A Little Bit About Chrissie

I’m Chrisse, a qualified Arts Therapist with over 20 years experience across the community services sector, which is grounded in relationality, neuro-affirming, and trauma-informed practices.

I have a particular interest in supporting individuals experiencing burnout, chronic stress, and the cumulative impacts of physical, cognitive, and emotional demands. I hold a deep understanding of how these experiences are influenced by systemic stress, including experiences of discrimination, exclusion, and limited support.

Arts Therapy offers a powerful pathway for expression, insight, and change, particularly where re-telling trauma narratives and words alone may be limiting. I integrate creative and somatic processes to support participants in healing their nervous system, building awareness, resilience, and meaningful transformation, with a touch of traditional therapy approaches (CBT, Narrative Therapy, Psycho-education).

My practice is also shaped by lived experience, which informs a compassionate and grounded understanding of burnout, neurodivergence, and the effects of systemic and relational stress.

Professional experience

Across my career, I have worked in program coordination, project and case management, and training roles, supporting individuals, families, and groups with diverse and complex needs.

My experience spans Youth and Family Services, Child Protection, Family Violence, Education, Employment Services, and Disability Support.

Working across these systems has shaped my understanding of complex individual experiences, and the broader social and cultural contexts that influence emotional wellbeing, safety, and identity.

A woman with brown hair and green eyes wearing a blue dress and a colorful necklace standing indoors.

Qualifications

Holding a Master’s in Arts Therapy, BA in Community Development, Diploma in Counselling & Welfare Work, and additional qualifications in Visual Arts, and Training & Assessment, I bring a strong interdisciplinary foundation to my Arts Therapy and wellbeing practice.

Professional registrations & compliance

I am registered with Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA), Australian Counselling Association (ACA) and Community Work Australia (CWA), and I hold a valid Working With Children Check and NDIS Worker Screening clearance.

Training, accreditation & professional practice I am accredited and trained to facilitate a range of evidence-informed programs and therapeutic approaches, including: Tuning into Kids, Girls with Attitude (self-awareness and self-esteem program), Adolescent Violence in the Home (AVITH), Single Session Therapy (SST), and High Risk Youth Mentoring. I also hold additional professional development in areas including MARAM (Family Violence Framework), ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills), Non-Violent Resistance (NVR), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Tapping, Shark Cage (Family Violence), professional supervision, neurobiology, managing challenging behaviours, and a range of trauma-informed practice frameworks. My ongoing professional development reflects a commitment to working safely, ethically, and responsively with people experiencing complex emotional, behavioural, and systemic challenges

Arts Therapy In Motion

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Arts Therapy In Motion *

Burnout, fatigue, disconnection and unexplained physical symptoms are becoming increasingly common across our society. Sometimes physical symptoms can be connected to chronic stress, emotional overwhelm, nervous system dysregulation, trauma, and lon
Mindfulness is a simple yet powerful tool I often draw on within arts therapy sessions to help clients feel more grounded, present, and connected to themselves. When stress, anxiety, trauma responses, or overwhelm show up, slowing down and noticing
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