HI... hello...

qualifications:

• bachelor OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCES FROM UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG CLASS OF 2019

• mASTER OF ART THERAPY FROM WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY CLASS OF 2023

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sPECIALISED IN:

• aUTISM

  • particularly HIGH MASKING AUTISM​

• aDHD

• PSYCHOSOCIAL DISABILTY

• pHYSICAL DISABILITY 

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populations I SPECIALISE IN:

• tWEENS AND tEENS

• yOUNG ADULTS

• lATE dIAGNOSED afabS

• bUT I AM HAPPY TO SEE ANYONE AGE 5 AND UP 

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MY JOURNEY TO ART THERAPY 

i STARTED MY UNIVERSITY CAREER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG IN 2011 INITIALLY PURSUING A BACHELOR OF MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY, WITH THE AIM OF GOING INTO MEDICINE. IN 2012 I CHANGED TRACK TO THE BACHELOR OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCES TO FURTHER ALIGN WITH MY GOALS OF PURSUING A MEDICAL DEGREE AND TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE SPECIALISED ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY SUBJECTS. IN THIS TIME I BECAME AN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB DEMONSTRATOR IN THE CADAVER LAB TEACHING FIRST YEAR ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY.

 

IN MID 2013 I CAUGHT A VIRAL ILLNESS THAT LEFT ME SIGNIFICANTLY DISABLED BY NEW CHRONIC ILLNESSES, CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME AND NARCOLEPSY AS WELL AS MAKING MY POSTURAL OTHOSTATITC TACHYCARDIA AND MAST CELL ACTIVATION SYNDROME FAR WORSE, WHICH LED TO ME STRUGGLING TO COMPLETE MY FINAL SUBJECTS NEEDED FOR THE DEGREE AT THAT TIME AND RESULTED IN ME TAKING A GAP YEAR OR TWO AND CHANGING TACT AWAY FROM THE MEDICAL FIELD DUE TO THE HIGH PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THAT TRAINING. 

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IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2015, IN A PERIOD WHERE MY LIFELONG ANXIETY WAS SO SEVERE I COULDN'T FUNCTION IN DAILY LIFE, I PURSUED REPETITITVE TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION TREATMENT FOR THE ANXIETY AS A LAST DITCH EFFORT TO GET MY LIFE BACK. AS THERE WERE NO LOCAL PLACES OFFERING THAT TREATMENT IN WOLLONGONG I HAD TO GO TO A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN MELBOURNE, AND IT WAS THERE, THAT I WAS INTRODUCED TO BOTH THE PROFESSION OF NURSING AND ART THERAPY. THE RTMS TREATMENT ITSELF CHANGED MY LIFE AND THE MONTH I SPENT SOMEWHAT SOLO IN MELBOURNE WITHOUT MY PARENTS REALLY INCREASED MY INDEPENDENCE, SO I CAME BACK HOME A CHANGED PERSON WITH A PASSION FOR MENTAL HEALTH NURSING AND ART THERAPY. I KNEW I WANTED TO DO BOTH.

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I APPLIED TO NOTRE DAME SCHOOL OF NURSING DARLINHURST OVER THE SUMMER OF 2015/2016 AND GAINED ENTRY TO THE BACHELOR OF NURSING THERE, WHERE I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE 1/2 OF THE DEGREE IN A COMBO OF FULL AND PART TIME AND PLACEMENT AND THEN DUE TO MY CHRONIC ILLNESSES AT THE END OF MY 4TH SEMESTER PLACEMENT I NEEDED TO CHANGE PATHS FOR MY HEALTH AND WELLBEING. SO I WENT BACK TO WOLLONGONG UNI TO FINALLY COMPLETE MY BACHELOR OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCE. WITH THE AIM OF DOING MY MASTERS OF ART THERAPY AT WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY AFTER I COMPLETED THE ART PREREQUISITES AND FINISHED OFF THE LAST COUPLE SUBJECTS OF THE DEGREE IN 2019, A LONG TIME COMING, BUT I GOT THERE.

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i TOOK A GAP YEAR IN 2020, WHICH WAS PROBABLY FOR THE BEST ALTHOUGH UNANTICIPATED. i THEN STARTED MY MASTERS OF ART THERAPY AT WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY IN 2021, FULL TIME FOR MY FIRST YEAR AND PART TIME FOR MY SECOND YEAR WHICH INCLUDED OVER 750 HOURS OF CLINICAL PLACEMENT, WHICH I DID IN THE DISABILITY SECTOR. FINISHING OFF THE LAST OF MY DEGREE AT THE END OF 2023.

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i HAVE REMAINED WORKING PRIMARILY IN THE DISABILITY SECTOR SINCE GRADUATION AND NOW HAVE STARTED MY OWN PRACTICE TO STRIKE OUT ON MY OWN AS AN ALLIED HEALTH PRACTIONER IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. i HAVE COME TO BE QUITE SPECIALISED IN HIGH MASKING AUTISM IN TWEENS/TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS AND LATE DIAGNOSED PEOPLE WHO ARE ASSIGNED FEMALE AT BIRTH, NOT NECESSARILY INTENTIONALLY BUT THE UNIVERSE PULLED ME TO WHERE I WAS NEEDED.

