What is my why?

People sometimes think that being a counsellor must be a painful and difficult profession to enter into. In actual fact, I don't find it to be like that at all. I am endlessly fascinated by the challenge and diversity of the human experience. I love my brave clients who want to dive deep in a world that is often shallow. It is an absolute privilege to witness and support another person making discoveries about themselves and exploring how they can live their best lives.

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Having worked in education for 25 years I've worked with many children who have had difficulty regulating their emotions and I've met hundreds of parents who feel challenged by the complexity of parenting in a world that seems to get crazier by the minute. Anxiety seems to be running the show and parents often feel at a loss as to how to manage their own emotional responses, let alone their child's. Supporting parents to soothe their own anxiety, understand their child's emotions and build emotional connection is a particular passion of mine. 

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Life is an endless series of ups and downs; pain, loss, frustration, trauma, disappointment and grief come to visit us all at some point. I'm drawn to working with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as it recognises this and does not set up false promises that life will always be a bed of roses. ACT can show a way to handle difficult thoughts and feelings more effectively so that they have less impact on a person's life as they move in the direction of their values. 

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So what else do I do?

Sometimes I think I am a bit of a psychology nerd. I'm always reading and furthering my knowledge about mental health and how to work with people experiencing difficult emotions. To be honest, I haven't read a novel in absolute ages. Something I really need to make more time for. So when I'm not being a psychology nerd I like to play music and sing. I like improvising mostly as it is music made in the moment. I dabble around with bass guitar, acoustic guitar, clarinet and keyboard.

Printmaking using a gelli plate and mixed media collage are things that have come out of my art room. I also love to mess around with paint, glue and torn up paper, inspirational quotes and random thoughts. While I call it art journalling, my friend called me a secret scrapbooker. Then there is also patchwork, bikeriding and yoga. These are all on the "I really must get back to doing" list. We all have one of those, don't we? Here's to living more of the life that I have imagined.

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Qualifications & Professional Development

2019       Motivational Interviewing for Behaviour Change

2019       Certificate in Sandplay Therapy, Sandplay Australia

2018       Masters of Counselling, Monash University

2018       ACT for Beginners (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy), Russ Harris

2018       Playful Therapy for Children, Sydney Centre for Creative Change

2018       Tree of Life, Sydney Centre for Creative Change

2018       Safetalk, LivingWorks Education Australia

2017       Safe Schools, DET, Vic

2017       Berry Street Education Model Unit 2, Berry Street Childhood Institute

2017       ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Support Training), LivingWorks Education Australia

2016       SAFEMinds, DET, Victoria

2016       Calmer Classrooms

2016       Certificate in Disability Training Levels 1,2 & 3

2015       Abecedarian Approach to At-Risk Pre-School Children

2009       Circle Time

2009       Restorative Practice Level 1

2009       Leading Professional Learning (Monash University)

2001       Grad Dip of Education (Primary), La Trobe University

2000       Bachelor of Arts (Sociology/Women’s Studies), La Trobe University