About
Our emotions tell a story, they direct our actions. But unless we are aware of how they influence what we do, they can often get in the way.
Talking Emotions helps you listen. Not only to the story that comes from your head, but also to what your body has to say. Developing greater awareness of your emotional experience and the skills to manage it can be the springboard to creating healthier relationships with self and others, and lead to a more productive life.
Director, Lou Cooper, established Talking Emotions to provide an arena where emotions take centre stage.
Let’s start the conversation.
Counselling
Talking Emotions offers individual counselling for adults and adolescents. Our Fitzroy location has excellent access to public transport and a variety of parking options.
Talking Emotions can help with:
Stress and anxiety
Depression
Trauma
Relationship difficulties
Sexuality and gender
Chronic illness
Pain
Medicare and private health insurance rebated sessions are available.
All Talking Emotions practitioners and associates are trained in Emotion Focused Therapy as well as a variety of other modalities. Talking Emotions provides LGBTI inclusive practice.
All practitioners at Talking Emotions adhere to Ahpra’s Code of Conduct for Psychologists and are responsible for the operation of their own practice. Any concerns regarding the service you receive needs to be addressed firstly to the practitioner concerned and then through Ahpra.
Training
Talking Emotions offers presentations and workshops for professional development and to assist in promoting well-being in the workplace.
Emotion Focused Therapy
Emotions in the Workplace
LGBTIQ+ inclusiveness (for professionals and workplaces)
Talking Emotions can tailor a program to meet your specific needs.
Practitioners
Dr Lou Cooper (she/they)
Counselling & Clinical Psychologist
Director of Talking Emotions
Fitzroy & online
Lou is an experienced counsellor, clinical supervisor, presenter, facilitator and trainer both in Naarm/Melbourne where they are based, and internationally. They establish collaborative working relationships with the aim of engendering mutual respect and a celebration of individuality. This is underpinned by a strong belief that each individual necessarily needs to be encouraged to take responsibility for change in their lives and Lou endeavours to foster a nurturing and supportive environment where challenges can be approached in safety, with kindness and at times even with humour. This ethos guides Lou’s work in therapy, supervision and training.
An AHPRA registered supervisor and an internationally certified Emotion Focused Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer (International Society for Emotion Focused Therapy), Lou is Lead Trainer at the Australian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy of which they are a past-president. Prior to focusing on private practice Lou co-ordinated group programs at the Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria (ARCVic) and was a practitioner at Drummond Street Services Queerspace.
Lou had a previous career in theatre and broadcasting and draws on this experience as the host of the Emotion Focused podcast emotionfocused.com.
Associates
Anthony Aris (he/him)
Psychologist and Accredited Emotion Focused Therapist
Fitzroy and online
Anthony brings over 30 years of experience providing psychological interventions to diverse groups of adults and young people in numerous community and organisational settings.
As a counsellor and therapist he is relatable and engaging aiming to provide a safe and authentically caring environment for working through and resolving emotional difficulties. These may be the legacy of trauma and other psychological injuries that disturb current relationships with self, others and the world.
Anthony’s style is flexible and he readily adapts to clients' needs, sometimes providing strategies and problem solving and at other times processing and healing emotional pain and trauma when clients feel ready, willing and able for this work.
Laura Kemppainen (she/her)
Clinical Psychologist/Board approved Supervisor
Fitzroy
Laura sees adults, adolescents and children (6+) in her practice and has special interests in anxiety, female/LGBTIQA+ health, and eating and body-image related issues. She also provides apointments in Finnish/German and supervision. Laura primarily uses Psychodynamic Talking therapy, Emotion-Focused therapy and Schema Therapy, However, Laura also works with some clients in a more brief and solution-focused way. With children and adolescents she focuses on engagement and uses play/creative as well as systemic interventions. Laura is experienced in working with LGBTIQA+ clients, including supporting young people explroing gender identity and welcomes people with diverse experiences and backgrounds.
Laura works with anxiety, mood and stress related issues, relationship or work issues, trauma, grief and loss, sexuality and gender identity, life transitions and making changes around substance use.
Lisa Winther (she/her)
Psychologist
Fitzroy and online
Lisa is an experienced registered psychologist who believes that engaging in therapy can help people gain a sense of direction and possibility in their lives. Lisa adopts a holistic approach using a wide variety of evidence informed techniques which are integrated during therapy. She is particularly drawn to therapies which promote an exploration and acceptance of emotions. She believes that understanding one's emotional patterns and reactions is the gateway to self and other understanding, and this knowledge can help navigate you through the worry, confusion, conflict or loss that we all experience at times.
Lisa brings a warm personal style, is interactive and respectful, tempered with humour. Lisa has worked in a range of settings including child and adolescent mental health services working primarily with parents and is currently combining her private practice with continued work in the public sector specialising in the management of chronic pain.
Lisa works with individuals, couples and parents experiencing life transitions, relational difficulties, mood and anxiety problems, chronic pain and trauma.
Yan Yang (she/her)
Psychologist
Fitzroy and online
Yan is a bilingual psychologist fluent in English and Mandarin. Her prior clinical experience spans both public and private mental health sectors. She has developed a strong commitment to supporting neurodivergent adults, individuals with developmental trauma, and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
As a humanistic therapist, Yan is warm, gentle, and down-to-earth. Her strengths lie in her ability to listen deeply and openly, collaborating with clients to harness their unique strengths for healing and personal growth. She primarily practices Emotion Focused Therapy whilst also incorporating a range of other therapeutic techniques, such as those from mindfulness and schema therapy, to ensure that each client's journey is individualised and personally meaningful.
In addition to her registration as a psychologist in Australia, Yan is a clinical psychologist in the UK. She has served as a lecturer in Psychology at London South Bank University and RMIT.
Please feel free to contact practitioners directly using details at the end of their profiles, or usings the contact form below.
Contact
Phone 0408 051 290
Email lou@talkingemotions.com.au
Talking Emotions Fitzroy
Level 1, 411 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy VIC 3065
