At RAISE Counselling and Therapy, the practice is built on a deep commitment to the values of Respect, Autonomy, Integrity, Safety, and Empathy (RAISE).

These principles are the foundation for a trusting and authentic relationship, guiding every interaction with clients.

Jo is a registered counsellor and dedicated community practitioner with over 17 years of experience in the human services sector. She has worked with individuals, children, adolescents and families in the areas of crisis support, grief and bereavement, suicide postvention, domestic violence and therapeutic trauma support in child protection and dual disability programs.

Her approach is warm, collaborative, and deeply human-centred, creating a non-judgmental space where you can feel safe to reflect, discover your innate strengths, and reach self-determination.

Jo integrates a range of evidence-based approaches including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Attachment-Based Therapy. Her style is flexible and personalised to what feels right for you… empowering you to reconnect with your values.

In addition to helping adults and young people navigate life challenges, she is passionate about supporting families in strengthening their relationships, helping them build a strong sense of emotional security, resilience and hope.

Having trained in the Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Jo supports couples move out of stuck patterns, strengthen emotional connection and improve communication. She is also a Circle of Security Parenting® and Tuning into Kids® facilitator, helping parents to build emotional safety, understanding and connection within their families.

Jo’s play-based therapy work with children is trauma-aware, attachment-focused, and neurodiversity-affirming. Informed by training in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) and the PACE model, she supports children whose nervous systems and behaviours may reflect neurodivergence, developmental trauma, or early relational stress. Therapy focuses on building felt safety, regulation, and trust while supporting each child’s unique sensory, emotional, and developmental needs.

Outside the therapy room, Jo enjoys tending to her garden, including a much-loved collection of succulents and fruit trees. Yoga, music, and long walks in nature are her preferred ways of recharging and staying grounded. She has been in a long-term partnership for over 20 years and has raised two teenagers, alongside two much-loved fur babies. This lived experience contributes to her grounded understanding of the evolving nature of relationships, family life, and the many transitions parents, couples and families navigate over time.

Jo works with individuals, couples, families, and young people across a wide range of concerns, including (but not limited to):

• Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and emotional overwhelm

• Autism and ADHD (neurodivergent-affirming support)

• Childhood, intergenerational, and developmental trauma

• Developing emotional awareness and regulation skills

• Intimate partner, family, and domestic violence

• Parenting stress and relationship challenges for single parents, couples and families

• Post-migration experiences and significant life transitions

• Midlife transitions, including perimenopause, identity loss, and post-separation adjustment

• Challenges within systems such as workplaces, schools, and community settings

• Trauma, grief, and loss

• Suicide bereavement and the complex grief that can follow

Credentials

• Master of Counselling (expected completion: Feb 2026)

• Graduate Diploma in Counselling

• Graduate Certificate in Developmental Trauma

• Bachelor of Commerce: Marketing Management

• Diploma in Community Welfare Work

• Diploma in Community Services Coordination

• Circle of Security Parenting®, Tuning into Kids®, and Keeping Children Safe® facilitator

• Registered with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA)

• Registered with the Australian Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (ARCAP)

• Registered with the Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA)

• Working with Children (Blue Card) issued by the Queensland Government

• NDIS Worker Screening Clearance