About
Annie Lane
Founder and Director
Annie brings an exceptional combination of formal education, extensive professional development, corporate leadership experience, and lived understanding to her work at Whole Self. She is currently completing a Diploma of Counselling, and has undertaken advanced studies in psychology, counselling, mindfulness, and complementary practice, including an Advanced Certificate in Psychology and Counselling and Lightworker Practitioner training.
Her professional skill set is strengthened by an extensive portfolio of seminars, workshops, and ongoing training across areas such as autism, ADHD, executive functioning, behaviour support, trauma-informed practice, emotional regulation, co-regulation, developmental wellbeing, and family systems. This continuous learning ensures her approach is contemporary, evidence-informed, and grounded in an in-depth understanding of neurodivergent young people and their needs.
Prior to founding Whole Self, Annie spent 17 years in corporate Human Resources, business management, leadership development, and executive coaching, where she specialised in supporting people, navigating complex challenges, and helping individuals and teams grow through change. These capabilities now underpin the structured, relational, and outcomes-focused support that forms the foundation of Whole Self’s model.
But Whole Self was not born in a boardroom — it was born in crisis.
Annie created Whole Self out of sheer desperation — because she had a son who needed help, and there was no one to call.
For years, she tried to juggle a demanding corporate career while managing daily appointments, school calls to collect her son, escalating behaviours, and the emotional weight of constant uncertainty. Eventually something had to give. She lost her job — not because she lacked ability, but because the system was never built for families like hers.
With nowhere else to turn, Annie returned to study psychology, counselling, and mindfulness to find real answers for her own child.
And along the way, she discovered a truth many parents quietly carry:
The support isn’t there when you need it.
The waitlists are long.
The systems are rigid.
And most services don’t walk beside families in the moments when everything is falling apart.
Every door she knocked on came with a barrier — a form, a cost, a delay, or a professional who didn’t truly understand the lived reality of supporting a neurodivergent child in crisis.
So she built what she needed.
Whole Self was born from navigating crisis after crisis with no roadmap, no flexibility, and no real-time support. Annie created the service she wished existed when her family was drowning — one that steps in, holds the weight with you, and understands the emotional, practical, and human realities behind the journey.
Whole Self exists because no parent should ever have to walk this alone.
It exists because families deserve more than referrals and waitlists.
It exists because Annie knows what it feels like to be scared, exhausted, overwhelmed — and still fighting every single day for your child.
Whole Self is the support she once needed for her son.
Now it stands for every family who needs understanding, guidance, practical help, and a service that truly walks beside them.
*Annie works in a non-clinical, capacity-building role. She does not practise as a registered health practitioner and does not provide psychological or clinical counselling services.
About
Melissa Conlan BVA, BPsych, BEd(FET)
Director of Therapeutic Practice & Education (Non Clinical)
Mel brings an extensive and uniquely multidisciplinary background to Whole Self, combining formal qualifications in psychology, visual arts, and education with years of hands-on experience supporting neurodivergent young people. Holding a Bachelor of Psychology, a Bachelor of Visual Arts, and a Bachelor of Education (Further Education & Training), Mel offers a depth of understanding in human behaviour, learning theory, developmental needs, and creative expression that is rare within the disability and youth support sectors.
Across her career, Mel has worked in a wide range of educational, community, and support-based environments, developing strong skills in mentoring, emotional regulation support, behaviour understanding, and relational, strengths-based practice. Her background gives her a powerful ability to interpret how young people learn, process information, and communicate — and to tailor her approach so each participant feels safe, understood, and empowered.
Mel has undertaken extensive additional training and professional development across key areas including neurodiversity, autism, ADHD, sensory needs, trauma-aware practice, visual communication, behaviour support, co-regulation, and adolescent wellbeing. This ongoing learning ensures her practice is current, evidence-informed, and grounded in a deep respect for the individuality of every young person she works with.
Her experience in creative fields also brings a unique dimension to her work. Mel has a remarkable ability to transform art, practical projects, hands-on learning, and real-world activities into powerful teaching and regulation tools. Her sessions often become safe spaces for expression, confidence-building, emotional awareness, and personal growth.
Mel is known for her calm presence, intuitive understanding of young people, and her ability to build trust quickly — especially with teens who may have experienced overwhelm, school disengagement, or a lack of safe relationships in the past. Her work is relational, regulated, structured, and grounded in genuine care.
At Whole Self, Mel plays a key role in designing and delivering capacity-building programs that help young people develop emotional regulation, independence, communication skills, and meaningful participation across home, school, and community environments.
Her blend of formal qualifications, creative insight, behavioural understanding, and practical experience makes her an invaluable part of the W.I.L.L leadership team — and a trusted, authentic support for the families she walks beside.
*Melissa works in a non-clinical, capacity-building role. She does not practise as a registered health practitioner and does not provide psychological or clinical counselling services.