About Mahalia Scholz Counselling

I am passionate, I am kind, I care, and I want to help. I grew up in Albury-Wodonga and local towns, and found a passion for working in mental health early on. I saw a lack of support that was tailored to youth and embarked on a Bachelor of Psychological Science. I graduated as valedictorian, and then completed my Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy. 

 

I have worked in a variety of roles, but found my passion for youth working as a wellbeing coordinator for a high school. I then found further love for working with primary school aged children, giving them and their families vital coping skills to prevent long term mental health impacts. I believe that all young people deserve a toolbox of strengths, skills and supports to tackle the inevitable life challenges they will face. 

 

I believe in both nature and nurture; that we inherit qualities and other qualities are shaped by their environment. I work with both, aiming to provide education about where certain traits come from and also, how traits came to be. Our characters are unique, and are treated individually and with care in sessions. 

 

I enjoy providing flexible, community-based counselling and coaching. When the practice was set up five years ago, clients provided positive feedback on sitting by a river, or in their yard having a cup of tea. They felt comfortable in their own space, and found they could share more comfortably. I recently worked with the Australian College of Applied Professions to showcase this type of work, which isn’t common in regional and rural areas. Providing this option also reduces stigma, as some aren’t comfortable walking into an office setting. 

 

Sharing knowledge is a key passion of mine. Whether it be with clients through worksheets, links to resources or practical videos, or providing updates to families and carers where possible. I have published my thesis ‘An Exploration of Anxiety Provoking Stimuli in Regional Secondary Students’ with the Australian Counselling Association, and shared a bespoke resilience program for regional students, written by regional students at the Australian Counselling Association National Conference. Mental health information can be tricky to navigate, it seems to pop up everywhere. My guidance is direct; evidence based and strives to be helpful. 

 

What makes a counsellor great is their willingness to play a delicate balance of standing in front of a client to protect their mental health, walking alongside them in their journey, and sometimes standing behind them to give them a gentle push. I have the experience and skills to support you, let you feel free and always, have someone on your journey.