About Tamara Coughlan
An integrated approach to trauma, self-understanding, and meaningful living
My work sits at the intersection of psychotherapy, mental health, the body and the deeper questions of what it means to be human.
My professional background began in Occupational Therapy and has expanded through postgraduate psychotherapy training, trauma and somatic approaches, EMDR, yoga and meditation, and more recently psychedelic-assisted therapy training.
I work from an integrative and evidence informed perspective, while remaining deeply interested in the parts of human experience that aren't always easily reduced to symptoms or diagnoses. Our relationship, meaning, embodiment, grief, spirituality and the ways our histories continue to shape how we meet our lives.
At the centre of my work is relationship. I believe therapy can hold both depth and practicality: space to understand what has shaped us, while staying connected to the body, our relationships and the life being lived outside the therapy room.
Who am I?
Beyond my professional roles, I am someone who has always been curious about the inner life and what shapes us, what we carry, and what becomes possible when we begin to meet ourselves with greater honesty and attention.
My own path has included years of meditation and yoga practice, motherhood, grief, relationship, change and the ongoing experience of being human. These experiences have shaped me personally, but they have also taught me the importance of not assuming that my experience is the same as someone else's.
I have spent many years immersed in contemplative practice, including periods of silence and retreat, and continue to be influenced by non dual and embodied approaches to awareness.
Alongside this sits my clinical training and professional practice. I value both: the rigour of evidence informed care, supervision and ongoing learning, and the capacity to remain curious about experiences that don't always fit neatly into a model.
I don't see myself as someone who has arrived at an answer. My work continues to be shaped by practice, study, relationship, reflection and the people I have the privilege of sitting alongside.
My Commitment
My commitment is to work alongside you to create a safe, non-judgmental space to help facilitate, unfold and navigate our conscious and unconscious behaviours and patterns.
I am here to be present with you, and to recognise that healing and transformation is not measured by external ideas of 'fixing'. Therapy is a progressive process. It's individual and meaningful.
I lead with psychotherapy and a psychospiritual orientation. My OT registration informs my understanding of the whole person
I am also committed to my own inner work to continue to meet you without bias, agenda or my own unconscious beliefs hindering your process. Facilitating and holding space for you is a privilege that I hold with reverence and sacredness.
Scope of Practice
I want to be transparent about the nature of my practice, so that the right people find their way here.
I offer:
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Individual psychotherapy and trauma therapy (face-to-face in Newcastle and telehealth)
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EMDR, somatic therapy, and integrative psychological support
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Psychospiritual integration — for spiritual emergence, existential crisis, and meaning-making
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Psychedelic preparation and integration support
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Therapy for eligible self managed NDIS participants, where the service is appropriate to the participant's goals and funding.
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Retreats, yoga, and meditation
I do not offer:
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I am not an NDIS registered provider and do not provide Functional Capacity Assessments or NDIS reports.
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Workplace or medico-legal assessments
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Diagnosis (I am not a registered psychologist or psychiatrist)
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Crisis or emergency mental health services
If you are in crisis, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or present to your nearest emergency department.
Qualifications, Registrations & Professional Training
Professional Registrations
Occupational Therapist - Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
Psychotherapist - Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
Qualifications & Professional Training
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Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) — 2010
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500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training — Hridaya Yoga, 2013 Yoga Alliance recognised training
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Postgraduate Holistic Counselling & Psychotherapy — Metavision Institute, 2019
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Clinical Resource Therapy Training — 2019
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Intensive Trauma Treatment Certification — EMDR, CBT and Somatic-Based Interventions
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Certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Therapies (CPAT) — Mind Medicine Australia, 2024
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EMDR Level 1 Training — EMDR Academy, 2026
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Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Intensive — The Psychedelic Consultancy, 2026
Additional Training & Professional Development
Ongoing professional development and supervision across trauma and attachment, somatic and body informed psychotherapy, parts work, neurodivergence, Polyvagal informed practice, psychedelic preparation and integration, meditation and contemplative approaches.