Be yourself;
everyone else is taken.

Oscar Wilde

In the darkest depths of my own lost identity I once said,

“Hope knows the sun has risen even when the clouds cover every ray of light”

I wonder why it is that as humans we question pain and suffering so intently, yet we continue on? Where does our endurance come from? Why are we enfolded in both weakness and in hope? How is it that some of us seem to grow in times of trouble, and others of us seemingly fall apart and crumble? How is it that in crisis there is both danger and opportunity that can break humanity, yet paradoxically make it at the same time?

Chele Yntema, 2016

WHO I AM PERSONALLY

The Questions & Answers Reside within Humanity

What if the questions were the answers? What if the paradoxes we reside in lead only to more questions and that there is no answer, there is only awareness? 

What if it is not about determining good and evil, right or wrong? Rather, what if it is about creating a coherent and connected (integrated) sense of Self; About understanding in context how and why we sense, perceive, interpret, and react the way that we do?  What if, in all that it means to be human, there can only be an internal equanimous fluidity when the Self has been held in care and nourishment, resonantly protected and nurtured in the presence of an Other?

I truly believe that although there is and always will be suffering in the world, the key to health and well-being resides in the compassionate connections that empower us to make coherent sense of the events in our lives that have shaped our identity.

As a writer and counsellor I have come to fathom that when I am connected with a “stronger Other” – someone who sees me, hears me, understands me, accepts me, values me, and also someone who delights in me – I feel internally empowered to trust the inherent knowing that is within me; I flourish in health and well-being, in flexibility and resilience no matter what the milieus of my life throw at me.

My aspiration to offer hope: to be with individuals as they move toward creating a sense of contextual coherence through co-regulated connection and compassionate collaboration.

To contribute to others well-being by articulating the wisdom of those who have been before me and those who inspire me through the exploration of the Neurobiology of Humanity as well as through my therapy practice.

Fun Facts about Chele Yntema

  • My first name is pronounced “shell”; my surname is pronounced “intema” (read more here…);
  • My heritage is Dutch – My Omie & Opie (Grandma & Grandpa) migrated from Holland in the early 1950’s;
  • When I was six my family moved to Paris where we lived (and travelled around Europe) for three years. My father worked for one of the companies that assisted in the engineering of the Channel Tunnel;
  • Like most, when I completed high school I had no idea what I wanted to do – so I studied theatre for six months – until I realised that just was not who I wanted to be. Since then I have worked as: 

    • A Barista,
    • An Interior Decorator,
    • A Marketing Coordinator,
    • A Company Manager,
    • A Ghost-Writer, and
    • A Counsellor.
  • My Personal and Professional motivation is to offer empowerment and a space for Others to be heard & valued.
  • I love language, I love literature, I have a great memory, and I love expression and authentic communication; My friend tells me I have “the most amazing expressions and a beautifully wicked laugh”.
  • I have a deep passion for Interpersonal Neuroscience and understanding what it truly means to be human. Within my own humanness I am able to recognise that my past has opened many opportunities to appreciate self-regulated awareness, acceptance, care, open curiosity, and the ability to fathom multiple perspectives, these come now as a natural alignment to many of the PACFA (2017) standards:

    • Compassion, Curiosity, & Diversity
    • Autonomy & Empowerment
    • Self-awareness & Integrity
    • Respect, Reciprocity, & Courage
    • Sincerity, Competence, & Accountability
    • Human Rights & Justice
    • Professionalism & Wisdom
  • I am a writer who takes pride in producing evidence- informed articles in health and well-being.  I have a creative style that encapsulates the beauty of language as well as the concepts I truly resonate with.
  • I am a therapist whose theoretical framework has been based in the idea that well-being resides within a coherent and connected (integrated) sense of Self; a uniquely individual flow of being (right brain) and doing (left brain): a fluidity of physiological, psychological, and relational synchrony and equanimity that produces health and wellness throughout the ever-changing milieus of life.

Most importantly, though it is challenging, my hope is to be the change I seek in the world.

