Relational gestalt therapist Georgie Igoe tells us about herself and her new business in Austinmer, Anam Cara Soul Friend Healing
My name is Georgie, I am a visual artist and psychotherapist living lightly and respectfully on stolen Dharawal land. I am an intimate, playful person who is passionate about the relational experience and the healing that can occur within connection. Core to my therapeutic approach is the awareness of our interdependence with the natural world, our embodied experience, and belief that we are inherently creative. These approaches deeply support the change and healing process.
My father is from Strokestown Ireland and from a young age I have had a strong connection to my Irish heritage, which is another critical pillar to my approach. My practice name Anam Cara is a Gaelic term for a traditional healer in this ancient community that one would go to for healing, a nod to my Irish heritage as well as my favourite poet, John O’Donohue, whose seminal prose work shares this title.
My training is in Relational Gestalt Therapy and I have Bachelor of Arts (Indigenous Studies) and a Bachelor of Social Work. I have had eight years' experience working with intergenerational trauma and healing in Mparntwe/ Alice Springs and Naarm/ Melbourne.
I am also a facilitator with the First Nations organisation We Al-li, who provide culturally informed trauma integrated healing approaches to individuals, families and organisations.
I moved to breathtaking Dharawal country in 2020 and for the last two years I have been working intensively across the Illawarra in high schools with adolescents in one-on-one and group psychotherapeutic settings. This relational work had a strong focus on inspiring hope for young people in being able express their grief and belief in change within themselves and their communities.
Having a strong connection to the natural world, I feel very sensitised to the impacts of colonisation and climate change on our community’s health. I have seen how this uniquely impacts young people who unfairly lack political will in our terrifying present and future. The young people I meet are passionate and engaged about climate justice, decolonisation and grieving the loss of our environment. I feel very moved by this energy and committed to continuing to amplify youth voices through my practice and facilitating inter-generational dialogues within the community.
Integrated into my work is the utilisation of a hand-painted deck of cards that I have made called ‘Anam Cara Deck.’ Using symbols, archetypes, poetry, music and the natural world, each card is a watercolour representation of the world around, inviting reflection and connection to the many stories we traverse in our everyday life.
About the author
Georgie Igoe of Anam Cara Healing is an artist and psychotherapist living and working on Dharawal Country. Her work as a visual artist, belief in our interdependence with the natural world and awareness of our embodied experience are central to her therapeutic approach. She specialises in intergenerational healing, eco-therapy, adolescent psychotherapy, grief and shame. She works in-person at Saltbush Clinic, Austinmer.
Contact: Saltbush Clinic, 55 Moore Street, Austinmer, igoegeorgina@gmail.com, 0428 767 086