About Lesley McPherson

Counselling Based On Life Experience

As two-times cancer survivor, Lesley knows first-hand what it takes to rise to seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Be it surgery, lengthy treatment protocols, continual hospital admissions, ongoing tests, facing mortality or any number of health-related issues, she knows firsthand what it feels like to experience the anger, frustrations and fears associated with illness.

Lesley also knows how to recognise optimism and build on the smallest pieces of positive information.

Lesley is also passionate about her own journey of self-discovery and continues both her personal and professional growth and development in order to authentically offer the support her clients need.

Lesley’s therapy sessions are relaxed, comfortable, professional and confidential. She makes you feel at ease from the moment you meet, and she supports and guides you in opening up and embarking on a journey of healing and/or self-discovery and improvement.

A History Of Helping Others

Lesley is no stranger to dealing with the raw edge of human emotion and people who are standing near to it, or indeed on it.

She has worked as a Gestalt Therapist and counsellor for over 10 years. Her previous training and work as a Registered Nurse, Midwife, Early Child Health Professional and Human Resources Director opened her up to the frailties and constant shifts within the human condition. 

Lesley has worked with educational bodies and ‘not for profit’ organisations teaching the Enneagram including but not limited to Sydney Women’s Counselling Centre, KidsXpress, Phoebe House and Canteen.

Master of Gestalt Therapy

Lesley’s orientation in therapy is Gestalt,  a form of psychotherapy that emphasises personal responsibility and focuses on the awareness of emotions and behaviours in the present.

Instead of interpreting experiences for you, Lesley will work with you to find ways to move towards your individual growth and wellbeing.

Lesley McPherson is a Master in Gestalt Therapy and a Professional member of Gestalt Australia and New Zealand (GANZ). She is also a professional member of PACFA. She completed her Enneagram Teacher Training with the Enneagram Worldwide.

Lesley holds Accreditation from The Australian Institute of Professional Counselling in Addictions, as well as Diploma in Counselling Advanced Diploma Modules for Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse and Working with Eating Disorders from The College of Holistic Counselling in Sydney, Australia.

Enneagram Personality Consultation

The Enneagram is a nine-pointed symbol (star) enclosed in a circle which offers a framework for personality profiling.

It is a useful guide for self-discovery, showing how we view the world from nine different perspectives.

In 2007, Lesley began her Enneagram journey studying the insight approach under the instruction of Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson, at The Enneagram Institute, New York – attending their Parts I, II, III and Psychic Structures modules.

Studying the Narrative Tradition of the Enneagram with Dr David Daniels and Peter O’Hanrahan, Lesley successfully completed their Enneagram Professional Training Program (EPTP). She currently holds professional membership with the International Enneagram Association (IEA), which signifies a high standard of excellence in Enneagram work and commitment to the IEA’s code of ethics.

Lesley strives to take an ongoing active role in the international Enneagram community and regularly presents workshops at the IEA Global Conferences, as well as attends frequent training modules and conferences around the world. 

Love of learning

Keeping up to date with her professional field is important to Lesley. She is constantly expanding her theoretical knowledge in order to gain a better perspective of who she is and what she can offer her clients. 

Her therapeutic capacity is continually growing due to her work as an ongoing student with Seekers After Truth (SAT), a sophisticated psycho-spiritual development training program developed by humanistic psychology pioneer Dr Claudio Naranjo.

Lesley has also gained certification with Integral Coaching Canada, widely considered the most advanced application of Integral Theory in existence, taught by leading theoretical psychologist, Ken Wilber.