Counselling grounded in clarity, care, and connection.
Welcome to Pivot Counselling & Training.
Thank you for visiting our website. Pivot was created out of a desire to offer a space that is professional, welcoming, and deeply human — a place where people can access thoughtful counselling, meaningful support, and genuine care. At the heart of Pivot is a team of independent practitioners who share a commitment to ethical practice, relational depth, and the belief that meaningful change is possible.
Whether you are seeking counselling, supervision, or professional development, we hope you encounter a practice marked by clarity, courage, compassion, and integrity. My hope in establishing Pivot has been to create not only a place of care for clients, but also a community of practitioners committed to reflection, growth, and working well with others. We are delighted to welcome you and hope this website gives you a sense of who we are, what we value, and how we may be able to support you.
Brian brings a calm, thoughtful, and deeply grounded presence to his work, shaped by more than 30 years of counselling, supervision, and training counsellors in higher education. Outside the therapy room, he values meaningful relationships, time with his grandchildren, regular exercise, and good reading, all of which reflect his commitment to growth, reflection, and living well.
Wendy Lin
Wendy offers a reflective and compassionate space to explore the challenges facing individuals and couples. Shaped by decades alongside people in ministry contexts, she supports clients to make sense of life’s complexities and draw on their strengths to move towards growth. Outside of her work, she values time with her family, being in nature, and a good cup of tea.
Tim Pearson
Tim brings a steady, down-to-earth approach to his work, shaped by years of supporting people through complex life experiences. Outside the therapy room, he values music, time outdoors, and the everyday moments of blended family life – all of which inform his grounded, practical, and deeply human approach.
Hannah Mellier
Hannah brings a warm, grounded approach to her work with children, adolescents, and young women. With a background in counselling and education, and experience in specialist eating disorder services, she offers a safe, collaborative space. Her work is compassionate, practical, and evidence-based, supporting meaningful change and a deeper sense of embodied authenticity.
Nathanael Reuss
Nat Reuss is a PACFA-registered and CCAA Graduate Member counsellor based in Adelaide, specialising in grief, loss, workplace abuse, and trauma recovery. With over 20 years of pastoral experience, Nat is committed to building genuine therapeutic relationships where you feel truly heard, safe, and supported in care tailored entirely to your needs.
Esther Buckler
Esther is a Psychotherapist and Mental Health Social Worker who creates a safe, compassionate space where clients feel understood and supported. She works with adults, young people, and parents, helping them manage anxiety, stress, grief, trauma, and life transitions. She also works at Headspace as a Mental Health Clinician, supporting young people and families.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your first session is a relaxed, confidential conversation where we get to know you and understand what you are hoping to work through. There is no pressure to share more than you are comfortable with — we move at your pace, and together we will map out a direction that feels right for you.
The number of sessions varies from person to person and depends on your goals, the nature of the concerns you bring, and your progress over time. Some people find that six to eight sessions meet their needs, while others benefit from a longer journey. We review this together regularly so you are always in the driver's seat.
Yes. Confidentiality is a cornerstone of our practice. What you share remains private, with only the narrow exceptions required by law — such as when there is an immediate risk of serious harm to you or another person. We will explain these limits clearly at the start of our work together so you can feel fully informed and safe.
Yes. We offer secure video and phone appointments for clients who prefer to meet from the comfort of their own space or who live outside the Adelaide area. Online sessions are conducted through an encrypted platform, and the quality of support you receive is the same as in person.
Pivot offers a range of professional development workshops and training programs for individuals, community groups, and organisations. Topics include mental health awareness, communication and resilience skills, and trauma-informed practice. Visit our Services or Events pages to see upcoming sessions, or get in touch to discuss a tailored program for your team.
Brian Gabriels
Director
About
Brian's professional background spans many years of counselling, clinical supervision, and training counsellors in higher education. This breadth of experience shapes a practice marked by calm, compassion, and thoughtful reflection. He has worked extensively with people navigating anxiety, loss, relationship challenges, life transitions, and the broader complexity of being human.
