Trauma Support Providers

Alikki Russell has worked as a psychologist in private practice for over 10 years. Alikki has a particular interest in trauma (PTSD and Complex Developmental Trauma) and dissociation.

Alikki uses a multi-modal approach in the assessment and treatment of her clients, based on their individual needs and goals, including Trauma Model Therapy, Schema Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Neurofeedback, Body-based therapies, and elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

Alikki is a Board Certified Neurofeedback (BCN) practitioner with the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA), is a Board Approved Mentor in Neurofeedback for the BCIA-A, is on the Membership Committee of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), is a member of the Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Association of Australia (EMDRAA), an EEG Education and Research Affiliate Member, and is the co-ordinator for the Newcastle Complex Trauma Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN).

I work fulltime as a therapist with Aftercare at Floresco in Ipswich and wider West Moreton region. Floresco is a holistic integrated service providing a ‘one stop shop’ for people between the ages of 18-64 with mental health issues, as well as their carers and family members. Floresco provides a tailored and holistic service for people to work on their mental health and other comorbidities as individuals, in group support, mutual support and self-help; in the community as well as at home to allow a person to lead a functional and fulfilling life. Being based at Floresco means that individuals can receive counselling and holistic mental health support if needed in a welcoming community based service.
Over the past 13 years I have worked in non-government organisations that are committed to assisting children, young people, adults and families who have been impacted by trauma and abuse. Prior to joining Floresco I was a clinical team leader at a domestic and sexual violence service in Ipswich. In this role I worked with a compassionate and dedicated team of counsellors who strived to understand the lived experience of survivors and assist them in their healing process.

I have completed extensive trauma and attachment training including: Norman Doidge, John Briere, Allan Schore, Dan Siegel, Dan Hughs, Bruce Perry, Stephen Porges, Pat Ogden, Australian Childhood Foundation, Circle of Security (10 day intensive, 4 day DVD program and 2 day core sensitivities). I have also trained in various therapeutic modalities including, ACT, IPT, DBT, CBT, SFT, Narrative and Family Therapy. I receive regular internal and external supervision to assist me to continue to learn and grow in my efforts to be a valuable resource for individuals who seek to engage in counselling.

I have a special interest in animal assisted therapy and love to include my Standard Poodle, Jester in therapy sessions with individuals who are comfortable with this. Jester and I have completed a six day intensive Canine Assisted Therapy Course at the Lead the Way Institute in Melbourne.

Ann is a highly skilled and compassionate counsellor with over 25 years’ professional experience. She is an active member of the AASW. In addition to her private practice, she has a substantial background working in a range of clinical and counselling settings. Over the last twelve years Ann has provided effective therapeutic support for clients and their families who have experienced the ongoing effects of complex trauma and PTSD.
Ann has a compassionate and warm approach to counselling and she is strongly committed to providing a respectful, non-judgmental and trusting space for clients to discuss their concerns. Ann genuinely listens and works with her clients collaboratively, helping them to work through their challenges and identify practical pathways to positive change and growth. Through this process clients start to feel empowered and gain the confidence to address the challenging issues they are managing. Clients identify their strengths and are able to find genuine and constructive workable strategies that facilitate significant and lasting change in their personal circumstances and relationships.
Ann tailors each counselling session to support the client’s needs and goals. She uses a range of different therapeutic techniques, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Trauma Therapies. She regularly undertakes training and professional development to ensure she is up date with the best evidence based approaches that are available. Ann is committed to supporting clients to make the changes they want, to live their life with increased hope and confidence.

My work focuses on working with people who are struggling with their emotional world, have repeated problems in relationships, or have difficulty with their sense of who they are. I have significant experience working with people in recovery from trauma, and also offer supervision to people working in helping professions.

I hold many years experience in the health & welfare sectors in Melbourne, and have experience working with people with a range of health issues, as well as people affected by trauma, homelessness, long term unemployment, mental health or drug and alcohol issues. I have been working in private practice since 2007 and also work in a community agency with people who have experienced violence.

Belal is an AHPRA endorsed Educational and Developmental Psychologist that has worked in numerous roles over 10+ years working with children, adolescents, and families with a history of significant trauma and attachment disruption and related social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Belal also has experience working with child, adolescent and adult clients presenting with learning, developmental and intellectual disabilities, including difficulties with Pervasive Developmental (PDD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and associated emotional regulation and behavioural difficulties in both family and group home settings.