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my EXPERIENCE IN THE DISABILITY SECTOR IN COMBINATION WITH MY NATURAL CREATVITY, INGENUITY, WIDE KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR MANY TOPICS INCLUDING THERAPEUTIC MODALITIES AND ART MATERIALS AND MEDIA ALONG WITH BEING A TRADESMANS DAUGHTER, MEANS THAT I AM UNIQUELY EQUIPPED TO MAC GYVER A SOLUTION FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF THERAPEUTIC NEEDS WHICH INCLUDES COMMUNICATION DIFFERENCES AND PHYSICAL DISABILITY. necessity IS THE MOTHER OF ALL INVENTION AND I AM HAPPY TO INVENT A WAY FOR MY CLIENTS TO ACHEIVE THEIR GOALS. i HAVE WORKED WITH PEOPLE WITH A VARIETY OF PHYSICAL DISABILITIES INCLUDING VISION IMPAIRMENT AND NEUROLOGICAL IMPAIRMENTS AND INJURIES. i HAVE ALSO WORKED WITH VARYING LEVELS OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY. AND I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH WORKING WITH FOLK THAT HAVE STRUGGLES WITH COMMUNICATION, I HAVE A LITTLE SIDE PASSION FOR AUGMENTED AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION. 

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Values and Philosophy​​

​uLTIMATELY THE FOUNDATION OF MY THERAPEUTIC APPROACH IS BASED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE, I ACTIVELY PRACTICE, ANTI-ABLEISM, ANTI-RACISM, ANTI-COLONIALISM, i AM A MEMBER OF THE lgbtqia+ COMMUNITY AND ALSO AN ALLY, AND I KEEP MYSELF INFORMED ON ISSUES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE. i HAVE FOUND MYSELF IN THE DISABILITY ADVOCACY AREA, KIND OF BY ACCIDENT, I GUESS I JUST WALKED IN AND NOBODY TOLD ME TO LEAVE, SO NOW I DO THAT TOO.

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i TAKE A PERSON-CENTRED, TRAUMA-INFORMED AND NEUROAFFIRMING APPROACH TO ALL OF MY THERAPEUTIC INTERACTIONS. i USE AN ECCLECTIC APPROACH TO ART THERAPY AND COUNSELLING THAT VARIES BY INDIVIDUAL NEED AND PREFERENCE, AND INCLUDES ELEMENTS OF, SOLUTIONS FOCUSED THERAPY, PROBLEM SOLVING IS MY HOBBY, AND THANKS TO HOW MUCH RANDOM STUFF I READ, I HAVE A VERY WIDE KNOWLEDGE BASE TO WORK FROM, IN COMBINATION WITH MY ABILITY TO TAKE IN NEW INFO ON THE SPOT AND UNDERSTAND IT AND RESEARCH QUICKLY AND TURN IT ALL INTO A PRACTICAL SOLUTION, I AM QUITE THE PROBLEM SOLVER AND I LOVE TO TEACH OTHERS HOW TO DO THAT FOR THEMSELVES. i ALSO WHERE APPROPRIATE USE ELEMENTS OF cbt, dbt, AND act, BUT I DONT HINGE ALL OF MY THERAPEUTIC PRACTICE ON JUST ONE MODALITY. i ALSO USE MORE TRADITIONAL TALK THERAPY AND ART PSYCHOTHERAPY TECHNIQUES WHERE THAT WORKS FOR MY CLIENTS. 

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iN TERMS OF ART THERAPY ITSELF, I FIND MYSELF DOING WHATEVER IS NEEDED IN THE MOMENT, SOME PEOPLE NEED CONCRETE DIRECTIVES OR ACTIVITIES, SOME PEOPLE WANT TO DO DIRECTLY EXPRESSIVE WORKS THAT WE CAN USE AS A TALKING POINT, AND SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT TO MAKE ART AND TALK, AND ALL OF THAT IS FINE BY ME. i JUST WANT TO DO WHAT WORKS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL NOT JUST THE THERAPY STYLES I LEARNED AT UNI.

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mY Unique Approach​

cOMING FROM A MORE CRAFTY AND TECHY BACKGROUND RATHER THAN A STRICTLY FINE ARTS ONE, IN COMBINATION WITH MY ETHOS "HOW CAN I USE THIS CRAFT SUPPLY WRONG", I HAVE MORE TO OFFER THAN JUST PEN AND PAPER AND OTHER TRADITIONAL FINE ARTS MATERIALS, I LIKE TO BE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE IN MY ART METHODS AND OFFER SOME MORE UNUSUAL MATERIALS AND ACCESS TO SOME MORE CRAFTY TECHNOLOGY INCLUDING THINGS LIKE 3D PRINTING, SUBLIMATION PRINTING, UNUSUAL USES OF STANDARD PRINTING TECHNOLOGY, DIGITAL CUTTING MACHINES AND MORE TO COME, INCLUDING UNUSUAL MATERIALS WITH THOSE METHODS. AS WELL AS LIKE A CROW BRINGING BACK SHINY TRINKETS FROM THEIR TRAVELS, I BRING WEIRD CRAFT MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES FROM TRAVELS ON THE INTERNET BACK TO MY STUDIO

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nOT MANY ART THERAPISTS OFFER MUCH IN THE WAY OF HIGHER TECHNOLOGY SUPPLIES OR HIGHLY UNIQUE MATERIALS AND MEDIUMS IN THE WAY I DO.

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i ALSO HAVE A REASONABLE TREASURE TROVE OF QUALITY FINE ART MATERIALS, INCLUDING WINSOR AND NEWTON WATERCOLOUR PALETTES, PRISMACOLOR PENCILS, GRAPHITE AND MECHANICAL PENCILS, COPIC AND TOMBOW MARKERS, ACRYLIC PAINTS, FINELINERS, GEL PENS, SHARPIES AND A WIDE VARIETY OF QUALITY PAPER TYPES AND SIZES