Meet Annie
Founder & Director – Whole Self Independent Life Learning
A mother who needed help — and built what didn’t exist
Whole Self began long before it ever had a name.
It began in Annie’s home, in the middle of the night, during moments of fear, exhaustion, love, and absolute determination to help her son when no one else could.
Like so many parents of neurodivergent young people, Annie reached a point where she desperately needed support. But every time she asked for help, she hit the same barriers:
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Waitlists
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Forms
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“Call another service”
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“We can’t offer urgent support”
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“There’s nothing available right now”
And when things escalated, there was no one to call. No one who understood the reality of what their family was living through.
Out of that desperation — and out of fierce love for her son — Annie created the service she needed but couldn’t find.
That service became Whole Self.
A life shaped by lived experience and deep understanding
Annie’s journey is not academic or theoretical.
Her expertise comes from living it — navigating systems, crisis moments, advocacy battles, and the emotional load that sits quietly behind every parent raising a neurodivergent child.
She has been:
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The mother in the waiting room holding back tears
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The parent begging for someone to listen
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The one trying to support siblings while balancing chaos
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The exhausted carer reading reports that didn’t match her child
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The advocate fighting for basic understanding
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The steady, loving anchor her child depended on
This lived experience gave her one unstoppable conviction:
Families deserve real support — not referrals, not waitlists, not compassion on paper. Real support. Human support. Support that shows up.
So she built it.
Why Whole Self exists
Whole Self was born from Annie’s belief that no family should ever feel alone or abandoned while trying to help their child.
She created Whole Self to offer what she needed most:
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Immediate, real-time support
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Support that sees the whole child, not just behaviour
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A place where families feel understood and safe
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People who don’t give up
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A team who step into the hole with you
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A program built from love, not bureaucracy
“I built Whole Self for my son — but I quickly realised hundreds of families needed the same thing.”
What Annie brings to Whole Self
Annie leads with:
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Lived experience as a parent of a neurodivergent young person
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Deep insight into what families actually need
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A fierce advocacy voice for children and teens
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Creativity, vision, and compassion
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A determination to remove barriers, not reinforce them
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An unwavering commitment to safety, wellbeing, and dignity
She is not just a founder — she is the emotional heart of Whole Self.
Working alongside Mel and the Whole Self team
Annie is proud to lead Whole Self with a team of equally committed professionals, including Melissa, allied health partners, support workers, and educators who share the same values:
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Individualised support
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Relationship-based practice
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Trauma-informed care
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Neurodiversity-affirming approaches
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Real-world, meaningful outcomes
Together, they have built a program where young people grow, families heal, and support is finally what it should be — real, responsive, and human.
A message from Annie
“I know what it feels like to be desperate for help and find none.
Whole Self exists so that no parent ever has to feel that alone again.”
Meet Mel
Director of Therapeutic Practice & Education (Non-Clinical)
A lifetime dedicated to supporting neurodivergent young people
Mel has been working alongside neurodivergent children, teens, and their families for more than 25 years. Her journey began at just 17 years old, when she became a carer for a nine-year-old autistic boy while studying Visual Arts at the University of Southern Queensland.
That experience changed everything.
Mel quickly realised that this wasn’t just a job — it was her calling.
She went on to complete a double major in Psychology at the University of Queensland, followed by a Bachelor of Education in Further Education and Training. But the greatest teachers throughout her career have always been the young people themselves.
Guided by what children teach us — not just what textbooks say
Mel worked at Autism Queensland during a time when the organisation was small, innovative, and at the forefront of autism-specific practice. Surrounded by skilled, passionate professionals, she gained invaluable hands-on experience — but she learned her most important lessons from seeing what truly works.
She saw the same pattern year after year:
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One-hour sessions weren’t enough
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Families were exhausted from navigating systems alone
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Young people thrived when support was personalised
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Connection mattered more than any program
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“One size fits all” never fits anyone
Her work reinforced a belief she carries into every interaction:
Every child deserves to be deeply understood.
Every family deserves support that actually supports them.
Why Mel joined Whole Self
After decades of listening to families’ stories — their battles, burnout, heartbreak and determination — Mel saw Whole Self as something profoundly different.
Whole Self wasn’t created as a service model.
It was created out of a mother’s desperation, out of lived experience, and out of the fierce love Annie had for her own son when no one came to help.
That resonated deeply with Mel.
She joined Whole Self because it represents everything she’s believed in her entire career:
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Personalised support
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Relationship-based practice
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Neurodiversity-affirming approaches
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Real connection
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Real understanding
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Real outcomes
“Whole Self is what families have always needed — a place where young people are truly seen, known, and supported to thrive.”
What Mel brings to the Whole Self team
Mel contributes a rare blend of:
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25+ years of professional experience
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A deep understanding of neurodiversity and behaviour
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A background in psychology and education
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Hands-on therapeutic practice
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Lived experience supporting countless families
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A warm, compassionate, grounded presence
She leads with empathy, evidence-informed practice, and genuine respect for each young person’s individuality.
Passionate, committed, and here for the long haul
Today, Mel works closely with Annie and the entire Whole Self team — including allied health partners — to deliver supports that are meaningful, personalised, and transformative.
She is proud to be part of a program built on heart, advocacy, and real-world understanding.
“The most extraordinary outcomes happen when a child feels understood. That’s what Whole Self gives them — not just support, but safety, trust, and the chance to become who they are.”