Emma Furner

Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Yoga Teacher

Emma has worked in mental health & well-being for close to 20 years. She is passionate about supporting individuals experiencing challenges such as anxiety & stress, body & weight dissatisfaction, depression & low self-esteem, eating issues, trauma, mind-body disconnect, relationship problems and the complex interplay between these. She views these challenges as not just symptoms to be managed but also, as a calling for "deeper healing". It is this that often guides Emma’s work as a psychologist, yoga and psychotherapist.
 
Background
Emma’s journey into psychology began at a very early age. In growing up in a chaotic family environment, she became well-versed in trauma, mental illness, ‘reading’ people, predicting & understanding their behaviours, as well as providing ‘support’. It was simply a survival strategy. Fortunately for her, this survival strategy organically flowed into a career, and one that she can now say is a conscious life path and privilege.
 
Since graduating in 2005 she has gone on to complete further studies in Life Coaching & Counselling, Emotion-focused Therapy, Intuitive Eating, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, Somatic Psychotherapy and her preferred approach, Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). Engaging in this therapy herself, studying it and offering it to others, has now become part of her passion and purpose.
 
Emma’s journey with yoga on the other hand, began in the midst of her psychology degree, having come across a DVD for home practice. While she initially approached it as form of ‘exercise’ it didn’t take long before she started experiencing it as an integral part of her own healing, self-care and growth. Recognizing it as the deep, wisdom-based practice it is, in 2006 she travelled to the birthplace of yoga – Rishikesh, India. Here she pursued her first certification as a yoga teacher with Yogi Pramod, a disciple of Swami Rama and follower of ‘traditional Style Hatha Yoga’ & the ‘Indian Style of Astanga Yoga, Tristhana Method’. She has been studying and practicing yoga since, gaining experience/certifications in Trauma-sensitive Yoga, iRest Yoga Nidra, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga and other wisdom/energy-based healing practices such as Ayurveda, Plant-based medicines and Reiki. For many years she has been nurturing the seed of ‘student’, which she is quick to say “[I] will always & forever be”, but blossoming into ‘teacher’ over the last 10.
 
A multifaceted approach In following both the path of Western Psychology and Yoga, it’s no surprise that at the core of Emma’s personal and professional practice is a commitment to holistic well-being, becoming one’s authentic, and the importance of connecting with the body to achieve both.