Meet Michelle
MENTAL HEALTH SOCIAL WORKER | COUNSELLOR | SANDPLAY THERAPIST
Trauma informed specialist for children, young people, parents or caregivers, and adults.
ABOUT MICHELLE
Welcome! I'm Michelle, a Mental Health Social Worker, Counsellor, and Sandplay Therapist with over a decade of experience specializing in mental health care for children, young people and adults, particularly those who have experienced trauma.
My journey has been vast - I have worked at the Gatehouse Centre at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and across various sectors including the judicial system in restorative processes, public health, education, government and not for profit which has given me a broad perspective in my approach to mental health support.
My passion lies in providing a non-judgmental, client-centred therapeutic environment. At the heart of my practice is the relationship of trust I build with each client. My therapy room is a sanctuary—a "container" where everyone can feel safe in a free and protected space to explore and process to heal at their own pace.
I am especially drawn to helping clients who seek to overcome PTSD and childhood trauma, and I am committed to supporting my clients to make meaningful changes that enhance their lives.
If this sounds like the support you’ve been seeking for you or your child, please reach out to begin your journey towards healing.
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
Mother Teresa
Qualifications
Diploma in Business
Bachelor of Social Work
Accreditations
Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
Associate Sandplay Therapist member of Sandplay Therapy Association of New Zealand and Australia (STANZA)
Child Families Trauma Stress Intervention (CFTSI) accredited through The University of Yale, NY
Counselling & Sandplay Therapy
WHAT IS IT, AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Do you feel overwhelmed, and struggle to communicate your needs and feelings? It can be hard to find the right words at the best of times, let alone when you’re struggling to stay on top of all the pressures and responsibilities in your life.
By combining therapeutic counselling with expressive therapies such as sandplay in a safe and protected space, my clients are often able to express truly themselves for the first time in their lives.
Each session is different depending on your needs at that particular time. Some sessions don’t involve sandplay therapy at all, sometimes it’s the last 5 minutes, and sometimes we use it early in the session if you’re struggling to identify what exactly is bothering you.