zoë hancock
founder & principle of SexWit
sexologist
sex & relationship therapist
psychotherapist
professional memberships & associations
WAS - World Association for Sexual Health
SAS - Society of Australian Sexologists
AOFS - Asia Oceania Federation for Sexology
ASRHA - Australiasian Sexual & Reproductive Health Alliance
ASHM - Australiasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis & Sexual Health Medicine
UNESCO - Global Health & Education (GHE) Community
AASW - Australian Association of Social Workers
Blue Knot Foundation
- National Centre for Excellence for Complex Trauma
It's our desire @ SexWit to help you heal, thrive & cultivate healthy, pleasurable & satisfying sexual & personal relationships - for the life you truly desire!
Welcome. I'm Zoë.
I'm a qualified & experienced Sexologist, Psychotherapist, Sex & Relationship Therapist, (& past mental health clinician & clinical social worker), with over 23 years experience.
I'm a sex-positive practitioner, committed to providing a safe, healing, empathic, therapeutic space.
My deep desire is to help alleviate suffering, & rather, to provide a space where people can transform, heal & thrive. I see my work as a part of the bigger picture of all other healing professions. In this way, I value an individual & collective vision of healing
I have previously worked as therapist in community based, government & acute specialist teams supporting people from a variety of vast & varied backgrounds inclusive of diverse cultures, spiritual practices & abilities.
These include the Victorian AIDS Council (now Thorn Harbour Health), Chronic Pelvic Pain Clinic, Gynaecology & Oncology @ Royal Women's Hospital, Urology, Breast @ the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre - Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre - VCCC), ATSI, refugee & asylum seeker counsellor, advocate & adviser, university student counsellor & program director, Victims of Crime counsellor/manager, disability program manager, Senior Mental Health Clinician, & Senior AH On-Call Clinical Social Worker @ RWH & RMH
I support queer, sex & gender diverse identifying folx, sex workers, first nations peoples, refugees & asylum seekers, migrants & people from multicultural backgrounds & vast socio-political cultures, children, youth, elderly, families, couples & individuals.
I work with individuals supported by the NDIS
For a comprehensive list of presentations or issues we work with see the services section. We use an approach that works with the body, mind & spirit to enable healing.
Sex Therapy is psychosexual talk therapy & touch is not involved (it may however be encouraged between couples/partners within sessions).
My tertiary qualifications include a post-graduate degree & masters studies in Sexology & Social Work, Philosophy & Theology Bachelor Degrees
I employ a sex-positive, trauma informed, integrative & psychosexual approach using various therapies - (because we are complex humans!) : person-centred, interpersonal, existential, gestalt, humanist, narrative, ACT/mindfulness, cognitive & behavioural (incl CBT), exposure, somatic, psychoanalytic (Jungian), DBT, & psychodynamic, incorporating principles of Self-Actualisation & Individuation. I also use Attachment Theory & various Sexological tools to help shift distress, address trauma, encourage growth & enable change - individual or partnered
I draw heavily upon the world-renowned work of Belgium-born Psychotherapist & Sex Therapist Esther Perel, as well as celebrated psychosexual experts & researchers such as Betty Dodson, Emily Nagoski, Michaela Boehm, Jack Morin, Emily & Barry McCarthy & Douglas Braun-Harvey, to name but a few
I am trained in The Gottman Method & offer this for relationships -couples/polycule & sexually diverse, as well as individual coping strategies
The Gottman Method offers an evidenced-based wisdom steeped in over 40 years of longitudinal peer-reviewed studies. It's designed to create more satisfying, pleasurable, contented, exciting & lasting relationships
Most importantly, I foster empathy & connection with clients, offering wisdom & knowledge over & above reliance on hard & fast formulas or generic worksheets. But rest assured, any homework offered will be tailored to your needs & is usually fun!
I have been interviewed by Channel Nine News regarding sex toys in the time of COVID-19, & local radio station Queer & Now Radio
Program, Main 94.9 FM Castlemaine Victoria, discussing SMSM (straight men who have sex with men), & hyper-sexual or out of control sexual behaviours (commonly known as sex addiction)
You will find interesting posts on the SexWit counselling & sexology facebook page, so please, come & say hello!
I take great pride in the progress and success of the folks I assist & I look forward to working with you
photo © Zoe Hancock
she oak falls
great ocean road
"...i'm reminded of three rules we came up with, rules to live by.
& im just going to tell you what they are
because they came in really handy.
because things happen so fast it always good to have a few like, watchwords to fall back on.
& the first one is...
one.
don't be afraid of anyone. now, can you imagine living your life afraid of no one?
two.
get a really good bullshit detector.
& three.
three is be really really tender...
...& with those three things you dont need anything else..."
- Laurie Anderson