Michele Stewart

Experience:

I am a counselling educator and practioner with over 15 years in the field of personal growth and therapy.
Initially drawing on my performance and education background running creative groups, I gained further counselling experience with NSW Probation and Parole working with young offenders and in drug and alcohol rehabilitation. I moved into private practice in Sydney’s inner-west over 10 years ago.

Special Interests:

Coming from an emotionally focused perspective, I encourage experiencing and expressing of feelings as the road to awareness and understanding of who we are and how we want to be. With this focus, I value visualisation, journalling, drawing and other creative tasks to support and enrich the process of change. The world of music, theatre, film and literature are also a creative resource and inspiration in my counselling work.

I have many years experience in running interpersonal groups and have been witness to the growth and change of many group members. Longer term work with clients resolving and healing past damaging experiences is also a central focus of my practice.

Teaching and Training Experience:

I am currently on faculty at The Jansen Newman Institute in St Leonards where I teach group therapy and facilitation.

At The Institute for Emotionally Focused Therapy in Annandale, I am also on faculty teaching core modules and workshops for students who are part of the post graduate counselling programme.

I am employed as bereavement consultant for ADAPT , a government funded national programme delivering training to allied health professionals in grief and communication skills.

Qualifications:

• BA Performing Arts
• Grad. Dip Education
• Grad Dip Counselling & Psychotherapy
• Grad Dip Emotionally Focused Therapy
• Cert IV in Work Place Training & Assessment

Professional Associations:

• PACAFA (Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia)
• CAPA (Counselling & Psychotherapy Association of NSW)
• IGL (Institute of Group Leaders)
• SCAPE (Society of Counselling & Psychotherapy Educators)