Grahame Smith
Employment Experience:
Grahame has 34 years of counselling experience in the community, the workplace and Christian denominations including individual and group-based counselling. He spent 15 years working for the University of Western Sydney as a course producer and coordinator for external studies and as a lecturer in Environmental Health. He also spent 12 years working for the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors as a Trainer and Assessor for Counselling Students completing tertiary studies in counselling.
Grahame spent 6 years providing supervision services to the Australian Institute for Family Therapists supervising students in their final semesters for their Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Master’s Degree as they completed their first client’s case load.
He also worked in Government for 30 years as an Area Manager (NPWS) and Grievance Counsellor, specializing in resolving human resource management issues including resolution of conflict, bullying and safety breach investigations. He was also responsible for managing staff, critical incidents, law enforcement operations, implementation and application of legislation, major fire events and finances.
As an A.C.A Clinical Counsellor (Clinical- Level 4 member and member of ACA College of Clinical Counsellors) and as a trained and Registered Counselling Supervisor (with A.C.A College of Supervisors), he provides clinical supervision services to professional counsellors from a range of backgrounds. These backgrounds include Religious Counsellors/Pastors (he is a Member of ACA College of Christian Counsellors), Behavioural Counsellors and those who see themselves as eclectic in nature. He is a registered counsellor with Work Cover N.S.W. as an accredited provider of counselling services to injured workers. He is also a Clinical Member and Clinical Supervisor registered with PACFA.
Grahame has provided clinical supervision services to mental health staff working for the Department of Corrective Services N.S.W and provides counselling services to Department of Justice Victims of Crime. Grahame also provides counselling assistance to former prisoners as part of their parole conditions.
He is contracted to provide workplace counselling (EAP Counselling) to a wide range of employers along with providing chaplaincy services. Grahame also provider numbers for Medibank Private, BUPA, and Police Private Health Funds.
Importantly, he has hundreds of hours of face to face work with clients using EMIT/EMDR (including EMDR), as a means of assisting them to achieve their counselling goals, especially in the areas of trauma, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.
He was appointed Chaplain to Ausgrid (through Converge International) in 2013 and serviced Ausgrid for seven (7) years providing pastoral and clinical care to power industries staff and family.
He is a past President of the Professional Counselling Association of ACT-NSW and is the Convener of ACA’s Newcastle Branch, providing free group supervision to practitioners at Newcastle branch meetings. He focused much of his spare time over the years in negotiating with Government both at the State and Federal levels with the aim of increasing funding for mental health and reducing the incidence of chronic mental health issues and minimize the number of people having to access the mental health medical system with an emphasis on prevention and early intervention.
Linda Elsey
Employment Experience:
Linda spent twenty-five years working and contracting for many private and government organisations in her capacity as an IT professional. Working long hours, travelling interstate and overseas for work, called for a change. Linda wanted to obtain a long-time goal of working for herself in her own home environment. It was a big decision for her to leave a career at the top of her game and start all over again.
Linda spent the next year studying to obtain the qualifications necessary to change career paths into counselling: she had a passion to help others heal from adversity, throughout her career she encountered many. Once qualified Linda went through the difficult journey of setting up her own private practice: it was a tough time starting a business and building a client base. After a few years, the business started gaining momentum and today she has a thriving practice.
During Linda’s thirteen-year career in counselling she has achieved considerable experience, knowledge, and qualifications but never stops learning / training to benefit her clients.
Linda spent four years with the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors (AIPC) assessing student counsellors for their practical assessments for their Diploma in Professional Counselling. She contracts for an organisation that she provides home-visit counselling to the elderly as a part of in-home-care packages. She is also registered as a provider with a number of Health Funds regarding Private Health that offer rebates for counselling. Linda is currently contracted to provide Employee Assistance Program Counselling (EAP) for eight different EAP organisations. She is registered as a Department of Justice Victims of Crime counsellor and is registered counsellor with Work Cover N.S.W. (icare) as an accredited provider of counselling services to injured workers.
Linda is an Australian Counselling Association (ACA) Clinical Counsellor as a Clinical- Level 4 member. She is and member of ACA College of Clinical Counsellors. As a trained and Registered Counselling Supervisor with ACA College of Supervisors, she provides clinical supervision services to professional counsellors from a range of backgrounds and provides clinical supervision through EAP work to groups ranging from six to fifteen people.
Linda is a skilled facilitator with five years of experience contracted by Corrective Service of NSW as a program facilitator running ten-week programs with offenders in the community. She has been trained in and runs the following programs Foundations, Domestic and Family Violence, Addictions and Aggression.
Linda served seven years on the board of the Professional Counselling Association of ACT-NSW, where she also held the role as the Website Manager. In addition, she was the Convener of ACA’s Gosford Branch for seven years, providing free group supervision to practitioners at Gosford and at the Newcastle branch meetings.
Importantly, Linda has hundreds of hours of face-to-face / phone and video work with clients using EMIT/EMDR as a means of assisting them to achieve their counselling goals, especially in the areas of trauma, anxiety, depression and addictions.
