Sharon has been engaged in the areas of counselling, social work and psychology for over twenty years - in NSW and Queensland (Australia) and England (UK). She became a Registered Psychologist in 1998, and a Member of the Australian Psychological Society in 2000. Sharon has worked successfully both privately and within a broad range of support agencies, with many hundreds of children, young people and adults to date, on a diverse range of issues.

“I profoundly enjoy supporting and guiding children, young people and adults towards finding resolution of their difficulties, and a greater sense of wellbeing and joy in their lives. I feel privileged to be with people in their distress and confusion, to receive their honesty and openness, and to see them gain the insights they seek to improve their lives and wellbeing, strengthen their relationships, and better manage transitions, conflict, stress, anxiety, depression, grief and trauma.

Whilst seeing people privately in Turramurra, I also work at a tertiary educational institution, providing personal, educational and vocational counselling and psychological support to students of all ages, from many walks of life, and from various overseas countries. As well as helping them with study skills, stress management, personal and mental health concerns, I assist students to achieve clarity re their educational pathways and career options and directions.

Between 2002 and 2004, I had the privilege of supporting families connected with East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), Milton, Cambridge, England. I counselled and gave therapeutic support to life-limited, life-threatened and dying children (those receiving palliative care) and young people, their siblings, parents and extended family members. I supported bereaved children, young people and their parents; facilitated regular therapeutic and creative group activity days for siblings; participated in the education of Cambridge University medical students re the psycho-spiritual support needs of families; researched and wrote a report for EACH with a colleague, “The Psychological and Spiritual Needs of Life-Limited and Life-Threatened Children”, and helped develop awareness of ill-children’s and siblings needs within the children’s hospice movement in the United Kingdom and Russia via conference presentations.

For many years, I worked in the child protection field in S.E. Queensland, where I provided crisis intervention, assessment, court reports, counselling and support to children, young people and families in relation to investigations of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and neglect. I also assessed and trained alternative care-providers, and supported and advised them in the care and management of their foster children.

Early in my career, I worked as a volunteer crisis telephone counsellor for Lifeline, NSW. I counselled clients in crisis with such issues as depression, suicidal intent, marriage breakdown, domestic violence, and financial stress.

During this time, I also worked as a weight loss counsellor and healthy lifestyle teacher. I counselled and motivated clients to achieve healthy weight loss and maintenance, and to understand and (hopefully!) embrace healthy eating and lifestyle behaviours. I taught educational classes on various aspects of health and wellbeing. I also participated in a number of health and wellbeing retreats, organised by the Ku-ring-gai Yoga School (Sydney), and facilitated guided deep relaxation to large groups on occasion.

I bring a vast background of professional, holistic and personal experience and insight to the work I undertake with my clients, and truly enjoy supporting and guiding people through challenging situations and phases in their lives.”

Qualifications and Professional Memberships

• Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Psychology) - Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia (1998)
• Bachelor of Arts (Major in Psychology) - Macquarie University, NSW, Australia (1987)
• Member of the Australian Psychological Society (MAPS)
• Registered Psychologist - NSW Psychologists Registration Board
• Trained Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Practitioner

Conference Presentations

• Presentation of two papers, “The Needs of Dying Children” and “The Needs of Siblings of Life-Limited Children” at the Russian – British Children’s Palliative Care Conference, Moscow, Russia, May 2004, with the support of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, Milton, Cambridge, England, and the Department of International Development, UK
• Presentation of the paper, “The Psycho-Spiritual Support Needs of Dying Children” with co-author, Jayne Newman, at the Association of Children’s Hospices Palliative Care Forum Annual Conference, Manchester, England, May 2003