WHO I AM PROFESSIONALLY

Curriculum Vitae Of Chele Yntema

As a proficient therapist Chele has worked personally and professionally in extending her passion for Complex & Developmental Trauma and its ongoing impact on children, youth, and families.  This passion has opened her heart to an appreciation for all aspects of humanity and indeed a deeply felt desire to empower her clients and bring forth generational change.

As such, Chele has established and works from a compassion focussed framework evidenced through theories of attachment, intrapersonal & interpersonal dynamics, humanism, and biopsychosocial connection.  These theories are integrated and underpinned by comprehensive knowledge of interpersonal & affective neurobiology.

Chele is looking forward to the next phase of her journey – growing within varied professional environments whilst developing practice proficiency and embodied authenticity as a therapist.

Experience

Current
Carer Counsellor
Wellways Carer Gateway
carergateway.gov.au/

2021 – 2023
Counsellor
Priceless Life
PricelessHouse.org

2018 – 2020
Manager and Content Creator
The BioMedical Institute of Yoga and Meditation
BIYOME.com.au

2017 – 2018
Ghost-Writer
Celia Roberts & Yoga & Integrative Medicine Institute
CeliaRoberts.com.au

2017- 2018
Facilitator
Road Safety Education Limited
rse.org.au

2011- 2016
Writer & Virtual Assistant
GIGI, Roxolution, & NitroFit
EstherEspinoza, Roxanne Flanagan, & Pamela Robertson

2008 – 2010
Marketing Co-Ordinator
SPACE Property Agents
SpaceProperty.com.au

2004 – 2008
Sales Consultant
Metro Tiles Corporate office
metrotiles.com.au

1999 – 2004
Waitress and Barista
Multiple Locations within Brisbane’s CBD

Education

Current
Ongoing Professional Development
BlueKnot Complex Trauma Three Phased Treatment
ACT with Dr Russ Harris
Suicide Prevention
Trauma Informed Practice
EFT / Attachment Theory in Practice
Right Use of Power – The Ethics of Power
Child & Adolescence Development Training
Working with Teens – A Toolbox of Strategies
Assessing Family Dynamics
Interpersonal Neurobiology
Non-Violent Communication
Sarah Peyton’s Neurobiology and Resonance Series

2020 – 2022
Bachelor of Counselling
Christian Heritage College
CHC.edu.au

2013 – 2016
Diploma of Counselling
Christian Heritage College
CHC.edu.au

2016
Certificate 3 in Education Support
Australian College
australiancollege.edu.au

2002 – 2003
Diploma Arts (Interior Decoration)
Commercial Arts Training College
www.catc.edu.au

1995 – 1999
High School Certification
Calvary Christian College
www.calvarycc.qld.edu.au

Expanded Details of Positions
Please view HERE

LinkedIn Recommendations
www.linkedin.com/in/cheleyntema/

Behind the Name 'Chele'

There is something quite fascinating about seashells.

Have you ever held a seashell, any kind, and observed it in its entirety? Each are unique, and even the most broken shells have a distinct beauty to them. I believe it is from the way they form:

Shells form from the bottom up, growing continually with the being that emits it. The paradox that creates their unique beauty is that the calcified carbonate that emanates from the sea creature does so in differing directions over a lifespan. This creates two inner layers, and an outer layer in which a multiplicity of colours and patterns generate an exquisite shape and incandescence. More fascinatingly, shells are formed in ever-changing manners and are unique to the animal that inhibits them and environment that surrounds them. They are externally strong while still soft internally. Their design is that of protection.

I believe I have been called to be Chele: formed from the bottom up paradoxically in many different directions. My journey this far has given my character layer upon layer of virtuous strength while still providing a soft heart filled with compassion. I feel that though inside I hold many a weakness, I am within a life of protection; a life designed for virtuous advocacy, where my past is the pattern of growth that creates my uniqueness, and potentially an inner exquisiteness that radiates incandescence into the world around me.