05 October 2022
In October 2022, PACFA farewells 3 members of the Board - including President Dr Di Stow - who have provided significant service to their fellow members and the profession.
Of PACFA’s 24-year lifespan, Di has served 12 years on the Board – the maximum allowed under the PACFA Constitution. She steps down into an ex-officio Immediate Past President role and will support the incoming President, for the next 6 months. New Board members will be announced after the Annual General Meeting on 8 October 2022.
In 2015 Di chaired the committee responsible for restructuring PACFA into its current format of Branches, Colleges, member associations and Interest Groups.
While maintaining a busy private practice as a Registered Clinical Counsellor in Hobart, Di has strongly advocated on behalf of PACFA members to Ministers and MPs.
She has represented members to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Taskforce, and the MBS Taskforce on Eating Disorders, the Productivity Commission, the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy Taskforce, and the Select Committee on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. Di has also spread PACFA’s advocacy messages regarding access to Medicare rebates and other issues around recognition for PACFA members through media interviews.
In June, July and August, Di embarked on a national ‘roadshow’ visiting members in NSW, Victoria, SA, Queensland, Tasmania and WA, and ACT online, sharing information about PACFA’s strategic direction.
About stepping down as President, Di said: ‘As Chair of the Board, I want to thank my fellow Board members, past and present, as well as our CEO Johanna de Wever, for their great support and inspiration. It has been a pleasure and privilege to contribute to the profession for these past 12 years.’
Di said she was excited about the future of PACFA, now a full member of Allied Health Professions Australia and believed governments were more receptive than ever to giving counsellors and psychotherapists the recognition they deserve.
Also stepping down from the Board after serving PACFA’s membership and the profession for 6 years are Counselling Representative Pat Bradley and Treasurer George Gintilas.
‘Counselling has grown and flourished under Pat’s leadership, and George’s great work, with our dedicated accountant Belinda Gomez, is reflected in our financial growth and stability,’ Di said.
On behalf of all members, PACFA CEO Johanna de Wever expressed gratitude to Di, Pat and George for their generous and skillful contributions to the profession.