Strength and evidence based talk therapy delivered outdoors

experience counselling

in the open air

  • Activity-based talk therapy getting you out of the office environment and into nature

  • Options including Walk N Talk, Boxing Pad Work, Basketball Shoot Around and more

  • Weaving physical fitness and mental wellbeing for a holistic approach

  • Perfect for those uncomfortable with clinical office settings or looking for something different

  • Strengths-based counselling combined with the power of the outdoors.

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“Having my first session while shooting hoops was the ice breaker I needed…. talking about my mental health in an environment I’m familiar with” James

counselling, done differently.

not comfortable in a clinical consultation room? we have different options to support you including online therapy sessions from the comfort of your own home or find an activity-based talk therapy session that resonates with you. your comfort is our priority. we can do this anyway you like, let’s go!

activity-based talk therapy

  • A narrow metal footbridge with black railings crosses over rocky and bushy terrain in a forested area.

    Walk N Talk

    Let’s get out of the consultation room and into nature. Walk N Talk is a great way to stimulate our parasympathetic nervous system and calm our thoughts. We offer Walk N Talk in Glenrock Nature Reserve, Merewether to Glenrock Beach or Warners Bay Promenade.

  • Two children playing basketball on an outdoor court during sunset, casting long shadows.

    basketball shoot around

    A great introduction to talk therapy for teens, kids or kids at heart. Let’s shoot around, a game of horse and engage in talk therapy. This service is provided from National Park Basketball Courts, Newcastle West.

  • A rugby ball on a grassy field with a blurred background of trees and a large sign that reads 'NIES' in orange letters.

    Footy Pass Drills

    Let’s grab the footy and throw a few passes in the park whilst engaging in talk therapy. Not every therapy session has to be a breakthrough session. Most of the time its about finding space and talking through your thoughts and emotions. Whipping the ball back and forth provides the comfort of security in engaging in a familiar activity whilst talking through your concerns. This is offered at Dixon Park, Merewether.

  • A woman and a man are boxing indoors, with the woman throwing a punch at a punching mitt held by the man. Both are wearing white t-shirts and boxing gloves, and water droplets or sweat are visible in the air.

    hit the mits

    Get some aggression out while we engage in talk therapy. This will be a basic session broken up over the hour so you don’t run out of gas. This service is provided at Dixon Park, Merewether.

  • Row of dumbbells on racks in a gym, black and white photograph.

    Lift Weights, Lift Mood

    A guided kettlebell or body weight training session while we chat through your concerns. Great for stimulating your nervous system as well as promoting mindfulness. This is offered at Dixon Park, Merewether.

  • Interior of a wooden sauna with benches, a bucket, and a sauna heater with stones.

    hot & cold talk therapy

    Talk therapy while soaking up an infrared sauna followed by an ice bath.. Physically uncomfortable, mentally challenging. A great release of dopamine to set you up after you leave.

    COMING SOON!

Person in a yellow sweater typing on a laptop at a wooden desk, wearing a large black and gold bracelet.

Online therapy sessions

Counselling sessions from the comfort of your own home, your safe space? Yes, please. Online therapy has exploded in the last few years due to it’s accessibility. Your therapy sessions can be facilitated anywhere you are. No threat of awkward encounters in the waiting room, no parking, no worries.

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Two people playing basketball on an outdoor court, seen from above. The court has markings and a basketball hoop. The players are near the basket, one with a basketball.

activity-based talk therapy sessions

Let’s face it, the most important part of therapy is having a great relationship with your practitioner. For a lot of people, in-room clinical consultations can be intimidating or at best uncomfortable. We have a number of activity-based sessions available to support building the theraputic relationship and providing an environment where you will find comfort. Click the link to see the activities available.

LEARN MORE
A person sitting on a dark gray couch with their hands clasped together in their lap, wearing a red t-shirt and jeans, in a dimly lit room.

in-room consultations

Familiar and comfortable with in-room consultations? We have you covered.

We love online therapy and activity-based sessions, but in-room sessions provide a safe, private space for those break-through moments. You can’t beat the OG.

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Aerial view of a coastal city at sunset with a beach, buildings, and a body of water.

So, who are we

Good Chat is a Newcastle based counselling practice looking to reduce the stigma of engaging mental health services. We support men and women, boys and girls utilising different modalities to suit the client needs.

Our aim is to provide environments that an individual can resonate with and feel comfortable starting their mental health journey. We believe in early interventions, offering techniques for mental well-being readiness.

Whether it’s simply to vent or a desire for a deeper understanding of one’s well-being we facilitate client-lead recovery practices always with your best interests at the forefront of what we do.

We refer to a number of different therapies including:

Person-Centered Therapy,
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Mindfulness
Breathwork
Meditation
Motivational coaching

Sometimes, we just need a good chat.

FAQs

  • Good Chat Counselling is a provider of client-lead talk therapy. We work with people experiencing many different concerns including:

    Sadness
    Fear
    Grief & loss
    Anger
    Anxiety
    PTSD
    Relationship breakdown
    Loss of motivation
    Fatigue
    Unhappiness

    We also work with people on early intervention strategies. We love working with people to prepare for when things may potentially go wrong down the track. Building core skills to future proof your mental health. Like reps in the gym for physical fitness, lets get some reps in for your mental fitness.

    We work with other allied health and medical professionals to ensure you are receiving the correct care.

  • Individual counselling online and in-room is $120 per hour.

    Activity-based therapy is dependent on the activity. Check out our booking page for up to date prices.

    Couples counselling is $180 per hour or $225 for 90 minutes.

    We offer In-Home counselling sessions for $250 per hour.

  • Good Chat Counselling engages in Person-Centered care and lead recovery. What does that mean? It means we are here to support you on YOUR journey. We can have a simple chat, you can feel us out or you may want to delve deep. The choice is yours, you have time, there is no rush.

    Your initial consultation will feel like a meet and greet. We will introduce ourselves and you will be invited to share why you are attending. We can have a discussion about your goals and motivations and you can feel out your therapist. If we have a fit, lets move forward!

    Future sessions could look like talk therapy, theraputic interventions such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or we could engage in goal setting, breathwork or motivational coaching. Whatever the journey, you’re in the drivers seat.

  • Yes. Good Chat Counselling is registered with the Australia Counselling Association (ACA). As a registered party we conduct our practice in alignment with the constitution established by the ACA.

  • In the event of adverse weather we can pivot to an online session or we can move to a consultation room.

    Your booking email with provide these options and we will contact you 24 hours before your appointment if we identify poor weather coming in.

“i’d been searching for a therapist for months but couldn’t find anyone i resonated with. having my first session with good chat while shooting hoops was the ice breaker i needed. its created a pathway for me to feel comfortable talking about my mental health in an environment i’m familiar with. we now mix it up with some activity based stuff and online stuff. I feel fucking great!”

— James // Proud Novacastrian