Hi, I’m Monica (she/her):

I am a Counsellor, Parent Educator, and Psychosocial Recovery Coach living in the Northern Rivers, specialising in supporting parents and carers of children who are neurodiverse, gender diverse, or experiencing challenging behaviour. I also work with individuals navigating mental health challenges, neurodiversity, or gender diversity. I bring to this work not only professional training but also deep lived experience—of complex PTSD, mental health struggles, and surviving childhood abuse. I am also a parent to four amazing (and at times challenging!) boys, three of whom are neurodiverse and one who is gender diverse. I have walked alongside children through anxiety, psychosis, and suicidal ideation, and I understand the emotional, practical, and systemic challenges families face.

Early in my parenting journey, I felt completely alone. Our world became small and isolating, and the outside world often felt unkind and unforgiving to my children, who simply needed understanding, acceptance, and support. What they needed was an ally—and so did I. I met other parents through workshops and groups, and in those connections, we found friendship, shared experience, and strength. It was through this that I discovered the Nurtured Heart Approach®, which became a turning point for our family. It helped us strengthen relationships and begin to move out of crisis, and I could finally see light at the end of the tunnel.

This personal journey drew me into working with other families. Over the past ten years, I have supported parents and carers one-on-one, in schools, and in group settings. I have seen families flourish when they feel seen, heard, and supported. I am fiercely passionate about ensuring no one feels as alone as I once did, and this passion is what led me to become a counsellor and recovery coach. My work with gender diverse children and their families is deeply informed by my own lived experience as a mother of a transgender child. Together, we navigated a school system that was unprepared and under-informed—but we made a difference, not just for my child, but for others who followed. I continue to advocate for inclusive and affirming environments for all children, especially those who are often misunderstood or marginalised.

Living with mental health challenges and/or raising a child with a disability and gender diversity can be incredibly isolating and lonely - I WANT TO CHANGE THAT!

Organisations that I have worked with include:

• Southern Cross University, Gold Coast

• Kingscliff Tafe

• Social Futures, Northern Rivers Region

• Sathya Sai Primary School, Murwillumbah

• Lindisfarne School, Terranora

• Northern Rivers Social Development Council

• Tweed Valley Early Intervention Service

• The Small School, Murwillumbah