About me
Hi I’m Kerri (she/her). Welcome to Inclusive Counselling Care.
I am originally from London and moved to Sydney for work over eight years ago.
I trained in the UK and have been working as a therapist for over 15 years. I worked therapeutically with individuals and couples in private practice, adolescents in high schools and provided organisational supervision to frontline domestic violence workers, child protection social workers and teaching assistants in nurseries, primary and high schools.
I am a trauma informed counsellor, with experience of providing trauma informed counselling to survivors of domestic and family violence and sexual assault, both recent and historic.
As an LGBTQI friendly counsellor, I have worked with members of the community with their general therapeutic needs, as well as those who sought support during the coming out process, faced homophobia, biphobia and/or transphobia, were experiencing queer intimate partner abuse, sexual abuse and/or assault.
My main areas of interest include trauma, conflict in relationships, depression and anxiety, relationship counselling and working with clients who are sexually and gender diverse as well as from different racial backgrounds. I work both short and long term with clients.
Qualifications
Postgraduate Certificate in Humanistic & Psychodynamic Counselling
Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy
Certificate in the Foundations of Systemic Practice (Family Therapy)
Diploma in Adolescent & Schools Counselling
Diploma in Integrative Supervision of Individuals & Groups
My theoretical model is integrative, which means that I incorporate a number of different theories when working with clients, including person-centred, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic ideas.
I am a member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and abide by their code of ethics.
What people say about the counselling I provide
“Truly amazing. As a distraught 16 year old, who had just lost my dad to suicide, Kerri was a Godsend. The first few sessions I refused to talk, so Kerri would play cards with me to make me feel comfortable. During these games she would drop questions, which I would answer. As a few sessions passed, I began to open up more and more. I needed Kerri more than I knew; to be able to understand that my feelings were normal and that I was allowed to feel the way I felt. I will forever be grateful to Kerri, she is truly amazing.”
— High school student
“I feel more confident about myself, able to plan for the future and understand that he won’t always control me.”
— Domestic Violence group participant
“I was a young girl when I started working with Kerri. I felt comfortable, accepted and understood. I was a teenager who struggled to communicate with adults, but Kerri was approachable and really stripped things back to highlight the real issues underneath my behaviour. Our sessions made such a difference in my life and who I am today.”
— High school student
“My husband used to make me think I was going crazy. I don’t feel that way anymore. I have more confidence, and don't feel so sad.”
— Domestic Violence group participant
Kerri is an exceptional counsellor who made me feel safe when gently overcoming some of the very worst views I had of myself and how I related to the world around me. And, unbelievably, she made all that work we did feel effortless. I still feel like Kerri is one of the few people I could tell anything to and know I would be cared for, respected and be treated with total honesty and openness. There are also few people in the world I feel equally unashamed to cry in front of or laugh with - even after all these years Kerri is still one of them.
I think in therapy you often don't realise the changes in you until much later or until someone points them out. Towards the end of the year with Kerri as my counsellor, a close friend told me how much she thought I'd changed. She told me I wasn't so frightened all the time any more, and that I stood taller and prouder than she'd ever seen me. That's still one of the things I am most pleased to have heard about myself, and that's Kerri's doing. It sounds cliché and bit like something out of greetings card - but it's true. She helped me stand taller and made me proud of myself. And I am unbelievably grateful.”
— LGBTQI client
What people say about my supervision
“The supervision sessions allowed me to think about what I bring with me into the classroom - my expectations of the kids, my worldview, what else might be going on in my life - and how that might impact on my response to poor behaviour etc. in class. Working with someone who has worked a lot in schools, but was independent of the line management process, was really valuable too.
— High school teacher
“Supervision was so important in helping me work through the vicarious trauma I experienced as a result of working with vulnerable children. Having a space to talk through this stuff, without feeling judged, without feeling like it would impact on how my manager saw me, really helped me in my work with my clients.”
— Child protection social worker
“I really didn’t want the supervision sessions to end - I feel like I’ve benefited so much from them. Brilliant - thank you so much!”
— Counsellor
“ Kerri was excellent at building trust in the group supervision sessions. She was patient, offered great insights and showed that she really listened to us. She was a great supervisor and we have all thoroughly benefitted from working with her.”
— Frontline domestic violence worker
What people say about reflective practice and organisational supervision sessions with me
“It’s invaluable to anyone working within DV & Social Care, especially to assist staff to cope with the issues they work with.”
— Nursery worker
“The reflective practice sessions were great because they left me feeling more confident in myself and my ability to have those challenging conversations with families about safeguarding concerns and feel more supported by the team”
— Child Protection Social Worker
“Kerri provided a safe and confidential space to talk about work and reflect on the impact of my work and team dynamics on me.”
— Frontline Domestic Violence worker
We’re really lucky to have had their support, it’s had an incredibly positive impact on work and well being. Thank you!”
— Primary School Teaching Assistant