Mental health | Couples Therapy | Individual Relationship Support | Trauma & Abuse Recovery
The Enmeshment/Undeveloped Self Schema: When You Don't Know Where You End and Others Begin
Do you struggle to know what you want, or feel your sense of self gets lost in your closest relationships? The Enmeshment schema may explain why — discover where it comes from and how schema therapy can help.
The Self-Sacrifice Schema: When Giving to Others Comes at the Cost of Yourself
Do you give endlessly to others but struggle to attend to your own needs — or feel guilty when you try? The Self-Sacrifice schema may be driving that pattern — discover where it comes from and how schema therapy can help.
The Social Isolation/Alienation Schema: When You Feel Like You Don't Belong Anywhere
Do you feel like you've never quite belonged, or that there's an invisible wall between you and real connection? The Social Isolation schema may explain that persistent sense of alienation — and schema therapy can help.
The Mistrust/Abuse Schema: When You're Always Waiting to Be Hurt
Do you find it hard to trust people, or expect to be hurt or betrayed in relationships? The Mistrust/Abuse schema may be at the heart of it — discover where it comes from, how it shapes your life, and how schema therapy can help.
The Defectiveness/Shame Schema: When You Believe Something Is Fundamentally Wrong With You
Do you carry a quiet sense that something is fundamentally wrong with you? The Defectiveness/Shame schema is one of the most painful early maladaptive schemas, discover where it comes from, how it shapes your life, and how schema therapy can help.
About KylieHi, I’m Kylie Walls, a registered psychologist and the founder of Refuge Psychology.
My practice is shaped by professional experience, research, and a long-standing commitment to supporting people navigating complex emotional, relational, and faith-related experiences. I have worked with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and faith traditions, and I have also held volunteer and professional roles within church and ministry contexts. These experiences have deepened my understanding of the unique dynamics that can arise when wellbeing, identity, and faith intersect — and the importance of care that is both sensitive and clinically grounded.
I have published research on control, attachment, and emotional regulation, and have previously worked as a Domestic and Family Violence Advisor within a faith-based organisation. I began my career as a teacher and later spent time working in photography, but my ongoing interest in people — their stories, relationships, and inner worlds — led me into psychological practice. I bring both professional and lived experience to my work in a way that is clinically grounded, respectful, and client-led.
Areas of Interest
I offer support to adults who may be:
Managing general mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, grief, or life transitions — whether or not these are connected to faith or ministry.
Navigating confusing, painful, or high-pressure experiences in church or ministry environments, including those recovering from spiritual abuse, coercion, or high-control faith settings, including cults.
Pastors, ministry leaders, and caregivers experiencing stress, burnout, role strain, or relational challenges within ministry or leadership roles.
Experiencing domestic and family violence, coercive control, or destructive relationship patterns — whether in intimate partnerships, family, community, or faith-based contexts.
Experiencing scrupulosity / Religious OCD or distress related to rigid or fear-based beliefs.
Facing workplace challenges, including bullying, power imbalances, role strain, or organisational conflict, and the emotional toll these experiences can create.
Couples seeking support around communication, connection, conflict patterns, recovery after relational harm, infidelity, or navigating values and expectations within relationships.
Inclusive and Client-Led Care
While I have a particular interest in supporting people from faith backgrounds, I welcome clients from all backgrounds. My focus is on providing compassionate, trauma-informed, and ethical psychological care that honours each person’s values, experiences, and goals for wellbeing.
This is a collaborative space, shaped by your needs and values.
