About Carmel Catanuto Counsellor and Psychotherapist
Becoming a Therapist
Many years ago, I longed for a healthy, loving relationship but found myself repeatedly caught in ones that left me feeling unseen and unfulfilled. I came to believe there must be something “wrong” with me, that I was somehow “unworthy of love.”
Eventually, I grew tired of carrying this weight and began to study counselling while working with a therapist myself. I wanted to understand why I kept repeating these painful patterns. Therapy opened me up in ways I didn’t expect. For the first time, I could express emotions I had buried for years. I began to reconnect with my body, learn to feel safe with my sensitivity, and reframe the beliefs that had kept me stuck.
This experience taught me that when body and mind work together, real transformation happens. What once felt like disconnection slowly became freedom. The freedom to be myself, to feel grounded, and to trust my inner world again.
And this is why I do what I do now. My mission as a therapist is to support sensitive, empathic women who feel like they’ve lost themselves in relationships, people-pleasing, or emotional overwhelm. I want them to know they are not broken, that they can reclaim their identity, feel safe in their body, and express themselves without fear. My own path showed me what’s possible, and I now walk alongside others so they can find that same freedom.
My passion for being a therapist
For me, therapy is sacred. It’s an honour to sit with women in moments of rawness, vulnerability, and strength. To hold space as they begin to shed old roles and rediscover who they truly are.
I’ve witnessed again and again the resilience of the human spirit, the way someone can arrive feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or lost, and over time, begin to blossom into clarity, confidence, and connection. That process fills me with joy and reminds me why I do this work.
I’m especially passionate about breaking cycles of intergenerational pain. Many of the women I support have carried roles, responsibilities, and beliefs that were never truly theirs. Together, we gently interrupt these patterns so they no longer get passed down. Instead, something new emerges, a sense of safety, belonging, and wholeness.
Why Work With Me?
I’m a calm, grounded, and compassionate counsellor who holds space with humility, integrity, and creativity.
Clients often tell me they feel deeply understood and never judged with me. My role is not to take sides, fix, or push, but to meet you exactly where you are, at your pace. I listen deeply, invite curiosity, and gently guide you to connect with the parts of yourself that may have been silenced or hidden.
What makes my approach unique is that I work relationally and somatically. This means our work is not just about talking, it’s about feeling, experiencing, and gently reconnecting with your body and emotions in the present moment. By slowing down and tuning in, change becomes something you can feel in your bones, not just understand in your head.
I know firsthand what it’s like to live with low self-worth and to find your way back to yourself. That lived experience, alongside my ongoing commitment to personal growth and professional learning, means I don’t just “teach” this work, I embody it. I walk my talk.
With me, therapy is a process of uncovering truth, building inner safety, and reclaiming your voice. It’s about learning to feel safe in your sensitivity, to express yourself without fear, and to finally trust that who you are is enough.
Therapy Credentials & Associations
- Master of Gestalt Therapy
- 2-Year Advanced Clinical Training in Contemporary Gestalt Therapy
- Advanced Diploma in Transpersonal Art Therapy
- Certificate Initiatic Art Therapy
- Diploma of Holistic Counselling and Life Care
- Member of Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
- Member of Gestalt Australia and New Zealand (GANZ)
Clinical member: 23714.
Specialised Therapy Training in:
- Gestalt Group Facilitation Training
- Intimacy: a workshop of couples therapy
- Gestalt Practice and Supervision
- Wisdom of the Body, Lost and Found
- Embodied Practice and Character Embodiment
- Gestalt Therapy: Celebrating and Integrating Differences
- Nondual Psychotherapy: The Ultimate Medicine
My Interests and Activities
I love to sing and take singing lessons.
I’m interested in nutrition and cooking.
I’m part of a conscious community and attend artistic events to express creatively such as dance, art, singing concerts and spiritual events.
I have a passion for psychodrama and have facilitated groups at South Pacific Private.
I offer art therapy retreats for women who have been victims of domestic violence through a charity organisation called, Hope and Heal.
I cherish my friends and family and my cat, Saffron.
My future vision is to bring connection to people who feel lost and to do that through creativity and humour that builds trust and a sense of peace.
