Current
Wellways Carer Gateway
Carer Counsellor

Stemming from a heart and justice-based value for women and children, in combination with my growing desire to understand the complexities of developmental trauma, mental illness, and/or neurodiversity as they intermediate with family dynamics and intergenerational trauma, I undertook a role at Wellways as a Carers Counsellor within the Australian Government Program – Carer Gateway. It is my role and certainly my honour to provide counselling to carers, as well as to identified young carers (5-25) where required.

Within this position I quickly began recognising the lasting impacts of intergenerational trauma and the caring role over lifespan development – this deeply resonating with my passion for attachment and family dynamics and how we learn to cope with adversity. This recognition allowing me to continue to cultivate and refine my skills in multiple areas – to name a few:

• Working with carers with significant and accumulated levels of burnout and trauma. This includes those that have diagnosis of cPTSD, PTSD, BPD, depression, anxiety, as well as AuDHD, ADHD, ASD
• Working with parents/grandparents/siblings of children with neurodevelopmental disorders including & not limited to:
  • ASD/ADHD/AuDHD
  • Developmental trauma/CPTSD
  • Conduct and/or communication disorders
  • Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders
• Working with young adults as they leave their home environment and begin to recognise the impacts their family dynamic has had on their identity.
• Developing and maintaining therapeutic relationships that focus on a commitment to trauma-informed diverse and inclusive practice based in human rights and universal needs.
• Primary interventions based in the paramount need for carers to have a safe meaningful interaction that opens space for the emergence of an internal sense trust in the Self as resonantly seen, heard, understood, accepted, valued, and delighted in. For example, facilitation of Self-concept, Self-efficacy, Self-esteem, and Self-expression.
• Applications of trauma-informed therapy including, yet not limited to, co-regulation, containment, compassion, collaboration, and creating coherent narratives (sense-making).
• Applications of psychoeducation and explorations of attachment, power dynamics, communication patterns, boundaries, system influence, and the like.
• Assessing and monitoring well-being through evidence-based measures including DASS, risk assessment, safety planning, and client feedback.
• Client contact between sessions / follow up when necessary.
• Case conceptualisation & application.
• Calendar & case note management.
• Understanding organisation structure & process.
• Commitment to Ongoing Supervision & Reflective Practices.
• Commitment to ethical & Professional standards

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August 2021 – August 2023
Priceless House
Counsellor

I was initially drawn to Priceless House due to the organisations foundational mission to accompany women through pregnancy in difficult circumstances – this deeply resonated with my value of integrated services and empowering women through autonomous choice.  I was accepted for placement and began my journey with Priceless House in 2021 and soon realised that this organisation was far more than offering access to pregnancy support.  Indeed, within my time with Priceless House I have come to understand the deep nature of the organisation and their undertaking to accompany women not only through pregnancy, so too through the first year of motherhood.  I have been blessed to journey with many women ranging from ages 19-38 who have come to Priceless House for help in navigating the many stages of their pregnancy or parenting journey.  Within this experience I have continued to cultivate my skills in:

• Developing and maintaining therapeutic relationships that focus on a commitment to diverse and inclusive practice
• Interventions based on human rights, safety, compassion, and motivated collaboration.
• Applications of trauma informed therapy – including crisis, developmental, intergenerational trauma; DFV; risk and safety awareness and planning; grief and loss.
• Applications of psychoeducation and explorations of attachment, power dynamics, communication patterns, boundaries, system influence, and the like.
• Group Processes – the opportunity to co-facilitate of Circle of Security Group Programme.
• Client contact between sessions / follow up when necessary
• Case conceptualisation and application
• Case Note management & Case Presentations within staff meetings
• Understanding organisation structure and process
• Commitment to Ongoing Supervision and Reflective Practices
• Ethical and Professional standards

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September 2018 – June 2020
The BioMedical Institute of Yoga and Meditation by Celia Roberts
Manager and Content Creator

Content Creator

As content creator I was afforded the opportunity to utilise existing research, understanding, and the immeasurable practice wisdom Celia presented from her 20 years of experience alongside my own grounding in research of the neurobiology of lifestyle medicine, to restructure, recreate, and rewrite the content on offer at The BioMedical Institute of Yoga and Meditation.  This included in depth analysis of the evidence for traditional practices of yoga and meditation.  Such analysis included providing evidence and understanding of Yoga and Meditation for Lifestyle Medicine, Personalized BioMedical Yoga for specified psychobiological ailments, as well as the following specialised evidence-informed and neurobiological explanations for:

• Meditation & Mind Body Medicine.
• Kundalini Yoga Therapy.
• Food-Mood Yoga and Meditation Therapy.
• Integrative Restoration Practices: Yoga Nidra & Restorative Yoga.
• Trauma Informed Yoga and Meditation.

