Emma McLarty Counselling and Wellbeing

Emma McLarty Counselling and Wellbeing Counsellor/Supervisor/Family Consultant. Promoting the wellbeing of individuals, couples and families — one conversation, one connection, one change at a time.

The Family Wellbeing Centre, provides a range of services including:

- Individual and Couples Counselling.

- Parenting/Family Support and Education.

- Eating Disorder Peer Support Program.

- Well-being Classes.

- Perinatal/antenatal and Post Natal Support.

- Infant Massage Classes.

- Anxiety Support.

- Relationship Health.

- Life Transition Support. Our commitment as well as our profe

ssional training and experience, ensures that our approach is best tailored to suit the needs and circumstances of individuals, couples and families. Our focus is on helping clients build their own capacity for change via an integrated approach that encompasses emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing. At The Family Wellbeing Centre, we are passionate about helping our clients lead full and meaningful lives.

By the time many women reach midlife, they have spent decades being capable. They have worked, raised children, managed ...
12/08/2026

By the time many women reach midlife, they have spent decades being capable. They have worked, raised children, managed households, cared for others, built careers, maintained relationships and often carried far more than anyone else realised.

From the outside, it can look like they have simply done too much for too long. But when we scrape beneath the surface, there is often a deeper story.

For many women, being capable has become part of who they are. Perhaps they learned early that achievement brought recognition, being helpful earned approval and being the one who could cope meant they were needed. Over time, these behaviours become reinforced. What we do can become part of who we believe we are.
The capable one.
The achiever.
The reliable one.
The one who holds everything together.
And these identities can be incredibly difficult to put down.

This is one reason midlife can feel so confronting. Our energy, responsibilities, relationships, bodies and priorities can change, yet we may still be trying to maintain an identity built around how much we can do.

It isn’t necessarily that we have become less capable. It may be that we are trying to use yesterday’s capacity to maintain today’s identity.
And that can be exhausting.

Perhaps the question in midlife isn’t:
“How do I get back to the woman I used to be?”
But:
“Who am I now, and what no longer needs to come with me?”
Because maybe the goal isn’t to become better at carrying everything.
Maybe it is learning that we don’t have to carry everything to be worthy, valuable, loved or enough 💚

Over recent months, I’ve loved the conversations I’ve been having with midlife clients, friends and colleagues about the...
05/08/2026

Over recent months, I’ve loved the conversations I’ve been having with midlife clients, friends and colleagues about their work and careers and what work means to them at this stage of life 🤔

So often, we think of legacy as something we leave behind. But perhaps legacy is also something we consciously create as we move forward.

For many people, midlife brings a natural opportunity to pause and reflect:
🤔 What has my work meant?
🤔 What impact have I had?
🤔 What values do I want to continue living and sharing?
🤔 Where do I want to place my energy now?

The questions can begin to shift from:
“What do I need to achieve?”
to:
“What do I want to contribute?”

Legacy isn’t only about the big things we accomplish. It is woven through the people we support, the knowledge we share, the relationships we nurture and the way we choose to show up. Midlife is not simply a time of looking back. It can be a powerful time of aligning with what matters most and intentionally shaping the next chapter 💪😎☺️

Is your self-care supporting your wellbeing… or simply topping you up while deeper emotional needs go unaddressed?Medita...
05/08/2026

Is your self-care supporting your wellbeing… or simply topping you up while deeper emotional needs go unaddressed?

Meditation, nourishing food, movement and healthy lifestyle choices can be incredibly supportive. As you know I’m a strong advocate for all of them ✅ But sometimes, we use self care to keep functioning without becoming curious about what is happening beneath the surface.

If the emotional load is being ignored, we may simply be topping ourselves up enough to keep going. Self-care isn’t the problem. But sometimes the deeper work is asking:

What is happening within me that also needs my attention?

Because wellbeing is not always about adding more. Sometimes, it’s about listening more deeply 💚

I’ve just completed a two day intensive in eating disorder treatment and embodiment with Natasha Hepworth 💚The training ...
03/08/2026

I’ve just completed a two day intensive in eating disorder treatment and embodiment with Natasha Hepworth 💚

The training has reignited my passion for supporting people experiencing eating disorders and disordered eating through an approach that acknowledges the important role of cognition while also valuing the wisdom and experience of the body 💚

Eating disorder treatment continues to evolve in important ways, moving beyond approaches that focus solely on thoughts and behaviours and creating greater space for embodiment, connection and recovery. Eating disorders and disordered eating affect people across the lifespan and recovery remains an important focus of my work 💚

If you’re looking for support, or you’re a health professional seeking to refer someone, I’m currently adding additional availability from my rooms in Cottesloe and Bicton coming soon 💚

The number one reason people come to therapy?For a human experience.When I was a new therapist, I placed enormous value ...
30/07/2026

The number one reason people come to therapy?
For a human experience.

