Hi, I’m Monica (she/her):

I’m a Counsellor and Parent Educator based in the Northern Rivers. I specialise 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, and gender diversity.

My work is informed by both professional training and deep lived experience. I live with complex PTSD, have faced mental health struggles, and survived childhood abuse. I am also a parent to four incredible (and sometimes challenging!) boys—three of whom are neurodiverse, ADHD and one who is gender diverse. Having walked alongside children through anxiety, psychosis, and suicidal ideation, I intimately understand the emotional, practical, and systemic challenges families face. I know the exhaustion, the worry, the advocacy, and the fierce love that comes with supporting children who need more understanding and care.

Early in my parenting journey, I felt completely alone. Our world grew small and isolating, and the outside world often felt unkind and unforgiving toward my children, who simply needed understanding, acceptance, and support. What they—and I—needed most was an ally. Through connecting with other parents in workshops and groups, I found friendship, shared experience, and strength. It was during this time that I discovered the Nurtured Heart Approach®, a turning point for our family that helped us strengthen relationships and move out of crisis. For the first time, I could see light at the end of the tunnel.

This personal journey inspired me to support other families. Over the past ten years, I have worked one-on-one with parents and carers, collaborated with schools, and facilitated group sessions. I have witnessed families flourish when they feel genuinely seen, heard, and supported. My passion for ensuring no one feels as alone as I once did is what led me to become a counsellor and recovery coach.

My work with gender diverse children and their families is deeply shaped by my experience as a mother of a transgender child. Together, we navigated a school system that was often unprepared and under-informed, advocating not just for my child but paving the way for others. I remain dedicated to creating inclusive, affirming environments where all children—especially those frequently misunderstood or marginalised—can thrive.

Living with mental health challenges, or raising a child with disability and gender diversity, can be isolating and lonely. I am here 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