Allan Bunyan • CPCA Member #47516 • Cairns QLD
Meet Allan: Cairns Certified Counsellor
I provide grounded, practical counselling for adults and young people aged 14 and over who are feeling overwhelmed, emotionally worn down, under pressure, or navigating difficult life changes.
My approach is calm, relational, and trauma-informed. Sessions are a space to slow things down, talk things through, and feel supported without judgement or pressure.
Call or text: 0423 763 712PRACTICAL SUPPORT OPTIONS
Starting counselling can be simple
Choose the option that fits your life, your schedule, and how you prefer to talk.Free meet & greet
Start with a free 15-minute appointment to ask questions, check fit, and see whether counselling feels right for you.
Choose how we meet
Sessions are available in person in Cairns or online across Australia, depending on what works best for your situation.
Work at your pace
You do not need to explain everything perfectly. We start with what is happening now and work through things step by step.
Keep it practical
Support may focus on stress, anger, grief, shutdown, relationships, injury, illness, disability, or life changes.
You can contact me directly. A GP referral is not required.
NDIS participants are welcome where counselling fits plan goals.
Flexible appointment times may be available by arrangement.
A calm, practical space to talk things through
Hi, I’m Allan. I’m a certified counsellor with CPCA, based in Cairns. I provide individual counselling for adults and young people aged 14 years and over, with sessions available in person in Cairns and online across Australia.
I work with people who are feeling overwhelmed, under pressure, or emotionally worn down. This may include grief, trauma, crisis situations, addictions and substance use concerns, major life changes, relationship stress, or adjusting to disability, injury, or diagnosis.
My approach is grounded, practical, and relational. I focus on helping people slow things down, make sense of what is happening beneath the surface, and build steadiness over time.
You do not need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Counselling can start with one honest conversation.
Counselling that feels human, practical, and grounded
Many people come to counselling already feeling emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed, or stuck in survival mode. My role is not to analyse you, rush you, or tell you how to live your life.
Counselling is a space to slow things down, make sense of what is happening, and work through things at a pace that feels manageable and realistic.
No pressure to perform
You do not need to know exactly what to say, have everything figured out, or explain things perfectly. Sessions are designed to feel supportive, not overwhelming.
Practical and emotionally grounded
Some sessions focus on emotional processing. Others focus on practical coping strategies, boundaries, communication, routines, or stabilising day-to-day life.
Flexible to the individual
Every person is different. Counselling is tailored to what is most useful for you rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all approach or rigid structure.
Calm and supportive environment
Many people simply need a space where they can speak honestly without judgement, criticism, pressure, or feeling like they need to hold everything together.
Evidence-based counselling shaped around the individual
I work flexibly and draw from different counselling approaches depending on what feels most useful, supportive, and practical for the person sitting in front of me.
Some people want help understanding patterns of thinking and behaviour. Others want support with emotional regulation, relationships, grief, addiction recovery, or rebuilding steadiness after difficult life experiences.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Supports people to better understand thoughts, emotional responses, behaviours, and coping patterns that may be contributing to stress, anxiety, overwhelm, or self-criticism.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Focuses on practical and achievable steps forward while recognising existing strengths, coping abilities, and personal resilience.
Gestalt Therapy
Encourages self-awareness, emotional insight, and understanding how past experiences, emotions, and unmet needs may still be affecting the present.
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Helps people better understand emotional responses, connection patterns, attachment experiences, and relationship dynamics.
No one-size-fits-all counselling
Therapy is not about forcing people into a rigid model or expecting quick fixes. The work is shaped around your pace, your experiences, and what feels most useful for you.
Life experience shapes how I understand pressure, change, and resilience
My professional training is important, but so is lived experience. Different parts of my life have shaped how I understand stress, identity, emotional pressure, responsibility, and the ways people try to hold themselves together during difficult periods of life.
High-performance sport
Earlier in my life, I represented Australia in swimming and held world records. High-performance sport gave me direct insight into pressure, expectations, performance anxiety, identity, and how quickly life can change when circumstances shift.
