about me
about me
I have worked in mental health & well-being for close to 20 years, specializing largely in trauma & its many forms. In this time I have lived in many different places (i.e. Coen, Gold Coast, Manila, Yanshou, Sydney & now Brisbane), studied many different approaches (too many to mention here), worked in many different settings (i.e. NGO’s, gyms, private practice, well-being centres) and with many different people & populations (i.e. Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders, farmers, young people, veterans, victims of human trafficking). Over the past five years I have settled into what feels like my ‘calling’ - providing both psychological & therapeutic yoga to those that wish to explore, heal, and nurture the most significant relationships in life. Relationships such as the one we have with ourselves, food, the body, weight, our emotions and our unique past.
My Unique Path
Truth be told, my journey in psychology began at a very early age. In growing up in a chaotic family environment, I became well-versed in trauma, mental illness, ‘reading’ people, predicting & understanding their behaviours, as well as providing ‘support’. It was simply a survival strategy. Fortunately for me, this survival strategy organically flowed into a career, and one that I can now say is a conscious life path and privilege.
Since graduating in 2005 I have gone on to complete further studies in Life Coaching & Counselling, Emotion-focused Therapy, Intuitive Eating, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, Somatic Psychotherapy and my preferred approach, Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). Engaging in this therapy myself, studying it and offering it to others, has now become part of my purpose & the ‘calling’ I mentioned earlier.
My journey with yoga on the other hand, began in the midst of my psychology degree, having come across a DVD for home practice. While I initially approached it as form of ‘exercise’ it didn’t take long before I started experiencing it as an integral part of my own healing, self-care and growth. Recognizing it as the deep, wisdom-based practice it is, in 2006 I travelled to the birth place of yoga - Rishikesh, India. Here I pursued my first certification as a yoga teacher with Yogi Pramod, a disciple of Swami Rama and follower of ‘traditional Style Hatha Yoga’ & the ‘Indian Style of Astanga Yoga, Tristhana Method’. I have been studying and practicing yoga since, gaining experience/certifications in Trauma-sensitive Yoga, iRest Yoga Nidra, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga and other energy/wisdom-based healing practices such as Ayurveda, Plant-based medicines and Reiki. For many years I have been nurturing the seed of ‘student’, which I will always & forever be, and blossoming into ‘teacher’ over the last 10.
My Multifaceted Approach
At the core of both my personal and professional practice is a commitment to holistic well-being and becoming one’s authentic self. Western psychology approaches this one way, yoga in another; both however, are concerned with the same – navigating the complexities of our inner world, healing the wounds of the past, cultivating a deeper connection with oneself, others, the world and/or universe.
Connect with Me
If you would like to learn more about me and/or connect, please feel free to email or visit my Instagram profile. You may even like to go ahead and book an appointment.