Wendy has been working in the community service sector for over 20 years, specialising in hypnotherapy, counseling, and teaching within a range of domains including leisure and health, disability and aged care. Wendy a practicing counselor and hypnotherapist and has a wealth of knowledge gained from her industry experience and qualifications. She has studied extensively and gained a wide range of qualifications across the industry, including a Bachelor of Applied Science, Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Development (major – Counselling), a range of community sector diploma qualifications including Counselling, Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy, Youth, Community Services, Child Youth and Family Intervention and Business and Management. Wendy is also an accredited trainer and published author. As the president of ACCA, she offers a wealth of experience to support members to continue to enhance their own professional practice.

Emma has had various roles working in the community sector and is passionate about breaking down barriers within our communities. For many years she has been involved in the disability sector, supporting and empowering those who are disadvantaged to gain opportunities and reach their full potential. She has also had a strong involvement with SANDS Qld, working closely with bereaved parents. Having completed her Diploma of Counselling, Emma is the founder and director of White Lotus Wellbeing, which provides grief counselling for pregnancy and infant death. She is also a wellbeing officer at a primary school, providing social and emotional support to children in a school environment as well as a board member of the Women’s Space in Queensland.

Sean Webber is a fully registered psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). He has been involved in delivering Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) since 2002, working with families of children and teenagers experiencing a range of behavioural and emotional difficulties. Sean has also served as a clinical consultant on various Triple P research projects at The University of Queensland (UQ). Since 2006 he has been involved in training and supporting practitioners to deliver Triple P in Australia and overseas. He has also worked as an educator with a number of educational institutions, teaching subjects in counselling and psychology. For the past ten years he has been working in private practice, assisting adults, children and families in managing a broad range of mental health concerns.

Suzanne Longly has extensive counselling/intervention experience (18 years) in community services welfare industries, working for the government and private organisations. These include working in child protection, drug/alcohol counselling, youth and families at risk services, intervention work in primary schools, and delivery of federally-funded personal support programs in Queensland and Victoria. Many of these roles involved counselling, intervention and advocating for the rights of disadvantaged groups experiencing social and economic exclusion.

Suzanne has substantial work experience coordinating family support services through the delivery of a range of early intervention projects under ReachWise Family Support Program in four primary schools.

Suzanne currently teaches units in Dip Counselling, and engages in therapeutic approach interventions for a local DV refuge.  Suzanne has delivered presentations at numerous workshops and community meetings on children issues including attachment theory, domestic violence awareness training, early intervention practices and social and emotional well being in children and young people. She has delivered specialist counselling workshops in motivational, grief and loss, child-focused therapies, crisis intervention, RET therapies, self-empowerment. Suzanne developed specialized frameworks in one-on-one and group counselling settings using a range of intervention a nd self-empowerment and narrative therapies. 

Suzanne offers a wealth of experience to the members of the ACCA to support and enhance their professional development.

Post Grad Cert in Masters of Child and Youth Intervention Studies – Promoting Children’s protection and participation Strengthening young people’s social and emotional well being – Mental Health frameworks .

Bachelor of Social Sciences Majored in Relationships Counselling/Organisational Communication

Diploma of Applied Sciences (Counselling) Drug/Alcohol Empowerment Therapy/Confidence/Self Esteem, Relationship, Anger Management, Drug/Alcohol Therapeutic Professional Practices and Case Management Practices

Thalia is the Secretary of the ACCA and manages the finances of the association. She has worked across the community services sector for over 10 years providing recovery oriented support services in the mental health sector.  Thalia has worked closely with the Collaborative Recovery Model developed by the University of Wollongong to provide support to people with mental health issues and volunteers as a telephone counsellor. Thalia is accredited to deliver a number of nationally recognised programs across Australia including Mental Health First Aid and DRUMBEAT.

Thalia has completed a Bachelor in Behavioural Science (Psychology), Diploma in Counselling, Diploma in Child, Youth, Family Intervention Services, Diploma in Youth Work and Certificate IV TAE. Thalia’s passion is to provide education and information to clients, carers, professionals and communities about health and wellbeing to increase health and wellbeing literacy in communities.

Jess volunteers as a Pyjama Angel with the Pyjama Foundation providing educational support to kids in foster care. The philosophy of the Pyjama Foundation is based on the ‘Love of Learning’ program which focuses purely on learning-based activities enabling a child to reach their life potential no matter what their background is.

Jess is currently studying her Diploma of Counselling and has a passion for the education of children and believes that by utilising her counselling diploma in this field it will enable these children to improve their education positively,  and to make a positive impact on their love for learning also.