Lou Aylward

As a Gestalt therapist I care deeply about creating spaces where people feel safe, supported, and valued. My work is grounded in the belief that therapy isn’t about fixing you - because you are not broken. Instead, it’s about making room for all of you, and discovering how your experiences make sense within the wider contexts of your life and the world around you.

My path into therapy has been shaped by both professional training and lived experience. I spent seven years living in Thailand, where I built a family, started a rock climbing business and had my child. Returning to Australia as a single mother I developed resilience, and learnt how isolating it can feel when the culture around us doesn’t provide the support we need.

Loss and grief have also touched my life in many ways. Several years ago I lost my dad to cancer, and more recently my family faced the sudden loss of a young person we loved dearly. These losses have shaped me, teaching me about the transformative nature of grief and the value of paying attention to what really matters.

I have lived alongside people navigating addiction, suicidality, eating disorders, complex mental health challenges and chronic pain. This has deepened my respect for the depth of human struggle and my trust that our pain always makes sense in its full context.

Beyond the therapy room, I run a martial arts school with my family, where I’m passionate about fostering a culture of care and community. I’ve trained with grief teacher Frances Weller and hold grief rituals that honour both personal and collective loss. My involvement in climate grief groups, and my ongoing learning around trauma, gendered violence, and crisis support, will continue to shape my practice.

At the centre of it all is a belief in the power of connection - to ourselves, to each other, and to the more-than-human world. I bring sensitivity to power dynamics, awareness of the systems that shape our lives, and a commitment to inclusivity and justice. My hope is that in our work together, you feel deeply seen, supported, and able to reconnect with the wholeness that has always been within you.

At the heart of my work is the belief that healing and growth happen in relationship - with ourselves, with each other, and with the wider world we are part of. 

I practice from a Gestalt therapy perspective, which is relational, embodied, experiential, grounded in presence, and field-based. This means I pay attention not only to your inner experience, but also to the contexts that shape your life: your relationships, culture, communities, and the world we’re living in.

I see therapy as a collaborative space where we can gently notice what’s unfolding, including the patterns that may once have helped you survive but no longer serve you. Together, we explore your struggles and longings with compassion, curiosity, and honesty.

My approach is also deeply ethical. I care about how power, privilege, and marginalisation shape our lives, and I strive to create a space where all of you is welcomed. I am especially passionate about supporting women and others whose voices are often silenced or overlooked.

In this time of global uncertainty and change, many people carry grief, fear, or a sense of disconnection. I see therapy as a place to turn toward these experiences - not to be overwhelmed by them, but to find ways of staying grounded, connected, and responsive. Even in times of crisis, I believe it is possible to discover meaning, resilience, and moments of beauty.

Education

  • Masters of Gestalt Therapy; Gestalt Therapy Brisbane, 2024

  • Graduate Diploma of Gestalt Therapy; Gestalt Therapy Brisbane, 2020

Trainings

  • Entering the Healing Ground: Grief Ritual Training for the Climate Aware with Frances Weller, 2025

  • Family Constellations Therapy, 2024

  • Connecting to Country, 2023

  • Therapy as Vital Engagement, 2023

The Place Within operates on the land of the Yugarabul, Yuggera, Jagera and Turrbal Peoples. We acknowledge these peoples as the traditional custodians of this land. We pay respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all First Nations Peoples. We are committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ wisdom, culture, dreaming and ongoing connection to Country. Sovereignty was never ceded.

We also recognise the strength and diversity of all marginalised communities, including LGBTQIA+ people, and are committed to fostering an inclusive, affirming space for all.