Brian's approach is informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and shaped by a wide range of therapeutic models and perspectives. He works in an integrative and relational way, drawing on what is most helpful for each person and their circumstances. He is particularly interested in helping people develop a different relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions, while discovering they are not bound by the script they have carried and can still move toward a meaningful, hopeful, and values-shaped life.
His style is warm, grounded, and attentive, creating a space where people can feel safe, respected, and genuinely met.
Qualifications
Master of Social Sciences (Counselling Studies)
Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Theology
Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training
Professional Memberships/Registration
PACFA Registered Clinical Counsellor
PACFA Accredited Supervisor
Registration No. 21164
Availability
Brian is available for in-person and online appointments:
Mondays: 9 am – 5 pm
Tuesdays: 10 am – 7 pm
Wednesdays: 10 am – 7 pm
Thursdays: 8 am – 5 pm
Fees
Individual counselling: $170 per 60-minute session
Wendy combines professional counselling training with over two decades of experience in a vocational ministry household, alongside raising her now adult children. She has walked with people through seasons of joy, loss, transition, and complexity, which shapes her practice and grounds her work in compassion and respect for each person's story.
Wendy works with individuals experiencing stress, anxiety, life transitions, grief and loss, and relationship and parenting concerns. She supports couples as they navigate relationship challenges, intimacy, and a desire for change. She has developed and presented seminars on relationships and parenting locally, interstate and overseas.
For clients who desire it, Wendy integrates a Christian worldview alongside evidence-based practice, creating space to explore faith, meaning, and growth in ways that matter to them. She has a particular interest in supporting those navigating the unique pressures of ministry life.
Her approach is strengths-based and trauma-informed, drawing on cognitive-behavioural, narrative, and acceptance and commitment therapies. The relationship work is informed by Gottman principles, emotion-focused approaches, developmental models, and family systems frameworks. She enjoys working with clients in ways that foster self-awareness and support meaningful change.
Qualifications
Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy
Bachelor of Theology and Diploma of Ministry
Bachelor of Science
Professional Memberships/Registration
PACFA Certified Practising Counsellor (#32676)
Christian Counsellors Association of Australia (CCAA) Graduate Member (#501849)
Prepare/Enrich Relationship Facilitator
Availability
Wendy is available for in-person and online appointments:
Tuesdays: 9 am – 6 pm
Wednesdays: 9 am – 5 pm
Limited out-of-hours appointments available by arrangement
Fees
Individual counselling: $120 per 60-minute session
Tim's professional background spans three decades in nursing, supporting adults across diverse settings, including complex health conditions, cardiovascular care, palliative support, and experiences of loss. This foundation continues to inform his counselling practice, grounding his work in compassion, steadiness, and respect for each person's story.
Tim brings lived experience of separation and divorce, allowing him to offer thoughtful, grounded support to those navigating relationship breakdowns, co-parenting, and major life transitions. He also works with clients experiencing anxiety, stress, and grief, helping them make sense of difficult emotions in a safe, non-judgemental space.
His approach draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), supporting clients to develop greater awareness, respond with flexibility, and move toward what matters most.
Tim's style is calm, collaborative, and practical, creating a supportive space to explore challenges and take meaningful steps forward.
Qualifications
Master of Counselling Practice
Graduate Diploma Nursing Science (Cardiac)
Bachelor of Nursing
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
Professional Memberships/Registration
PACFA Certified Practising Counsellor (#32859)
AHPRA Registered Nurse (NMW0001314460)
Availability
Tim is available for in-person and online appointments:
Thursdays and Fridays: 9 am – 5.45 pm
Fees
Individual counselling: $120 per 60-minute session
Hannah brings a background in Secondary Education and Counselling, specialising in recovery-focused therapies for children, adolescents, and young women. She has worked across residential and outpatient settings, including Australia's first specialist residential eating disorder treatment centre, Wandi Nerida, and holds ANZAED credentialing, reflecting her commitment to evidence-based, best-practice care.
