Midlife Counselling & Life Programs
For women who want to live with more intention.
You're not alone in this.
Hi, I'm Joanna Wood, a counsellor working with midlife women who are seeking clarity, connection and direction.
Not because anything is terribly wrong. More because something has shifted. The life you built still works. But it doesn't quite fit anymore. And you're starting to notice.
Maybe the kids have left. Maybe a relationship has ended, or changed beyond recognition. Maybe you're staring down the second half of your career and wondering what it's actually for. We are the first generation of midlife women who refuse to quietly disappear. We want this chapter to mean something.
This is a liminal space. You've outgrown the old but aren't sure what comes next. That's exactly where I work.
Where would you like to start?
Each program stands on its own, or work with me one-on-one.
Client Reviews
"An amazing gift and investment in myself. Jo has created a framework and tools to help me elicit what was really important to me. Living a life aligned to my values."
— Lily, Melbourne. Living with Intention participant"Living with Intention is understanding joy is not earnt, it’s chosen. It’s making the decision to jump in and trusting the journey with others who are like-minded."
— Mel, Brisbane: Living with Intention participant"Whatever your issue, you will learn that small habits practised regularly can set you on a new path. It was so helpful designing the next chapter of my life."
— Clare, Melbourne, Living with Intention participantAbout Joanna Wood
I didn't come to this work from the outside.
I spent over 20 years in senior government roles, including 15 years as a Director and diplomatic postings to India, Vietnam and Thailand. I know what it is to be highly competent, carry a lot, and keep moving forward even when something underneath is asking for attention.
Midlife found me too. Separation. Single parenting. Repartnering. My own health and weight changes. My own process of working out who I wanted to be in this next chapter.
I hold a Master of Public Policy, a Diploma of Counselling, and training in ACT, yoga and breathwork. I bring that combination of professional rigour and lived experience to everything I do here.
Who this is for
Counselling for women aged 50–60 across Australia online or in-person in Bittern on the Mornington Peninsula.
This work is for you if you recognise yourself in any of these.
You're functioning well but ready for something to shift. You're retiring or reconsidering what work means to you now, not the financial side but the identity side. You're navigating divorce, dating again, an empty nest, a body that's changing or a world that suddenly feels like it’s looking past you. You've built a good life and you're wondering why it doesn't feel like enough. You want to move into this next chapter with intention and choice, rather than just letting it happen to you.
This is not for women in acute crisis or requiring specialist clinical support. If that's where you are, I'm happy to help you find the right person.
🌱 Counselling support
Counselling for women aged 50–60 across Australia, with in-person sessions in Bittern on the Mornington Peninsula or online. For women ready to reconnect with their voice, values and purpose.
You’ll leave each session feeling more grounded, understood, and with a clearer sense of what’s next.
The Programs
Everything I offer is built around one idea: that small, deliberate choices made with clarity and care change how a life feels.
I offer small group programs online, and I work with women one on one through individual counselling: online and in person in Bittern on the Mornington Peninsula.
Living with Intention
For women who want to live more deliberately. We clarify values, notice what's keeping you stuck, and find small realistic ways to move forward.
Learn moreDating with Intention
For women who are thinking about dating again, preparing to take that first step, or already out there and wondering why it feels so hard. Not strategy, not performance. Clarity, self-trust, and choosing from your values.
Learn moreLiving Well with GLP-1
For midlife women navigating GLP-1 who want more than just weight loss. Kind, shame-free support for the mindset, habits and identity shifts that make change last.
Learn moreThink of these programs as companions for your midlife journey: community, care and intention.
Dating with Intention
For women who are thinking about dating again, preparing to take that first step, or already out there and wondering why it feels so hard. Not strategy, not performance. Clarity, self-trust, and choosing from your values.
The Intention
After fourteen years of being single, I created the Dating with Intention Program because I know what it's like to want love without losing yourself. I was done repeating old patterns.
I stopped dating by accident and started dating with intention. I learned to centre myself, ask better questions, trust myself more and honour my values.
Yes, I found love. And my person.
Let's find your dating path, together.
Joanna x
The Quiz
Not sure where you're at with dating right now? The free Dating with Intention quiz helps you understand what's shaping your love life and what might be keeping you stuck.
- Free and private
- Takes around five minutes
- Honest personalised insights
- Helps guide your next step
The Program
Dating with Intention is a four week group experience for midlife women who want to date with clarity, self-respect and emotional maturity.
- Reconnect with your values and boundaries
- Feel calmer and more confident when dating
- Stop overthinking and second-guessing yourself
- Be supported by women walking the same path
About Joanna Wood Counselling
Joanna Wood is a counsellor based in Bittern on the Mornington Peninsula, offering online counselling across Australia and in person on the Peninsula. She works with women in midlife, typically in their 50s and 60s, who appear to have it together on the outside but feel ready for something to change.
She supports women navigating midlife transitions: retirement and identity shifts, divorce or dating again, empty nest, body and health changes, and a growing sense that the old way of living no longer fits.
Her work is warm, practical and values-based, drawing on ACT and person-centred approaches.
What Women Are Saying About Living with Intention
Designing the Next Chapter
"I wanted some help designing the next chapter of my life in retirement. Whatever your issue, you will learn that small habits practised regularly can set you on a new path. Highly recommended!"
— Clare M., Melbourne, VIC
Back to Your True North
"If you feel you may have lost your way or are out of alignment with your true north, Living with Intention is brilliant. Supportive and gentle, yet powerful. It helped me reconnect with tools, knowledge and confidence that I know I have within."
— Jenny, Canberra, ACT
So Much to Gain
"Do it. No regrets. Nothing to lose, so much to gain. I now know that I am capable of change—small steps at a time. It's a therapeutic experience where exploration of self is encouraged."
— Angelique, Cairns, QLD