Our Team

 

The Whole Self Team – Real People, Real Support, Real Understanding

At Whole Self, our team is more than a group of workers — we are a community of people who care deeply about neurodivergent young people and their families.
Every staff member is chosen not just for their qualifications, but for their heart, their values, and their ability to truly see and understand the young people we support.

We believe that the right team can change everything.

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What Makes Our Team Different

 

1. Lived Experience & Genuine Understanding

Many of our team members have lived experience as:

• Parents of neurodivergent children

• Siblings

• Carers

• Neurodivergent individuals themselves

This means our support isn’t theoretical — it’s grounded in real life, real understanding, and real empathy.

We support families because we’ve been where you are.
And we know how much it matters to have someone beside you, not above you.

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2. Highly Skilled, Trained & Supervised

Our team includes:

• Behaviour support–trained staff

• Allied health–aligned support workers

• People skilled in communication support (AAC, visuals, modelling)

• Mentors with strong backgrounds in youth work, disability, and education

• Multi-skilled staff with experience in art, movement, practical skills, business, community engagement, and therapeutic approaches

All staff receive ongoing training in:

• Trauma-informed practice

• Neurodiversity-affirming support

• Low-arousal responses

• Emotional regulation and co-regulation

• Behaviour Support Plan implementation

• Safeguarding and crisis prevention

• Communication support strategies

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3. Relationship-Based Practice

Our support model is built on trust.
Young people cannot learn, grow, or regulate without feeling safe in their relationships.

We prioritise:

• Connection before correction

• Support before expectation

• Regulation before participation

• Empowerment over compliance

It is this relational approach that makes Whole Self unique — and makes our outcomes so powerful.

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4. 1:1 Personalised Support

Every participant receives:

• Their own dedicated support worker

• Individualised strategies tailored to their strengths and needs

• Pacing and rhythm based on their sensory and emotional capacity

• Consistency, predictability, and genuine care

No two young people are the same — and neither is the way we support them.​

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5. Our Therapy Dogs — Calm, Connection & Confidence

One of the most powerful parts of our program is our therapy dogs.

At Whole Self, our therapy dogs are not an “add-on” — they are an essential and much-loved part of our therapeutic environment.

Our dogs help young people to:

• Feel safe, grounded and connected

• Regulate during moments of overwhelm, anxiety or sensory overload

• Reduce stress and emotional escalation

• Build confidence and communication skills

• Experience calm, predictable companionship

There is strong evidence showing that therapy dogs support neurodivergent children and teens by lowering cortisol, increasing dopamine and oxytocin, and improving emotional regulation and social engagement.

They are also the perfect icebreaker.
For many young people who arrive feeling unsure, anxious or new to the program, meeting the dogs instantly softens the space.
It creates a bridge — a gentle, safe first connection.

Most importantly, our young people play a huge role in caring for and training our dogs.
They learn:

• Responsibility

• Patience

• Communication through body language

• Empathy

• Leadership skills

Our dogs contribute to healing, confidence, and connection — every single day.​

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6. Backed by Leadership with Heart & Expertise

Whole Self is guided by two leaders who have lived and breathed this work:

Annie – Founder & Director

A mother who built Whole Self out of desperation when help didn’t exist for her own son.
Her lived experience ensures the entire organisation is built on compassion, understanding, and fierce advocacy.

Melissa – Director of Therapeutic Practice & Education (non clinical)

With over 25 years of experience supporting neurodivergent young people, Melissa leads our therapeutic approach with a strong relational and evidence-informed foundation.

Together, Annie and Melissa lead with courage, purpose and unwavering commitment to every young person and family.​

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7. A Unified, Collaborative Team

We work closely with:

• Allied health professionals

• Behaviour Support Practitioners

• Schools

• Families

• NDIS teams

Communication, consistency and collaboration are at the heart of everything we do.

Every staff member understands the shared plan, shared goals and shared values that guide each young person’s journey.​

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8. A Team That Shows Up — Every Time

We are the team who:

• Climb into the “hole” with families

• Stay through the hard moments

• Celebrate every win, big or small

• Keep showing up with patience, safety and compassion

This isn’t a job for us — it’s our purpose.​

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The Heart of Whole Self

Our team believes every young person deserves:

• To feel understood

• To feel safe

• To feel valued

• To learn at their own pace

• To be supported by people who genuinely care

And every family deserves:

• Consistency

• Connection

• Support without judgement

• A team that has their back

This is what the Whole Self team provides — every day, for every family.

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