About
My story
I came to psychotherapy and counselling when I was dealing with some very challenging relationships. I'd tried everything I could think of to be more loving, more giving, more understanding… but whatever I tried, it was never enough. I was tying myself up in knots and vacillated between giving up altogether and redoubling my efforts to be whatever these people were looking for. Neither of these approaches were healthy and I was left feeling frustrated, inadequate, lost and alone.
Then I found a wise and compassionate therapist who taught me how to understand my own past, my own patterns, my own nervous system. She taught me how to set boundaries AND be the loving person I want to be. She set me on a path of self-awareness and self-compassion that I'm still walking to this day. I learned that I AM enough just as I am. AND I wasn’t born knowing everything about navigating relationships and life stressors – this is a lifelong endeavour (and should be foundational in schools!).
I practise what I preach and I have therapy regularly, continuing to explore my own patterns, like imposter syndrome, setting healthy boundaries, finding life meaning and purpose, being true to myself even when it’s uncomfortable, navigating grief and loss, learning to let go, trying to be everything to everyone to earn the air I breathe and more!
We all have our “stuff” and I can say from experience that partnering with a therapist that resonates with you is LIFE-CHANGING.
My training
Self-compassion, body-based and contemplative therapies and practices are what bring me home to myself.
My desire to heal my own limiting patterns and to help others has led me to therapies and practices like Dru Yoga, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Somatic Psychotherapies. These all weave together so beautifully and everything I offer in my classes, retreats and 1:1 sessions are deeply embedded in my own life. What I offer to you, I'm also practising myself.
My core values
These are the core values I apply to my own practice and to my teaching:
Authentic confidence and clarity...
"Congratulations on all the work you have done over the years to be able to deliver your material with confidence and clarity, in a way that inspires others to follow their dharma. You give your absolute all to ensure we all receive glimpses of our highest level of enlightenment available. You are so authentic and go over and above any level I have experienced.”
Rhonda
Areas of expertise
Mindfulness
I'm a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher, having completed multiple Vipassana-style silent meditation retreats from 5-10 days, the 8-week MBSR course, the MBSR Level 1 teacher training and am in the midst of MBSR Level 2 teacher training.
MBSR is a formal 8-week mindfulness programme with a day-long intensive that was created by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979. It's now offered in over 250 hospitals in the US and many more around the world, supporting people with stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, alleviating stress related to medical conditions, and much more. You can read more about mindfulness and MBSR in my blog.
Workshop Facilitation
I've been a professional mindfulness facilitator for 5 years, presenting mindfulness training workshops on behalf of Smiling Mind in the corporate and education sectors. I've presented live and online for groups of up to 200 people, bringing my passion, humour and calm, centred approach to all my presentations.
Smiling Mind is a not-for-profit web and app-based meditation programme developed by psychologists and educators to help bring mindfulness into the lives of children, teens and adults. It's Australia’s #1 mindfulness app with an evidence-based, award-winning school programme designed to reverse the rise in mental illness in children and teens. It also has a premium workplace programme that's one of the world’s largest – already reaching more than 50,000 employees at companies like IBM, CSL, Reece, EY, MYOB and Metro Trains.
Dru Yoga
I've been teaching Dru Yoga for nearly 15 years. Dru Yoga is a graceful and potent form of yoga, based on soft flowing movements, directed breathing and visualisation. With its foundations set firmly in ancient yogic tradition, Dru works on body, mind and spirit to rejuvenate your whole being. It improves strength and flexibility, increases core stability, builds a heightened feeling of positivity, and brings deep states of relaxation.
Training & qualifications
A beautiful balance of spirituality and yoga...
"Danette's yoga classes are a beautiful balance of spirituality and yoga. She is very passionate and keen to bring everyone with her on the journey."
Gerry
About the farm
My meditation studio space is connected to our home and garden which sits in our beautiful broad-acre, mixed farming property in the Southwest Slopes of NSW, 30kms west/northwest of Young. We're 2 hours north of Canberra and about 4.5 hours west of Sydney. Our farm business is based on sheep, cattle and cropping and has been in our family for over 100 years.
The meditation space is intimately connected to our farm and to the natural spaces in our garden and out in the paddocks. The studio opens onto a green, shady courtyard and we often also practise in the garden or out in the paddock on hilltops or under trees. We've created mindful bush walks in the paddocks around the house so you can walk, breathe, connect, and drink in the spaciousness and beauty.
We've created meditation decks in the garden and around the pool as well as meditation rooms in the stables and horse yards.
For overnight stays, think of this as a mindfulness “glamp”. Some will be accommodated in a cosy 2-bedroom cottage in the garden and some will enjoy our beautiful glamping rooms in the converted stable. We have bathrooms in the cottage and the stable yards and an outdoor shower/bath in the garden where you can soak up the night sky in a hot bubble bath.
Meals are generally enjoyed in the courtyard or participants find a cosy spot somewhere in the garden – we have an abundance of comfortable chairs, day beds, lounges and cushions.
A beautiful space to be present...
"I loved every minute of the mini retreat with Danette. It was a beautiful space to be present and take some time to focus on myself. Danette has such a depth of knowledge around mindfulness and self-care and I loved her energy! I went home feeling refreshed and with a renewed perspective, would 100% book another retreat with some like-minded girlfriends!”
Meg
