Michelle van Namen – A Gold Coast Psychologist with a Difference

At Integrated Health Specialists, our raison d’etre is improving your quality of life. Our primary goal is to empower you with the tools you need to live a fulfilling and healthy life – whatever that looks like to you. Unlike so many practitioners on the Gold Coast and around Australia, we aren’t simply focused on one aspect of your health – be it your mind or your body. We focus on the whole you, in a holistic approach that takes into account your mental, spiritual, and physical health. After all, with just one of those aspects out of whack, the whole you isn’t doing its best. 

This holistic approach is what sets Gold Coast Psychologist, Michelle van Namen, apart. Not only is Michelle a highly qualified and experienced psychologist, but she has also dedicated her professional life to finding holistic answers to some of life’s greatest challenges. In this blog article, we want to give you the chance to get to know Michelle and understand why she’s a Gold Coast Psychologist with a difference – one that could make all the difference to you. 

A wealth of experience 

Michelle brings to her clients over 30 years of international experience. Working with human behaviour through psychology, hypnotherapy, counselling, life coaching, personal development, human resource management, and more, Michelle is one of the most experienced practitioners in the industry. Unlike some other therapists, Michelle’s expertise comes not only from formal education in psychology but also from years of industry experience.

An open mind when it comes to your mind and body 

Unfortunately, the field of psychology is not nearly as open-minded as you might expect. The industry is steeped in tradition in more ways than one. From outdated practices to old-fashioned ideas about mental health and physical health, many clients find that the practitioners they’ve seen in the past have only understood one aspect of their lives, rather than them as a whole person. Through her years of experience in working with people in the real world, and thanks to her immersive studies into many aspects of human behaviour, Michelle understands better than most the inextricable link between mind, spirit, and body. Instead of being mired in the past and outdated theories on your health, she is committed to utilising the latest in therapies and research available. 

A range of therapies to treat the whole person

Rather than focusing on one aspect of your health – either your mind, or your body – Michelle has studied and practiced a variety of therapies to bring you the most well-rounded and thorough approach to therapy. As well as holding a BA (Hons) in Psychology and being a registered Psychologist in Queensland, Michelle is also an internationally accredited Master Practitioner and Trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Hypnotherapy and Results Coaching, and a qualified practitioner in Nutrigenomics (DNA Profiling), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), EMDR, Reiki Jin Kei Do, and Integrated Spiritual Alignment (ISA). She employs this range of tools to offer you the best chance of success – understanding that just as each of us is unique, so too are our psychological, emotional, physical, and therapeutic needs. 

Looking beneath the surface 

Unfortunately, in today’s day and age, the most common approach to a psychological imbalance or mental health concern is to slap a label on it and prescribe a pill (or seven). While for some people, medication plays an important role in their treatment, too often a therapist is unwilling to uncover the true underlying cause of an obstacle, let alone find a holistic way to treat it. Michelle has a unique holistic approach to health and well-being, derived from her decades of experience and training, that allows her to address not only your symptoms, but ALL of the potential factors that impact your wellbeing. Michelle puts a great emphasis on uncovering underlying causes, personal awareness, prevention where possible, maintenance of mind and body, and personal growth and empowerment. Michelle helps her clients to be active participants in their healing process, learning to understand their own personal power for improving their lives.  Therapy with Michelle means achieving long-lasting change for the better to thrive, rather than simply just learning to survive. 

Practical solutions for real-world problems

Michelle is a self-described solutions-focused practitioner.  That means tackling the age-old stereotype of lying on a psychologist’s couch and dwelling endlessly on your problems and rather, offering practical solutions that really work. One of the most common reasons that people are hesitant to start therapy with a psychologist is the Hollywood myth of what a psychologist’s couch represents. After all, who wants to continually brood over their problems, sob into a cushion, and focus on how hopeless they feel? Michelle’s approach is a solutions-oriented one, that focuses on what you want to achieve and giving you the tools to do so – and much more quickly than you think. Michelle’s practical solutions for real-world problems mean you can begin experiencing significant change from the moment you sit down to meet with her. 

Compassion, empathy, and experience 

Alongside her years of experience, education, and training, Michelle brings something unique to her work as a Gold Coast Psychologist: Personal experience. Michelle suffered from a troubled childhood leading to severe stress, anxiety, and failing health for years before experiencing a big wake-up call. Like you, she found that nothing she did made an impact on the negative feelings, poor health, and escalating anxiety that she was feeling. Fed up with the lack of solutions she found in conventional treatments, she decided to study psychology and found herself making waves in the industry by combining new and old therapies and uncovering a uniquely holistic approach. Not only did Michelle turn her own life around, but her path led her to want to use her knowledge to help others. Michelle is truly a Gold Coast Psychologist with a difference. Her flexibility in her approach, her creativity in finding real and practical solutions, and her limitless capacity for compassion for her clients make her one of a kind. 

A Gold Coast psychologist with a difference 

If you’ve been looking for a Gold Coast Psychologist with a difference, it’s time to pick up the phone and book an appointment with Michelle van Namen. Get in touch today and find out how she can help you to achieve your dreams and goals.