Belal has ranging interests, for example, completing his post graduate research on Burnout, Secondary and Vicarious Trauma among child protection practitioners working in the Child Welfare sector. Belal has also previously conducted research exploring the impact of audio/visual cues and multi-modal learning on children's language development. Further, Belal is also interested in working with children and adults with anxiety disorders, including panic agoraphobia, social anxiety/phobia and generalised anxiety.

Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology
Adolescent and Adult
Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, Stress, Confidence and Self-Esteem, Work Transitions

I have been practicing as a psychologist with general registration for 22 years. I have been working in private practice now for 9 years. Throughout my career I have worked constantly with patients who have experienced complex trauma. I spent 10 years working at New Farm Clinic where many of the patients were victims of abuse or returning soldiers. I have developed a strong sense of confidence in meeting patient expectations and I can clearly communicate the extent of my treatment plans. I am familiar with a wide variety of therapists and I maintain a dynamic referral base of psychologists and psychiatrists should a patient require treatment that I cannot provide. I maintain active participation in supervision and professional development to enable me to provide therapeutic options for my patients. I structure my sessions to provide relevant and current support, reflection and skill development while addressing recent and past experiences in manageable segments. I am very aware of the importance of not overwhelming or allowing overexposure to the patient's past trauma and I balance this caution with progressive therapy for all of my patients. I receive very positive feedback from my patients, many of whom have previously seen a number of therapists without achieving recovery. A lot of my patients will return for long term support even after they are recovered. Currently I have limited capacity to take on new patients, however I can usually see a new person within one month (if I can accommodate the referral). I generally encourage patients to attend fortnightly for at least 6 sessions and then extend to monthly, however this is dependent on the patient's severity of symptoms and I will see them more or less often as discussed and agreed with them. I work in a shared clinic, my colleagues are psychiatrists and our rooms are cosy, freshly painted and furnished with large secure windows providing a comfortable, safe, and private perspective. I usually charge $165 for my sessions. I have maintained my practice and self care without significant interruption throughout my career and I have capacity to reduce my workload and access support should I become overwhelmed. I use the trauma informed principles in all my interactions with patients, the focus of my therapy is developing trust, sharing power and helping my patients to identify and understand their needs and choices. I find this work incredibly rewarding and I enjoy learning and developing my skills through formal and informal education and learning opportunities. I would be very happy to engage in specific training to further my understanding of trauma informed care.

Cher McGillivray is a registered Clinical Psychologist and has completed a PhD in complex trauma recovery and Masters of Clinical Psychology. She is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and The Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA). Cher has a special interest in therapy for children, adults, and families for the recovery from childhood sexual abuse. She is honoured to work alongside survivors who have experienced betrayal traumas and utilises Trauma Informed Stabilisation Therapy and has trained under Janina Fisher and regularly attends and presents at International Trauma conferences to continually adapt and be an effective trauma informed Clinical Trauma Professional.

Background:
After three decades in business, motherhood and working in family law, I decided to have a career change and went to university together with my oldest child to study psychology. Since then I worked in a variety of settings such as family law practices, disability services, substance abuse rehabilitation centers, sexual violence centers, high schools, QLD Police Services and in private practice.
My diverse experiences include:
• Victim support and trauma work
• Childhood and adult sexual abuse therapy
• Substance abuse addiction rehabilitation
• Assessment and behaviour modification within school settings
• Clinical Psychodynamic Hypnotherapy
• Relationship therapy
• CBT - Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for anxiety and depression
• ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for grief, adjustment disorder, injury and pain management
• IPT - Interpersonal Psychotherapy for conflict management, building resilience and assertiveness training
Most importantly, I use an eclectic therapy approach tailored to each individual’s needs.
I also conduct therapy in German.

“Chris McIntyre started working for Mates4Mates in October 2017 as a fulltime Psychologist at the Brisbane Family Recovery Centre. Chris comes to us after working for the Queensland Police Service for five years as a General Duties Officer and Intelligence Officer. Since graduating from Bond University he has worked in Corrective Services, Youth Justice and headspace. Chris likes to bring his ex-police background to his psychology practice and has a strong desire to support members to improve their daily functioning and quality of life. Chris is a strong advocate of using exercise and mindfulness to assist with managing mental health issues”.