Trauma Support Providers

Lisa is a registered Psychologist with over 10 years experience working in the pubic and private sector with both adults and children from the age of 7 onwards. She has a Masters in Mental Health specialising in Psychotherapy and is currently undertaking a second Masters in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in Trauma-informed Therapy. Lisa has the flexibility to see a variety of presentations but trauma and anxiety are her passion areas. Lisa has worked with people who have experienced trauma from different areas of their lives whether it be from a car accident or sexual abuse. Lisa was also the winner of the ACISA Stress and Trauma Scholarship for best research proposal in 2017. Lisa ensures she receives good quality supervision and keeps up to date with the latest therapeutic techniques. On a more personal note, Lisa is passionate about her work and has a very warm and empathic approach with her clients. Lisa likes to work from a collaborative standpoint where both client and therapist work together to heal.

Lorraine has over 20 year’s clinical experience with a specific focus in the areas of complex trauma, sexual assault, domestic violence, mental health, grief and loss. She has held roles as a Counsellor, Group Work Facilitator, Manager, Trainer and Supervisor in a range of organisations. Lorraine has worked in the Child Protection Unit at Sydney Children’s Hospital, the Sexual Assault Unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Additionally, she has worked in a child sexual assault counselling and resource centre (Dympna House), at NSW Rape Crisis, Family and Community Services, the Child Abuse Prevention Service and Blueknot Foundation (formerly Adults Survivors of Child Abuse).

Lorraine uses an integrative, curious, collaborative and empowering approach with her clients. Her practice is strengths based and focussed on client centred resilience. She uses a range of therapeutic modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Schema Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, and Positive Psychology. She is a trainer, mentor and coach in Hypnotherapy, Time Line Therapy® and NLP Coaching. Lorraine was involved in the development of a groupwork program for adult survivor’s childhood sexual assault and she regularly facilitates groups using this approach.

Lorraine is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and an Approved Specialist Counsellor for Victims Services NSW. Lorraine currently provides long and short term counselling, telephone counselling, fly in fly out counselling in regional NSW, group work programs, training and supervision via her private practice in Ashfield and over the internet and telephone.

Louise is an experienced social worker and therapist based in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. With over 12 years of experience, Louise has supported individuals of all ages to work through challenging situations. Specialising in working with perinatal concerns, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, addiction, eating disorders, and relationship difficulties - she also relishes working with people from the LGBTIQ community.

Louise's style of counselling is strengths-based delivered in a gentle and non-confrontational manner. She aims to empower individuals to find solutions that work best for them, and uses a holistic approach to combine different techniques tailored to the individual. Louise draws from Humanistic and Relational Psychotherapy, Narrative Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and is passionate about creating a safe and comfortable environment where people can talk freely about their situation.

Louise's qualifications include a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Master’s Degree in Social Work, Master’s Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Louise is a registered member of Australian Association of Social Workers as an Approved Mental Health Social Worker.

BPsychSci(Hons), MPsych(Clinical), PhD (candidate), MAPS, FCCLP, MACPA, MEMDRAA, MAICD

Max is a clinical psychologist working in the public and private health sectors. He currently holds several appointments at Monash Health where he provides specialist consultation and liaison to regarding complex psychiatric disorders. He is the director of MVS Psychology Group, a private practice on Collins Street, Melbourne.

Max also teaches at Melbourne University and sits on the Cairnmillar Institute's Clinical Research Advisory Board. He is actively engaged in multiple ongoing research projects and has several key publications in the area of resilience and trauma. Max has also worked as a consultant at Murdoch Children's Research Institute and The Royal Children's Hospital and has been interviewed by ABC radio for his expert opinion on mental health.

Max has worked extensively with adolescents, adults and older-adults through his work at major hospitals, as well as remote and rural communities affected by depression, anxiety and bushfire related trauma.

Mel is a Clinical Psychologist working across the lifespan seeing children, adolescents, and adults of all ages. As a former Detective with the Queensland Police Mel has over 20 years experience in the field of trauma and adverse life experiences. She uses many treatment modalities to ensure the right assistance is provided to any individual or couple who attend her practice. Some of the therapies Mel has trained in include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Gottman Method for Relationships. These therapies have a good evidence base to overcome difficulties such as sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, workplace stress, chronic and persistent pain, post-traumatic stress, grief and loss, and adjustment. Adjustment can involve: a new role or responsibility in the workplace; physical illness; or physical injury. Psychological intervention can assist with adjusting to any temporary or permanent change in an individual’s life.

I have worked in both the government and community sectors as a social worker for over 43 years. I also have an MA in Social Science Research, Keele University, UK.

I worked with homeless young people doing outreach on the streets of Inner City Brisbane, managing Brisbane Youth Service for 15 years, and working in a teenage residential care home in Birmingham, Social Services, UK. I also worked for the Queensland AIDS Council developing HIV prevention programs targeting young men in the 1980s. I did tutoring in the Social Work courses at the University of Queensland and Carseldine Campus of Queensland University of Technology, and research projects on outreach youth work around Australia, conditions for people living in inner city Brisbane boarding houses, and public drunkenness. I also worked in the government sector managing youth detention centres, coordinating policy in child abuse prevention, managing statewide youth justice policy and programs and statewide funding programs for youth at risk and homelessness.

