THERAPIST
THERAPIST
I’m Stephen Moore, a psychotherapist and counsellor, and the founder of Inner Strength Therapy.
I’ve been working as a therapist since 2013, and over that time my practice has increasingly focused on trauma, complex and developmental trauma, anxiety, attachment and relationship difficulties.
I’m particularly interested in what sits underneath the symptoms we experience. Anxiety, shame, people-pleasing, anger, emotional disconnection or difficulties in relationships rarely appear from nowhere. Often they make much more sense when we understand the experiences and relationships that shaped us.
“The problem is the problem, the person is not the problem.”
– Michael White and David Epston
I’m Stephen Moore, a psychotherapist and counsellor, and the founder of Inner Strength Therapy.
I’ve been working as a therapist since 2013, and over that time my practice has increasingly focused on trauma, complex and developmental trauma, anxiety, attachment and relationship difficulties.
I’m particularly interested in what sits underneath the symptoms we experience. Anxiety, shame, people-pleasing, anger, emotional disconnection or difficulties in relationships rarely appear from nowhere. Often they make much more sense when we understand the experiences and relationships that shaped us.
“The problem is the problem, the person is not the problem.”
– Michael White and David Epston
WHY I CHOSE PSYCHOTHERAPY & HOW I WORK
I have always been more interested in asking “What happened to you?” than “What is wrong with you?”
Our experiences can shape how we see ourselves, how safe we feel with other people and the ways we learn to cope, protect ourselves and maintain connection.
Sometimes the impact comes from things that happened to us. At other times, it comes from what should have happened but didn’t, such as receiving safety, affection, protection, reassurance, emotional connection or repair when relationships became difficult.
Understanding these experiences can be enormously important. But through both my professional work and my own experiences, I have also come to recognise that understanding alone isn’t always enough. We can know exactly why we respond in a particular way and still find ourselves experiencing the same emotions, physical reactions or relationship patterns.
My approach is integrative, trauma-focused and experiential. I draw primarily on Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Attachment-Informed EMDR, alongside somatic psychotherapy, IFS-informed parts work, Resource Therapy, Narrative Therapy and therapeutic breathing techniques.
I don’t believe that one therapeutic approach suits everyone. Therapy should be adapted to the person rather than expecting the person to fit the therapy.
Sometimes the work involves talking, reflecting and developing a better understanding of yourself. At other times, meaningful change involves working more directly with emotional, relational, physiological and nervous-system responses that talking alone may not reach.
The therapeutic relationship is an important part of this work. I aim to provide a space where you can speak openly without feeling judged or having to present a particular version of yourself. I value trust, honesty and collaboration, while also believing there can be room for warmth and humour alongside serious therapeutic work.
Therapy is something we do together. My role isn’t to tell you how to live your life, but to help you understand yourself more deeply, work through experiences that may still be affecting you, and develop greater freedom in how you respond and relate to others.
The aim isn’t to find what’s wrong with you. It’s to understand what shaped you, what helped you survive, and what you may no longer need to carry.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
I hold a Master of Counselling & Applied Psychotherapy and have been practising as a psychotherapist and counsellor since 2013.
I am a Clinical Member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), an EMDRAA Accredited Practitioner and a PACFA College of Supervision Certified Supervisor.
My ongoing professional development has included extensive training in trauma-focused and experiential approaches, including EMDR, attachment-informed therapy, somatic psychotherapy, parts-based approaches and therapeutic breathing.
Alongside my work with therapy clients, I provide clinical supervision to counsellors and psychotherapists. My supervision work includes case formulation, trauma and attachment, therapeutic relationships, ethical and professional issues, boundaries, countertransference and the emotional impact of therapeutic work.
As with therapy, I value curiosity, collaboration, honesty and respect within the supervisory relationship.
Stephen with Bessel van der Kolk, psychiatrist, researcher and author of The Body Keeps the Score.
QUALIFICATIONS & ASSOCIATIONS
QUALIFICATIONS
Master of Counselling & Applied Psychotherapy, Sydney
Post Graduate Diploma in Biochemistry, Dunedin, NZ
Post Graduate Certificate in Management Studies, London, England
Bachelor of Science in Microbiology, Dunedin, NZ
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & ACCREDITATION
Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
Clinical Member
PACFA REG CLINICAL 22536
EMDRAA Accredited Practitioner
PACFA College of Supervision Certified Supervisor