A bit about Maree

Maree Eisma
Medicare-accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AASW)
Founder of Change of Course, The Patch – Dandenong Ranges

Lets Step Back in Time.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to the very people who feel like they 'don’t quite fit in'. I suspect its because for a whole range of reasons, it's very relatable-having lived with a chronic illness that became critical at times during my developmental years. It often left me feeling 'on the outer', amplifying the felt sense of 'I'm different'. The eldest 'responsible child' with the ever present reminder that in 'my family' death occurs prematurely, and those I needed the most, cant or wont be able 'to stay'. Whilst those that remained lacked, emotional intelligence, which only fueled additional anxiety and uncertainty from a young age. 

Sometimes like many people I work with, such experiences leaves people with a sense that their childhood was 'short lived'. It can contribute to a feeling of being an old soul, in a young body, amplifying the sense of " I dont quite fit it in" or a sense of speaking  a dialect that is not always comprehensible to others.  

Those I work with, have often been 'deep thinkers' all their lives, yet they learnt early, that their deeper introspection and the depth of their emotional wells,  often couldn't be met by their same aged peers, nor their care givers. Not suprisingly, this just adds to a further sense of alienation and loneliness for many.  

"Loneliness does not come from having no people around you, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you" (Carl Jung).

I was the girl at school who would feel her heart break, at anything from rodents being 'unnecessarily' dicesected in science class, to 'collecting' various pets possessing pleading eyes, on route to or from school. And heaven forbid if I got wind of anyone hurting animals. Grrr.

School years complete with the ever changing social landscapes, further exposed my already sensitive and empathetic/ emotional laden system to additional confusion. Often resulting in me asking-"Why were people mean"? I felt the helplessness of those students who got bullied for their 'differences' and found myself often pondering -What's occuring in the life of the person who is doing the bullying- that is driving that behaviour? Surely what hate can do- love and understanding can do better?. Even when young, somehow I sensed that those who were wounding others, were most likely deeply wounded themselves.

So yes, I truly get what its like to be the one who notices too much, cares too much, or thinks too much  and how this can get internalized to mean ''I must be too much”.  Just like many women who are described as “sensitive” or “emotionally intense”, who have sometimes had to grow a hardened shell, around a very soft centre, just to get through life. Such people are also the same ones who describe themselves as feeling emotionally and energetically pourous- like everything 'gets in', despite all the tactics to stop this occurring.

How it often feels for the people I work with:

By the time clients find me, they are often:

• Tired of being resilient. They know how to cope and function- what they often don’t know if how to be able to rest.
• Carrying old grief – for childhoods that looked “fine” on the outside but were emotionally barren, confusing or even invalidating. 
• Entangled in relationships that have been chaotic, one-sided, or subtly eroding their sense of self or worse their ability to trust their own instincts/ intuition.
• Using addictions or habits they’re ashamed of, but haven’t been able to let go of, because they’ve been lifelines.
• Living with disenfranchised grief – the kind of loss that doesn’t get rituals, casseroles, or sympathy cards. The grief that feels like a constant companion, felt heavily in you but not necessarily 'seen' or understood well by others. Often generating that familiar sense of feeling 'invalidated' all over again'. 

Such experiences have never occurred to me as evidence that someone 'is broken'. Instead, I see only evidence that their nervous system, their history and their sensitivity have never been properly understood or supported.

So I created Change of Course as a place where people just like you,  don’t have to mask or pretend any more. A place where you simply experience the spaciousness to be the unique you, that only YOU, came on this planet to be.

My Path To Here,

I’ve been working in mental health and counselling for over 25 years.

Over that time I’ve worked with people facing an array of traumas, addiction, grief and complex life transitions. I’ve sat with stories told by people who possess incredible strength, to have not only survived what they have experienced but carrying the additional weight of embodied stories. A library full of experiences their bodies were not designed to weight-bare much less carry alone.

My professional background includes:

• Accreditation as Mental Health Social Worker – Medicare-accredited, AASW
• Extensive training in: 
  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Re-processing)
  • Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) – including specialised training in emotional eating
  • Transactional Analysis
  • Art Therapy, Expressive Therapies, Sandplay and Symbol Work
  • Dream Therapy

The longer I've been practicing, the more I've come to truly appreciate that-
The people who are often dismissed, shunned or had their 'various sensitivities labelled as “too sensitive”,  “too emotional” or “too complex” are often the ones who exhibit the deepest wisdom and compassion. It appeared that they had seldom ever arrived in a place where they felt safe enough to reveal their deeper and richer inner worlds. Yet for many people I work with, they naturally learn to access their own inner wisdom when:

• They can make peace with their heightened sensitivities and/or empathy/ neurodiversity. There is so much on offer, when self understanding speaks louder than the confusion. Where compassion gets greater air time, than self- judgement, shame or ridicule. Its the place where you stop gas lighting yourself (or letting others do it to you). 
• They have a safe place to process trauma(s) and turn the dial down on how trauma exacerbates their already heightened nervous system. 
• They possess greater sovereignty over their lives, when they learn how to listen to their bodies natural wisdom and honour their bodies inherent needs and wants- without apology.

What it’s like to work with me

People often describe therapy with me as:

• Grounded and calm – we stay connected to your body.
• Honest but gentle – I won’t rush you- Whilst being real with you.
• Creative and experiential – we may use sand, images, dreams, tapping, symbols or art, especially when words may elude or your body needs something else.
• Respectful of your sensitivity and neurodivergence. My role is not designed to make you “less sensitive” and/or more 'manageable' or 'easier' for others. Our work together is on building a life that can actually nourish and better support who you are.

We might spend time:

• Tracking the ebb and flow of your nervous system over a week or at certain times.
• Following themes that appear in your dreams, artwork or sand trays, day dreams or even meditations.
• Using EMDR to process memories that still hi-jack your nervous system.
• Using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to help you process difficult emotions or memories that cause distress.

You don’t have to know which modality you “need”. That’s for us to safely explore together. The only thing I'd like you to know, from my heart to yours, is that your 'real self' - free of masking is warmly invited into this space.