Background:
Liz is an ACA registered Integrative Counsellor who offers inclusive, affirming and socially-aware counselling. She has worked in a range of counselling, mentoring, and crisis-intervention roles, supporting people across different life stages, identities, and experiences. Liz also brings lived experience of chronic illness and invisible grief, which deeply informs her compassionate, thoughtful, and anti-oppressive approach to counselling.
Specialty:
Liz specialises in supporting people experiencing anxiety, depression and stress, grief and loss, relationship challenges, and understanding past addictive behaviours. She also works with people exploring cultural identity, neurodivergence, and the impacts of marginalisation. Liz has particular experience supporting LGBTQIA+ clients, people living with chronic illness, and those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Approach:
Liz takes a non-pathologizing, trauma-informed approach that centres safety, agency, and your own pace. Drawing from a range of therapeutic frameworks, Liz works collaboratively with you to make sense of your experiences, explore meaning and gain insight into your patterns. Liz values your strengths, differences, resilience and sees you as a whole person who might be navigating complex and sometimes unfair circumstances. She sees counselling as a shared process, where you can reconnect with yourself and regain a sense of choice, clarity and direction.
Perspective:
Liz believes that everyone is inherently worthy, even in moments when that feels hard to believe. She values genuine connection, fairness, and honouring complexity. Liz aims to create a space where you can show up authentically as yourself, understand your experiences in context, and gently reconnect with who you are beneath pressure, expectations, and survival strategies.
How to Book
- Think about your goals for counselling, and which counsellor might be a good match
- Send an email to the counsellor you’d like to work with requesting an appointment
- In the rare event you don’t hear from your counsellor within 24 hours, please call us
- Not sure who might be the right fit for you? Call us and we’re happy to make a recommendation
Intake Process
- Initial appointments are $70 for individuals, or $80 for couples
- Due to our counsellor’s busy schedules, they cannot do intakes over the phone
- Your intake session will include discussing what supports you need, your goals for counselling, and to decide whether your counsellor is a good match for you
- If you decide that the fit isn’t right, you can ask to be referred to someone else – no offence will be taken!
Important Notice
There are some people that our counsellors can’t work with – not because we don’t want to, but because we want you to have the best possible care.
If you currently experience domestic violence, are having a mental health crisis, are experiencing severe substance dependency issues, or other acute crises, we can’t provide you with the level of support you deserve. However, we will use your initial appointment to connect you with places that specialise in these issues, so you can get the best possible care.
All Rough Patch counsellors manage their own scheduling and administration. Click on a profile below to read more and send an email enquiry. In the rare event you don’t hear from a counsellor within 24 hours, please call us on 02 7226 0809
All of our counsellors generously reduce their usual fees to provide affordable mental healthcare to our community. They do not receive government rebates or funding to provide their services.
Request An Appointment With Liz
Susie Cowley is an Accredited Social Worker and AASW member specialising in supporting neurodivergent adults (diagnosed, self-identified, or exploring), parents of neurodivergent children, workplace navigation, career counselling, and life transitions. As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent person herself, Susie brings lived experience alongside professional expertise as an Employee Assistance Counsellor and Rehabilitation Counsellor. She provides online counselling services across Australia with a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive approach.
Susie works with adults navigating workplace challenges, managing burnout, building self-advocacy and confidence, setting boundaries, overcoming imposter syndrome, and adjusting to life changes including injury and illness. She has particular expertise supporting neurodivergent clients and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, helping people move from survival to thriving through stress management and work-life balance strategies.
Susie’s therapeutic approach focuses on following your lead and helping you identify your strengths. Her practice is anti-oppressive and intersectional, focusing on dismantling harmful internalised messages. She views neurodivergence as a difference to be embraced, acknowledging the challenges in a world not always designed for neurodivergent people while celebrating each person’s unique strengths.
Susie aims to create a compassionate space where you can feel heard and understood. Her practice emphasises cultural safety, autonomy, and respect within the therapeutic relationship.
Susie is available for appointments on Thursdays and Saturday mornings online.
If you’re a neurodivergent adult navigating workplace challenges, burnout, or life transitions; or seeking career support from someone who truly understands; Susie offers affirming, strengths-based counselling grounded in lived experience and professional expertise.
