ACCREDITED MENTAL HEALTH SOCIAL WORKER In the Hunter Valley
About Me
If you are visiting for the first time, I hope this offers a gentle sense of who I am and the kind of care I try to offer. Reaching out for support can feel vulnerable, and my hope is to create a space that feels warm, safe, and respectful of your story, your pace, and your capacity for healing.
MY BACKGROUND
My Background
My journey in human services and welfare began in 1995 as a volunteer telephone counsellor with Lifeline, while studying for a Diploma in Community Welfare at TAFE. That early experience helped shape not only the direction of my career, but also the kind of practitioner I wanted to become. It was there that my values of advocacy, compassion, and social justice became firmly rooted, and those values continue to guide the way I walk alongside people in my work today.
I later completed a Bachelor of Social Work at Charles Sturt University in 2009, which further strengthened my commitment to trauma-informed, person-centred care. Since then, I have worked with people from many different backgrounds across government and non-government services, as well as internationally in the Solomon Islands. That experience deepened my understanding of the importance of respect, relationship, and community in healing, and it continues to influence the way I hold space for others.
MY WORK
My Work
I founded Free Spirit Counselling and work in private practice from Seva House. Much of my work involves supporting victim-survivors of crime, including women, men, and children. I also provide professional supervision to social workers and students.
I have extensive experience supporting people affected by sexual abuse, domestic and family violence, grief and loss, life transitions, carer stress, complex trauma, and other deeply distressing emotional experiences. I have worked with young people who have been harmed, as well as those who have caused harm to others. I enjoy working with children, adolescents, women, and men of all ages, and I value creating a space where people feel safe, supported, and gently encouraged as they move toward healing.
Qualifications and Therapeutic Approaches
I am an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AASW), Clinical Resource Therapist, and Breathwork Facilitator.
- Conscious Connected Breathwork
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Relational Integrative EMDR
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Radical Exposure Tapping
- Clinical Resource Therapy
- Art Therapy
- Registered Victim Services Counsellor
My Approach to Therapy
Within the therapy space, I aim to offer an authentic, compassionate, non-judgemental, and nurturing environment where each person feels safe, heard, and respected. I believe healing is deeply personal and does not follow a single path, so I work in a way that honours each person’s pace, strengths, values, and unique story.
My hope is to walk alongside clients as they make sense of their experiences, reconnect with their inner resources, and gently move toward greater understanding, resilience, and hope.
Ready to Work With Me?
Reaching out for support takes courage. I’d be glad to walk alongside you, at your own pace.