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Becoming Trauma-informed in Groups Settings: Supporting Autistic Adults
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Event description

  • Best practice, trauma-informed group leadership.
  • Reflecting and identifying trauma-informed actions in our work.
  • Responding to disclosure in a group setting.
  • Pillars and themes of being trauma-informed
  • Understanding Cultural Safety in relation to Autistic adults.
  • Considerations when supporting Autistic adults

Linda Tuxford-Adams is an integrative counsellor and educator specialising in neuro-affirming, trauma-sensitive mental health support for late-identified Autistic adults, particularly those perceived as female at birth with complex trauma. She is a late-identified AuDHDer (Autism + ADHD) with C-PTSD, a parent of two multiply neurodivergent young men. She has extensive experience supporting neurodivergent families and individuals across their lifespans in educational and mental health settings.

Linda is a PACFA Registered Clinical Counsellor with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (Hons) and Education. She is pursuing a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy and a Graduate Certificate in Autism. She holds certifications as an Autism Clinical Specialist (ASDCS), ADHD Clinical Services Provider (ADHD-CSP), and Trauma Treatment Professional (CTTP-I & II). However, she identifies her most valuable learning has been through lived-experience educators, her children, her clients, and members of the Autistic community.

Linda is committed to increasing neuro-cultural competence in mental health practice and community work settings. She truly believes that connecting to the Autistic community through peer and discussion groups is conducive to Autistic well-being. To fulfil this mission, she founded Neurokindred, a non-profit online counselling and peer support service for Autistic adults, in 2022.

Her academic contributions include research on emotional exhaustion in teachers, presentations on bridges and barriers to counselling & psychotherapy for Autistic women, publications on Autistic experiences with Reframing Autism, and insightful pieces illustrating a neuro-affirming application of therapeutic approaches on Neurokindred.

Melody is an Autistic counsellor and trainer operating her private practice, Wellbeing Wise, in Sunnybank and online. Melody specialises in supporting late-diagnosed Autistic people and people aged 16+ who the mental health system has let down to discover ways to thrive and create a life worth living.

Melody spent 30 years in mental health services, where her most profound learnings came from working alongside young people, adults, and their families in frontline, management, training, policy, and governance roles. 

In her last organisational role, managing a short-stay youth mental health residential, the young people, many of whom were Autistic, said she should pay someone else to do her job so she could spend more time with them. She reflected hard on that and did an inventory of what brought her joy: returning to her passion for people, not paperwork. She reduced work to part-time and started changing her life to one of more ease to honour her energy and accommodate her needs.

Melody is committed to walking the talk and prioritises her wellbeing. She engages in activities that bring meaning and purpose to her life, including walking in the forest daily, yin yoga, celebrating the LGBTIQA+ community with Free Mum Hugs Australia, mentoring high school students, serving as President of Support Groups Queensland's committee and supporting neurokin through support groups at Empower Autism and Neurokindred.

Melody's extensive qualifications include a Masters in Mental Health Practice, a Graduate Certificate in Positive Psychology, and Diplomas in Counselling, Community Services: Management, and WHS. She is a Certified Trainer of Personal Medicine Coaches, a Certified Resilience Coach, and certified to facilitate Tuning into Teens and Wheel of Wellbeing training courses. She is completing her Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping certification, further enhancing her professional skills and knowledge.

Louisa is a community development practitioner at Support Groups QLD. She has worked with a range of community groups with diverse lived experiences and health conditions to reach their goals.

She has successfully facilitated a range of workshops, including Living with Involuntary Childlessness, Grief and Loss workshops, and trauma-informed workshops. These workshops have provided a safe space for participants to share their experiences and equipped them with practical tools to navigate their challenges.

Louisa has a psychology and community development background and is passionate about empowering individuals and groups with the skills they need to effect change within their communities.
Over the last few years, Louisa has been deeply engaged in learning and reflecting on her lived experience and existing resources on trauma-informed practice.

This dedication has allowed her to reinforce and develop her skills in this crucial area, such as improving her ability to recognise and respond to trauma triggers, which in turn has instilled confidence in her abilities.

In her free time, she loves to bake a sweet treat or two, go bushwalking, and find new places to dine. She also loves learning and continuously enrols in one course or another.

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