When I was a new therapist, I placed enormous value on theory, knowledge and therapeutic approaches. And while these are important, there is now so much information readily available to people.

When someone books a therapy session, they are often looking for something information alone cannot provide. They want to feel heard. To be met with warmth, curiosity and genuine presence. To speak openly about their experience and feel that another human being is truly alongside them.

This is different from the therapeutic relationship. It’s the humanity we bring into that relationship.
Over time, I’ve come to understand that theory gives us a framework and our skills guide the work.
But human connection is what underpins it all 💚

In my clinical supervision work I’m focussing on help helping professionals protect and expand their capacity to do mean...
28/07/2026

In my clinical supervision work I’m focussing on help helping professionals protect and expand their capacity to do meaningful work throughout midlife.

If we consider the work of therapists, psychologists, social workers, nurses and other helping professionals, the changes that occur during perimenopause and midlife can be highly relevant.

Therapeutic work relies heavily on emotional labour, empathy, executive functioning, reflective capacity, attunement, and the ability to repeatedly regulate ourselves while sitting with the distress of others. If the neurobiological systems that support those capacities are under increased strain, it makes sense that clinicians may become more vulnerable to compassion fatigue, emotional exhaustion, or even burnout.

From mid August, I’ll be adding additional availability in Bicton, seeing clients from consulting rooms within Dr Emily ...
28/07/2026

From mid August, I’ll be adding additional availability in Bicton, seeing clients from consulting rooms within Dr Emily McNeill’s Well Woman GP practice.

My current practice will continue as usual, with Bicton providing another welcoming and accessible space for clients to access support.

While my counselling practice remains
independent, I’m looking forward to being based alongside other health professionals who value compassionate, person centred care. I look forward to welcoming new and existing clients to the Bicton rooms 💚

“I don’t recognise my body anymore.”It may sound like dissatisfaction with appearance.But perhaps the response doesn’t n...
23/07/2026

“I don’t recognise my body anymore.”
It may sound like dissatisfaction with appearance.
But perhaps the response doesn’t need to be:
“You look fine.” Perhaps we can become curious about what those words really mean.

When the body changes, the therapeutic conversation needs to go deeper.
Beyond appearance.
Towards identity, grief, fear, shame, loss and the experience of living in a changing body.

One of the things I hear most often from women in perimenopause is, “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”And honestly,...
23/07/2026

One of the things I hear most often from women in perimenopause is, “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

And honestly, I understand why.

Every day we’re bombarded with advice. Some of it is backed by good evidence. Some of it is based on personal experience. And some of it is simply noise.

It’s no wonder so many women feel overwhelmed before they’ve even decided where to start.

This is where I see my role.

I don’t believe my job is to add to the noise. My job is to help women filter it.

Together, we explore what is happening in your body, what the evidence tells us, what sits within my scope of practice and just as importantly, where another health professional may be the right person to involve. We look at your symptoms, your lifestyle, your priorities and your goals because your care shouldn’t be based on what’s trending or what worked for someone else.

Perimenopause is something we experience collectively, but we don’t experience it identically.

There isn’t one perfect plan.

There is your plan 💛

Perimenopause and menopause don’t happen in isolation. They can impact relationships, families, communication and intima...
21/07/2026

Perimenopause and menopause don’t happen in isolation. They can impact relationships, families, communication and intimacy.

Many women find it difficult to articulate what they need, especially if they’ve spent years putting everyone else first. And often, their partners genuinely want to help.
They just don’t know how.

I’m yet to meet a partner who doesn’t want to support the woman he loves. But it’s hard to support someone when you don’t fully understand what they’re experiencing and when she may still be trying to work that out herself.

When our primary relationship is under strain, our wellbeing is impacted. So why wouldn’t couples support be part of menopause care?
In fact, I think it’s the icing on the cake.
The gold standard, if you ask me. ✨

When I work with midlife couples, we often start with what’s happening right now and work towards greater understanding, compassion, connection and a stronger sense of being on the same team.
Because menopause support shouldn’t only support the woman.
Sometimes, supporting the relationship is one of the most powerful ways we can support her, too.

Address

Cottesloe, WA

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61431990258

Website

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