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Nigel Polak

President

Nigel is an existential therapist in private practice, supervisor, and academic teacher at the Australian College of Applied Professions. Nigel has served for many years with the PACFA Victorian Branch, the College of Counselling Leadership Group, as PACFA Secretary, and as Convenor for PACFA’s "Safety in Therapy" Conference Committee in 2022, before being elected as PACFA's President in 2022. As founding Secretary of the Victorian Association for Restorative Justice and other diverse volunteer organisations, he brings more than 25 years of experience leading volunteer organisations. With qualifications in law, business, and conflict resolution, as well as prior careers as a Solicitor, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and Restorative Justice Conference Convenor, Nigel also brings knowledge of law, corporate governance, and diverse industry experience to his role on the PACFA Board.

Email: [email protected]

Doug Aberle

Vice President

Doug has been practicing as a Gestalt therapist for more than 35 years and is a graduate and faculty member of Gestalt Associates Training Los Angeles (GATLA). Doug has a private practice in Gestalt Therapy in Perth along with a Business Consulting and Coaching Practice which also draws on his Gestalt training. Doug supervises Gestalt therapists in Perth and runs Gestalt Therapy training workshops locally and internationally. As part of his role on the faculty of GATLA, Doug delivers a theory track on using Gestalt in organisations as well as providing clinical group training and individual live supervision of trainees from around the world. Doug is passionate about Gestalt Therapy, its profound respect for the client and its emphasis on the innate power of awareness and contact. He has a particular interest in seeing the long-term, experiential nature of the psychotherapeutic apprenticeship recognised in the qualification frameworks of PACFA.

Maree Armansin

College of Counselling Convenor

Maree Armansin has worked in the counselling profession for 35 years and has provided counselling in private practice, education and organisational development, services to a wide range of clients. Her career began as a teacher, then youth worker, private practitioner, organisational development consultant and professional development specialist in Queensland Government. She trained at Wellington Teachers College (Dip Teaching) QUT (Grad Dip. Counselling, B.Ed., Master of Social Science (Counselling), and at UNE (Master of Education). She is a clinical member of PACFA, Convenor of PACFA Queensland Branch and past President of Queensland Counsellors Association. She is a registered Family Constellations Master practitioner, MBTI practitioner and uses tools and models from theory to offer clients practical, down to earth, professional guidance that assists them to achieve high level potentiality and significant change in their lives. She is a supportive colleague who brings challenge and practical solution-focused approaches to organisations and individuals.

Email: [email protected]

Dr Pamela Brear

Professional Standards Committee Chair

Dr Pamela Brear is a senior practitioner with an established private practice and extensive experience in providing counselling to clients and clinical supervision to those who work in people-focused professions. For several years Dr Brear lectured in the Masters Counselling program of the University of South Australia both in Adelaide and in Singapore. Building on her specialised interest in clinical supervision she launched Supervision Alliance developing an Advanced Certificate training in the Art and Science of Supervision, and facilitates a Community of Practice with her fellow Supervisors in South Australia. Dr Brear has had a long association with PACFA having served in numerous roles over 17 years on the Executive Committee of the Counselling Association of South Australia prior to its transitioning into PACFA.

Email: [email protected]

Francis Kim

Treasurer

Francis Kim is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, accredited supervisor, and educator. Francis was the Deputy Convenor and Convenor of PACFA NSW Branch Leadership Group since 2016. Prior to the full merger with PACFA Francis served as the treasurer and a member of the Ethics Committee in CAPA NSW. Francis has attained a Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy from ACAP, a Graduate Diploma in Psychology from University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from Macquarie University. Currently, Francis runs a busy private practice at Strathfield and Campsie NSW, works with NDIS, SIRA and with a number of EAP providers. Francis has been an educator in counselling and psychotherapy courses in a number of institutions including the Australian College of Applied Professions (ACAP). Francis is passionate to see qualified counsellors and psychotherapists recognised in Australia at all levels of government, industry and in the hearts and minds of Australians. He considers his role as the treasurer and a member of PACFA Board as a great opportunity to serve the PACFA community, and to improve the mental health and wellbeing of clients throughout Australia.

