About Fiona
Fiona trained as a physiotherapist thirty years ago. She worked for many years in rehabilitation as well as teaching at the University of Queensland. Fiona also completed a post-graduate qualification in physiotherapy. While Fiona’s training was comprehensive and rewarding, she always felt there was more to managing physical problems than simply trying to get rid of the symptoms.
People would come to see her with such problems as severe back pain, headaches and other joint pains. As she listened, Fiona heard people’s amazing stories. Her patients’ pains were often an expression of their suffering through such things as divorce, job loss, worries about children, a death in the family, and so on. But Fiona was frustrated about how best to help these people because physios weren’t trained to put two and two together.
In her early thirties, three years after experiencing some very traumatic events in her life, Fiona went through a terrifying breakdown. As a physiotherapist in a psychiatric hospital, she had no idea how to help herself. The treatments made her feel numb and helpless. She felt frightened and alone and desperately wished there was someone she could talk to; someone who wouldn’t try to fix her or label her, someone who would just listen.
For the past twenty years Fiona has been exploring the body mind spirit relationship in healing. As well as seeking a lot of help herself, Fiona has trained as a counsellor and then more recently as a multi-faith chaplain.
Individual sessions
I work with individuals as a mentor and teacher. My physiotherapy and counselling training is a solid foundation for what I do. I have many years of experience in working with people who suffer physical and emotional pain. Some who come to see me have physical pain; others are full of fear, depression, grief and anxiety. Many people I work with have reached a crossroads in their life. Often they feel lost and don’t know where else to turn.
In my practice, crisis is about change. It is a time of opportunity and of new realisations.
We can either fight or anaesthetise our pain or we can listen to the message it contains.
As no two people are the same, there isn’t a recipe for what happens during these sessions.
So come with me on a voyage of Self- discovery. Through rediscovering your strength and purpose you’ll start to enjoy life again.
I look forward to working with you…
My Book
Poor Me No More
A book about moving on from depression, anxiety, fear and chronic pain
When I was an inpatient in a psychiatric hospital some years ago I longed to read about somebody who’d moved through the terror of severe anxiety, depression and chronic insomnia to find new meaning in life. I longed for that someone to offer me hope, to give me practical direction, and to believe in my
strength rather than focussing on my weakness.
But instead I was diagnosed with a genetic illness and told that unless I took the prescribed drugs and had shock treatments as required, I probably wouldn’t survive. The diagnosis and treatments crushed my spirit and almost killed me.
Three years ago I wrote ‘Poor Me No More,’ and soon realised it was exactly the practical, hopeful book I would have wanted to read when I w
as feeling terrified, helpless and alone. Many, many people have since read my book, attended my workshops and teaching sessions, and have been inspired to change their lives.
Professional background
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy, University of Qld
- Masters Qualifying in Physiotherapy, University of Qld
- Graduate Diploma of Social Science, (Counselling ), QUT
- Advanced Training Certificate in Clinical and Pastoral Education
How much does it cost?
Appointments with Fiona are 75 minutes. She usually sees people three or four times.
- 60 minute session – $95
- 75 minute session- $120
- 90 minute session- $140
Listening Circles on Friday Nights
with Fiona Best
Each Friday night we’ll come together as a group to create a small world inside the larger world, but this small world will feel different to the one we’re used to.
In this small world instead of
- Talking over each other
- Voicing opinions
- Offering solutions
- Helping each other
- Fixing each other
- Analysing each other
- Working out what we’re going to say while another person is talking
- Chatting about whatever comes into our heads
- Wishing other people would be quiet so we could have a turn…
We’ll sit in a circle and learn to calm our busy minds.
Then we’ll have the space to truly LISTEN…to ourselves and to each other.
In this space the answers will come.
- Starting Friday 6th May
- 6.30 – 8.30 pm at Vitalelife,
- 83 Latrobe Terrace Paddington
- Cost – $20
