The Coolum Institute opens for one-to-one counselling from 1 September 2026 — in Coolum Beach and by telehealth across Australia. Here’s what sits behind the door.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been sharing our free Psychodrama Club — the open doorway into The Coolum Institute. This is a word about what sits behind that door.
From 1 September, the practice is open for one-to-one work: here at Coolum Beach, and by telehealth right across Australia. After twenty-five years in international education, this is the practice I’ve been quietly building toward for a long time — and I want to tell you what it’s for.
The idea behind the work
Most of us already know what our problems are. We can explain them, analyse them, talk about them at length. And yet the same patterns hold. That gap — between understanding something and actually living differently — is where a lot of counselling quietly stalls.
The Coolum Institute is built on a simple conviction: lasting change happens in action, not just conversation.
Alongside talking things through, I use experiential, action-based methods — including psychodrama — to help people step out of overthinking and rehearse new ways of being. Rather than only describing a difficult conversation, a stuck relationship or an old wound, we find safe, creative ways to move it, look at it from the outside, and try something different. It’s practical, it’s often surprising, and it reaches places that talk alone can’t always get to.
Who it’s for
This is work for adults navigating the real stuff of a life: burnout and overwhelm, major transitions, trauma, and recovery.
I have a particular heart for people who want to do genuine inner work but aren’t sure where to begin — who may never have had a place to put any of it down. It’s an affirming, safe space for LGBTIQA+ clients. And it’s a familiar one for international students and the people who support them — a world I know well from my years in the sector.
You don’t need to arrive with the right words, or a diagnosis, or any experience of therapy at all. You just need to be ready to begin.
The Psychodrama Club: the open door
If one-to-one work feels like a big first step, there’s a gentler way in.
Every Monday evening from 7 September, I run a free Psychodrama Club at the Coolum Lions Club (15 Russell St, Coolum Beach), 6:30–8:30pm. It’s a warm, low-pressure space for adults to explore life through action, connection and creativity — no acting, no experience, no pressure. Many people come to the Club first, get a feel for the work, and only then decide whether one-to-one counselling is for them.
Registration is essential (we’re unable to take walk-ins) so I can send you a proper welcome beforehand.
Taking the first step
The first step into the practice is an easy one: a free, no-pressure 15-minute chat to see whether we’re a good fit. No commitment — just a conversation.
And if you’re reading this and someone you care about comes to mind — a friend, a family member, a colleague, a client — I’d be grateful if you’d pass it on. A quiet referral from someone trusted is worth more than any advertisement.
Details and bookings are at https://form.jotform.com/260978326401863
Dr Patrick Pheasant Founder & Principal Counsellor, The Coolum Institute ACA Registered Counsellor · PACFA Certified Practising Counsellor