I understand the emotional pressure that can come from constantly performing, pushing through stress, or feeling like self-worth becomes tied to achievement.
Training under pressure
I have also trained as a competitive marksman. This reinforced the importance of focus, controlled breathing, emotional regulation, and decision-making under pressure.
I regularly see these same internal dynamics reflected in the everyday challenges people bring into counselling.
Family and responsibility
I am also a partner and parent. Being a family man has deepened my understanding of responsibility, boundaries, connection, and the quiet emotional load many people carry while trying to hold things together for others.
This perspective informs how I work with people navigating family stress, role strain, burnout, and the tension between personal needs and the needs of those they care about.
Living with disability
I also live with disability. This gives me a genuine understanding of the emotional and practical challenges that can come with injury, chronic stress, navigating systems, loss of independence, and changes to confidence or identity.
This perspective supports my work with people whose wellbeing or sense of self has been impacted by long-term stress, health changes, or disability.
Formal training backed by real-world experience
I hold a Diploma of Counselling (CHC51015) and I am currently completing a Bachelor of Counselling with Torrens University Australia, with completion expected in 2026.
Alongside formal qualifications, I have several years of frontline experience working with people with disability, complex mental health needs, and within community and NDIS settings, including as a support coordinator since 2018.
Support for people navigating pressure, change, and emotional exhaustion
People reach out for counselling for many different reasons. Some feel overwhelmed and emotionally worn down. Others are trying to cope with stress, grief, relationship strain, addiction, burnout, disability, or major life changes while still trying to hold everyday life together.
Counselling may support people experiencing:
Adults and young people aged 14+
Support is available for adults and young people navigating emotional, relational, behavioural, or life-related challenges.
NDIS counselling support
I also provide counselling support for NDIS participants, including people adjusting to disability, injury, long-term stress, or changes to independence and identity.
In-person and online counselling
Sessions are available in Cairns and online across Australia, including flexible after-hours appointments where available.
Questions people often ask before starting counselling
Starting counselling can feel unfamiliar, especially if it is your first time reaching out for support. These are some of the common questions people ask before booking a session.
No referral is needed. You can contact me directly to ask questions, organise a free 15-minute meet and greet, or book a counselling session.
That is completely okay. Many people feel unsure where to start. You do not need to explain everything perfectly before coming to counselling.
Yes. Counselling sessions are available in person in Cairns and online across Australia through telehealth appointments.
Yes. I provide counselling support for NDIS participants, including people navigating disability, injury, emotional stress, adjustment challenges, and changes to independence or identity.
Counselling may support people experiencing anxiety, grief, emotional overwhelm, addiction concerns, burnout, relationship stress, major life changes, family pressure, or long-term emotional strain.
Flexible after-hours appointments are available where possible to help accommodate work, family responsibilities, and day-to-day commitments.
You do not need to have everything figured out before getting support
Reaching out for counselling can feel difficult when life already feels heavy. Many people contact me feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, uncertain, or unsure where to begin.
You do not need the perfect explanation or a full plan before starting. Sometimes counselling begins with a simple conversation and a space to slow things down without judgement or pressure.
Counselling Services in Cairns
Support for the things people often carry quietly.
Counselling can help when life feels heavy, confusing or hard to manage alone. I support people across Cairns with grief, stress, addiction concerns, men’s mental health, NDIS counselling, anxiety, disability adjustment and major life changes.
Grief Counselling
Support after loss, death, separation, life changes, or grief that does not always have clear words.
Men’s Counselling
Practical support for pressure, stress, relationships, anger, shutdown, identity challenges or feeling stuck.
NDIS Counselling
Support for NDIS participants adjusting to disability, diagnosis, overwhelm and emotional stress.
Addiction Counselling
Support to explore triggers, urges, shame, loneliness, habits and patterns that feel hard to shift alone.
Individual Counselling
One-on-one counselling for anxiety, grief, overwhelm, emotional pressure and major life transitions.
Not Sure Where to Start?
You do not need to have the perfect words before reaching out. A free 15-minute meet and greet can help.