Kate is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (Australian Association of Social Workers) and a Play Therapist. She began her Social Work career in frontline Child Protection - assessing risk to children, working with children and families to reduce risk, and where necessary, placement of children in out-of-home care. Kate is trained and experienced in forensic risk assessments and investigative interviewing and has presented evidence in Children's Court, Family Law Court, and Criminal Court. She has managed a team of child protection workers before going into private practice.
She graduated from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in 2001 with a Bachelor's In Social Work. Kate completed a Post Graduation Diploma qualifying her as a Play Therapist in 2006 awarded by Play Therapy International (PTI) and the University of Canterbury. She holds a current registration with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and is an Approved Victim's Services Counsellor.
Since going into private practice in 2010, Kate has worked in Cara House, Juvenile Justice, and now in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Kate's area of work includes parenting support following abuse of a child, individual trauma therapy, and her areas of expertise include Childhood Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, and Intimate Partner Violence (recovering parent, child). Kate is experienced in working with perpetrators of violence and children who have engaged in inappropriate sexualized behaviors. Kate worked extensively within a trauma framework with female juvenile offenders who were in detention.
Kate is a published author and has presented locally and internationally. She has taken part in acclaimed podcasts in the field of trauma. She provides training with regard to engaging difficult families, parenting post violence, and safety work for children and parents. She is a Clinical Supervisor for both Social Workers and Play Therapist.
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Kate on episode 335 of The Trauma Therapist | Podcast