About Megan Shea — Holistic Counsellor & Coach

Psychotherapy-trained · Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (Australia)

I’m Megan Shea — an American-born counsellor and coach with a psychotherapy background, working with adults navigating emotional difficulty, relational strain, trauma activation, and major life transitions.

My work is grounded, structured, and human. I work with people who are capable and reflective, yet find that insight alone hasn’t translated into steadiness or meaningful change. Often, life appears functional on the surface while something underneath feels strained, fragmented, or exhausted.

Alongside formal training, my work is shaped by lived experience. I understand what it means to survive trauma, to live through rupture and loss, and to rebuild a life with integrity over time. This informs how I work — quietly, without spectacle, and with respect for what people carry.

How I work

My approach integrates psychotherapy-informed counselling with embodied and reflective perspectives.

We attend to how patterns form psychologically, how experience lives in the body, and how regulation and direction return through integration rather than force. At times the work focuses on emotional processing and nervous-system regulation; at other times, it is more directional — translating insight into decisions, boundaries, and daily life.

I do not work from a symptom-only or performance-driven model, and I do not offer quick fixes. The work is structured, contained, and responsive to real-world pressures, with an emphasis on coherence rather than constant self-improvement.

Professional background

My professional training and experience span both the United States and Australia.

I completed graduate education in the United States, including a Master of Social Work in Adult Mental Health from the University of Southern California, with additional study at the University of Montana and the University of Washington. I am an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) in Australia.

My experience includes work across public and private mental health settings, trauma recovery programs, and integrative private practice. Alongside client work, I offer professional mentoring and supervision for therapists, counsellors, and helping professionals, including those adapting international training into Australian frameworks.

Creative & contemplative roots

Alongside clinical work, I have long been engaged in creative and contemplative practices.

I am an artist and poet, with a background in photography, film, and haiku, and ongoing study in symbolic and archetypal frameworks. I have also studied and practiced contemplative and energy-based traditions over many years, including meditation, Reiki, and Vedic astrology.

These influences do not replace psychotherapy, nor do they define the scope of my clinical work. They inform how I understand rhythm, meaning, embodiment, and integration — and how change unfolds over time.

What guides my work

This work is not about becoming someone new.

It is about restoring balance, integrity, and inner coherence — in a way that is sustainable, honest, and lived.

Scope & boundaries

For Australian residents, counselling may be eligible for Medicare rebates with a valid Mental Health Care Plan.

For international clients, services are offered through a counselling and coaching framework and do not include diagnosis, treatment planning, or crisis care.

All work is delivered online.

Getting started

If you’re interested in counselling, coaching, or professional mentoring, you’re welcome to enquire about availability.