Manager

Over the 22 months I worked for BIYOME as manager, I was privileged to utilize my existing skills whilst also gaining a new level of knowledge in creating administration systems and working within WordPress.  My duties included, yet were not limited to:

• Managing student online learning accounts including course materials and assessment items
• Managing financial flow from students including invoicing, monthly aged receivables, and overdue accounts
• Managing biyome.com.au & celiaroberts.com.au including updating site pages, blog posts, and liaising with the website designer in maintaining updates and changes
• Managing and updating external sites including Vimeo, YouTube, Google for Business, Google Suite emails, as well as Yoga Australia & Meditation Australia platforms when needed
• Organising face-to-face teacher training, specialty intensive training, and retreat timetables including liaising with senior yoga teachers and yoga therapists, university lecturers, psychologists and social workers, and physiotherapists, as well as managing enrolments, sending welcome and follow up emails
• Creating weekly newsletters and maintaining the company database
• Receiving and responding to student emails
• All other ad hoc duties as requested.

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July 2017- September 2018
Celia Roberts & Yoga & Integrative Medicine Institute

Writer
Initially beginning with Celia as a blog ghostwriter, my work has expanded to multiple administration and organizational duties as well as managing and updating https://celiaroberts.com.au.  Albeit mostly volunteer work, I find immense enjoyment assisting in writing integrative articles and supporting Celia in bringing her clients the most up to date easily accessible information.  Moreover, mid 2018 brought the opportunity to work in the same capacity for Celia’s parent company YIMI.  My current position at YIMI involves updating course manuals and assisting in the creation of multiple choice test questions and reflective activities.

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March 2017- January 2018
Road Safety Education Limited

Facilitator
RYDA is a series of practical and powerful workshops for high school students that challenge students to change the way they think about road safety and lay the foundation for safe road use throughout their lives.

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2011- 2016
Various Companies

Freelance Writer & Virtual Assistant
 Passionate about change, I contributed to articles within youth magazines, health and fitness sites, as well as a geology site.  Through this work I ascertained self-management skills as well as the ability to transform my writing for a variety of audiences.  Specifically, my position involved:
* Researching topics and writing inspirational and informative articles for GIGI, Little Miss GIGI, Forever Woman, Roxolution/GeoEpok, as well as NitroFit;
* Creating and sending a monthly newsletter to subscribers;
* Creating and sending promotional material to subscribers;

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2008 – 2010 (Resigning for maternity leave)
SPACE Property Agents

Marketing Coordinator
I was responsible for organising the marketing requirements for approximately eight real estate agents. During this time I realised many aspects of myself both personally and professionally, I accomplished and learnt many new skills including:
* Developing a proficiency in organisation and time management;
* Building rapport with suppliers and promotional providers;
* Taking on board the responsibility for weekly advertising deadlines, urgent marketing requirements and requests, management of emails, as well as assignment projects and new marketing developments;
* Invoicing advertising to clients and receiving payments in QuickBooks;
* Handling the agent’s listings and personal promotional material;

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2004 – 2008
Metro Tiles Corporate office

Sales Consultant
Metro Tiles gave me the opportunity to:
* Advance the skills I learnt at College and adapt them into both the domestic and commercial design industry;
* Extend my design ideas and put into practice the skills I took from my diploma;
* Sharpen my creativity and become adept in creating diverse designs;
* Liaise with customers and regular clients to create innovative interior solutions;
* Create a rapport with many international suppliers.

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1999 – 2004

Waitress and Barista
Over the years, I was a waitress I became adept in customer service skills, which I still use to this day in many applications.