About

Education and Experience

I achieved my Bachelor of Education in 1993 and my Bachelor of Social Work in 1998, both from James Cook University in Townsville. The first half of my career was spent working with families of children with special needs. I worked in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney in multidisciplinary teams and undertook extra training in complex grief reactions to having a child with special needs. I supported parents and siblings both individually and in groups. I then took a break from working to raise my children.

During the next stage of my career, I relocated to Canberra. I moved into counselling roles and began working with teens and adults in educational settings, both secondary and tertiary. I also started doing a broad-based counselling role for an employee assistance program (EAP). I loved this counselling work! In 2019, I returned to Mackay for family reasons. I then worked in a youth trauma counselling role and a generalist role for an EAP service. In 2021, I founded Salt Counselling with the goal of providing professional and compassionate counselling to teens and adults.

My Approach to Counselling 

My underpinning is Rogerian (i.e. unconditional positive regard). I am strength-based in my approach and have been influenced by narrative, acceptance, and commitment therapy as well as cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing, and solution-focussed work. I generally like to have a light touch with psychoeducation in preference for allowing you to explore and reveal layers via asking you questions. I also rely on research and studies on the brain. The impact of trauma on both the body and brain has led me to see a value in sharing these learnings. Finally, I believe the therapeutic relationship is the most vital part of the connection in counselling. If you don’t have trust and connection with your counsellor, you may not feel comfortable making yourself vulnerable. 

Why I Do This Work

I enjoy working with teens and adults who’ve had tricky or traumatic childhoods. My patients include people struggling with anxiety, depression, anger, and poor self-worth caused by other issues.  

I also love working with parents or carers of children with special needs. They have one of the most complex parenting roles on the planet. On a daily basis, they are juggling such an array of emotions within themselves and for others. They are unseen in the community and receive little to no acknowledgement. They don’t seek anything for themselves and only act for the benefit of their child.

How Can I Help You?

I provide a confidential, non-judgemental sounding board for you to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. By providing a safe space to talk through your experiences, I can help you move past issues and create awareness and relief. 

What will you gain from our time together?

Successful adjustment to changes in your life

A deeper understanding of yourself

Access to expert knowledge and skills