Her work is grounded in relational, person-centred, and trauma-informed practice, guided by somatic and creative therapies, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Solution-Focused frameworks. Alongside her therapeutic work, Hannah is passionate about early intervention and prevention, partnering with educators to embed body appreciation and mental health literacy in learning environments.
Hannah offers a warm, safe, and practical space, where therapy is guided by each individual. She works collaboratively to explore challenges, develop meaningful strategies, and support reflection, growth, and living a life that feels deeply authentic and fulfilling.
Qualifications
Master of Counselling Practice
Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
Professional Memberships/Registration
ACA Member Registration (#25922)
ANZAED Eating Disorder Credentialed Clinician
National Eating Disorders Collaboration Member
Availability
Hannah is available for in-person appointments on Thursdays and Saturdays. Telehealth appointments are available throughout the week.
Fees
30 min discovery call — Free
A free 30-minute introductory call to talk through your needs, goals, and what support might look like. We’ll explore how we could work together and whether this feels aligned.
Counselling session
Adult: $120
Concession: $75
A 60-minute counselling session delivered via secure telehealth or in-person. This session provides a supportive, confidential space to explore what’s bringing you to counselling, reflect on your experiences, and work toward your goals at a pace that feels right for you.
Between sessions phone call
Adult: $65
Concession: $45
A short phone call available to current clients for additional support between appointments. Suitable for check-ins, processing a specific concern, or discussing strategies already covered in sessions. This service is intended as supplementary support and does not replace a full session.
Nat is an empathic PACFA-registered counsellor based in Adelaide and available online across Australia. He specialises in grief, trauma, workplace abuse, and trauma recovery, and is passionate about creating a genuinely safe space where clients feel truly heard, respected, and supported.
Nat believes the most powerful ingredient in good therapy is the relationship itself. He tailors every aspect of the work to each individual – their story, pace, goals, and worldview. Whether someone comes from a faith background or not, they are welcome exactly as they are.
He works with people navigating grief, trauma, and life overwhelm – whether stemming from recent workplace stress, relationship difficulties or loss, or deeper roots in childhood experiences – helping clients build awareness of the impact these experiences have had, and gently supporting them in processing the emotions and pain they are carrying.
Nat is also an active researcher, international speaker, and lived experience practitioner in the field of spiritual abuse and religious trauma, supporting those impacted by ecclesiastical harm.
Esther is a Psychotherapist and Mental Health Social Worker who supports adults and young people experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, grief, life transitions, and Single Event PTSD. She is passionate about creating a safe, respectful, and nurturing environment where clients feel understood, heard, and supported and are provided with practical tools to help them on their journey.
Her approach is person-centred and integrative, drawing on evidence-informed modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT, accredited), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Inner Child work, and Parts work. She has also trained in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), which she incorporates into her work with clients.
Esther has over 20 years' experience working as a Social Worker, supporting families in complex situations. In addition to her work at Pivot, she is a Mental Health Clinician at Headspace, working with a diverse range of young people and families to strengthen relationships, build resilience, and provide practical strategies, tools, and insights into mental health. Esther can offer Medicare rebates through the Medicare Benefit Scheme.
Qualifications
Master of Counselling Practice
Bachelor of Social Work
Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Accredited
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Trained (Level 1)
Professional Memberships/Registration
Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) #665659
Availability
Esther is available for face-to-face and online appointments:
Fridays: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Fees
$170 per 60-minute counselling session.
Out-of-pocket cost is reduced to $82.75 with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP (after Medicare rebate).
Medicare Rebates
As an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Esther can provide Medicare rebates through the Better Access initiative. To access these rebates, you’ll need a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. The current rebate is $87.25 for up to 10 sessions per calendar year.
Health Insurance
The following private health funds may also offer significant benefits under their ancillary/extras covers:
HCF
Bupa
Teachers Health (including UniHealth and Nurses and Midwives Health)