More recently, I have worked as a child and youth mental health social worker in the Western Downs at Dalby Hospital, and as an adult mental health social worker at the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Services. I also worked as a social worker in the Emergency Department of Logan Hospital, and Mental Health Counsellor at Norfolk Island Hospital twice.

Over the past 6 years, I have worked at Micah Projects Ltd providing case management support to Forgotten Australians abused in institutional care, and was recently Team Leader of Lotus Place - supporting participants to access counselling, mental health, primary health care, housing, Centrelink, Public Trust, NDIS, legal services, National Redress Scheme, brokerage funds, records and relatives, healing programs, peer support groups, events, resources and advocacy. I was previously Team Leader of Partners In Recovery (PIR) team at Micah Projects - providing case coordination for people with severe and persistent mental illness with complex needs in the inner city area of Brisbane. I am currently a Counsellor with the Disability Royal Commission team that is part of Lotus Support Services at Micah Projects Ltd.

I have also:
• provided regular training workshops as part of Induction Training for Child Safety Officers throughout Queensland about lessons learned for practice resulting from State and Federal Inquiries and Royal Commissions into child abuse and neglect
• presented workshops on Psychoactive Medications, Safety Check Lists, Treatment and Support Services, and Strategies and Resources to housing tenancy managers
• run workshops on resilience and self-care for PIR managers and staff in the Metro South Primary Health Network
• delivered a training workshop on Housing First as a foundation for recovery for PIR managers and staff in the Metro South Primary Health Network.

Deverneuil Psychology is comprised of a small group of clinical psychologists who endeavour to offer you a fair, respectful and professional service. Our goal is to work with you and provide you a safe environment in which you can learn the skills to manage your trauma, feel empowered and improve your daily functioning. Based on your needs, goals and requests we work with you using the most appropriate evidence based therapy including EMDR.

As a survivor of complex trauma myself it has become a passion of mine to work alongside people who are making their way through fear, painful emotion, and intense bodily-experienced trauma symptoms. So I like to share what works for me and why, plus what didn't work. As a clinical social worker I bring a holistic approach to wellness and recovery; I have worked as a manager of a secondary school counselling service, managed a branch of Relationships Australia, served as a social worker in an adult mental health setting in Perth plus I have been in private practice since last century. As a father of adult children I have a commitment to family safety and have served on many family and domestic violence project teams. I'm very aware of the harms that can happen in religious organisations and non-religious ones; I remain curiously interested in what helps people from their spirituality and how I can support and work with that. I still let myself get thrilled as people become more empowered, self-regulated, calmer and more confident of getting in charge of anxiety and mood symptoms. So many brain-based evidence-based strategies are becoming available that are exciting to share; the person does not have to fit some 'model' since together we find things that suit the client. If a client becomes overwhelmed I like to hear about it right away so we can get to do something else designed to get the client feeling back in charge promptly. I know I am doing a good job when a client can do this in less than 2 minutes. I like to maximise safety in the room (e.g. I explain if I need to leave my chair to get materials and check if that is ok) and I'm happy to take the session outside if that helps a client feel safer; I maximise a client's choice and ask permission to try interventions once the client knows what they are; I like to work together with a client to work things out rather than assuming I know what is going on and why and what needs to happen. I'm a member of the Perth-based Complex Trauma Mental Health Professional Network and routinely attend meetings and workshops on working with people who have lived experience of trauma. If it turns out that my service is not the best fit I have places I can refer people to in Perth but not many outside of Perth. Appointments are for 50 minutes; waiting times are generally less than a week or two. Complex trauma cases can require longer term treatment (10 sessions really provide too little but can make a good start to stabilising symptoms; some people still find value continuing weekly or fortnightly for more than a year when they feel the need). I work in GP surgeries in rooms equipped for doctors' use, a space familiar to many. For rural or remote clients I can use Skype or FaceTime at a time that suits both of us. If you think my service might be a good fit for you I look forward to your contact.
sincerely
Owen Robinson

Dr Patricia Sherwood has 25 years experience working with children, adolescents and adults using a holistic approach to therapy that engages the body and mind. She has specialised in trauma recovery particularly in relation to sexual abuse, violence recovery and ptsd. Dr Sherwood also trains counsellors and has published extensively in counselling and in creative and meaningful approaches to therapy. She works to empower the client to take control over their own lives and focuses on brief interventions rarely over 6 sessions.

She uses non verbal mediums of expression such as colour, sand, clay for those clients who prefer this approach.

Pauline has completed a Graduate Diploma in Social Sciences (Psychology) and a Bachelor of Social Science with Honours at the University of New England. She subsequently finished her Master of Psychology (Clinical) at the Australian Catholic University. Pauline is a registered psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia and a member of the Australian Psychological Society.

Pauline has gained experience conducting cognitive and behavioural assessments, and working with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, emotion regulation difficulties, grief and loss, stress, adjustment difficulties, personality difficulties, and complex trauma. She has worked with clients of varying ages, from children through to older adults, along with clients from culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Furthermore, Pauline has experience working with clients individually as well as in group settings. She utilises a range of evidence-based therapies, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, modifying treatment to each client’s individual needs, goals, and values in order to assist clients in meeting their treatment goals and improving their quality of life.

Pauline’s main interests include complex trauma, depression, anxiety, stress, management, adjustment difficulties, and grief and loss.