering from betrayal, emotional harm, and loss of trust — particularly within close relationships and high-strain relational environments.
My approach is calm, respectful, and collaborative, drawing on trauma-informed counselling, narrative therapy, nervous-system regulation, and strengths-based practices.
You won’t be rushed.
You won’t be told what to do.
You don’t need to have everything figured out.
We work together at your pace.
Online counselling (telehealth)
• First Steps Session (30 mins): $50
• Ongoing sessions (50 mins): $130
Private-pay | Booked online
This service is suited to women seeking thoughtful, non-crisis counselling after relational betrayal or emotional harm.
It is not a substitute for emergency or crisis services.
“Do I have to decide whether to stay or leave?”
No. Counselling focuses first on stabilisation and clarity. Decisions come later, if and when you’re ready.
“What if I still love them?”
That’s common after relational betrayal. Mixed emotions are normal. You don’t need to resolve everything at once.
“What if I feel ashamed?”
Shame often follows hidden or relational harm. Counselling offers a space where your experience is taken seriously without judgement.
“What if I’m not ready to talk about everything?”
That’s okay. You choose what we discuss and how deeply.
Reaching out doesn’t mean you’re ready to decide anything.
It simply means you’re ready to begin finding steadier ground.
or
📧 admin@yourstoryint.com
(Your questions are welcome.)