Ernst Meyer

College of Psychotherapy Convenor

Ernst is originally from Bavaria in the south of Germany, and migrated to Australia in 1995. As a contemporary somatic psychotherapist in private practice he works with adults, couples and teenage children. Ernst joined the leadership group of PACFA’s Somatic Psychotherapy modality in 2017, and have been an educator in somatic psychotherapy since 2021. Ernst believes that psychotherapy is a valid and powerful clinical alternative to psychology and psychiatry, and that when practiced as a non-medical talk therapy it differs significantly from medical and natural-scientific approaches to mental health. As the Convenor of the College of Psychotherapy, Ernst aims to strengthen psychotherapy’s standing both within PACFA as well as in the wider community.

Email: [email protected]

Dr Kathryn Imray

Ethics Committee Chair

Kathryn Imray, PhD, is a creativity coach and therapist based in Western Australia. They have a background in academic administration and policy research, with interests in the hermeneutics of ethics and ethical decision-making. They have worked in immersive cross-cultural contexts, and in gender violence, mental health and palliative care. They hold doctorates in existential phenomenology and creative writing, and in death in the ancient Near East.

Email: [email protected]

Bianca Stawiarski

Convenor, College of Indigenous Healing Practices

Bianca Stawiarski, a proud Badimia and Ukrainian woman, is a centred and purpose-driven healer, mental health and Indigenous Healing practitioner, facilitator, coach, international co-author, author, change maker and speaker. She is a PACFA Mental Health Practitioner whose qualifications include a Masters in Counselling Practice, Diploma of Life Coaching, Post grad. Diploma of Counselling, Certificate in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, and Bachelor of Aboriginal studies. Bianca is the founder of Warida Wholistic Wellness, and BilaEmpower. She's dedicated to healing through a First Nations lens, improving mental health, Indigenous Healing practices and economic empowerment through entrepreneurship. Her approach integrates her innate Indigenous knowledge, knowledge of healing combined with entrepreneurship to empower women and communities. Bianca is recognised for her work in shifting away from western medical models of dysfunction, instead focusing on healing outside of four walls. Part of this approach embraces the ethos of: gudu-guduwa (coming together) through ngardi Guwanda (listening, feeling, thinking strongly), relationship, and connection.

Bianca's PhD research explores whether a local community-led circular research model can positively contribute to the outcomes of women's empowerment programs for entrepreneurship. Bianca hopes that the outcomes from her 'We hold our own Answers' research will empower First Nations communities to choose their own paths. A published author and international multiple award-winning entrepreneur, she's committed to creating community change.

Email: [email protected] 

Associate Professor Mayumi Purvis

Accreditation Standards Committee Chair

Mayumi is a Clinical Counsellor, Clinical Supervisor, and is Course Director of the postgraduate counselling programs at Deakin University. She has served as a committee member on the PACFA Research committee, in the working group for PACFA accreditation standards and is on the editorial board for PACJA. Her current area of practice specialisation is in relationship therapy, however her past areas of expertise include individual adult counselling, working with those who are dying, and supporting the rehabilitation of those who have committed serious sexual and violent offences. Mayumi is passionate about reflective teaching and learning practice and has a strong focus on the employability of graduates. Her teaching focus is on ethics, diversity, counselling professions, and relationship therapy.

Email: [email protected]

Adrian Holmes

Research Committee Chair

Adrian Holmes is a counsellor, author and educator based in Brisbane, Australia. Adrian has been working in the human services field for two decades and is currently completing PhD research on mental health and social policy in Australia and overseas. Adrian co-founded and manages the training and supervision organisation Tools For Hard Conversations and released his first book Tools For Hard Conversations in the Helping Professions in 2020. It is now the preferred textbook for a number of university courses and has become a valued resource for human services workers who want to work in helpful ways outside of the dominant medical model.

Email: [email protected]

Johanna de Wever

Chief Executive Officer

Johanna (BA, Grad. Dip (Communications) has worked in advocacy, media and communications for health and welfare organisations for nearly 20 years. Most recently, as General Manager, Advocacy and Leadership, at the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia, she has led advocacy around medicine shortages and opioid harm resulting in legislative and policy change. At the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists she successfully advocated for greater awareness of the life expectancy of people with serious mental illness, leading to physical health and mortality being included as priority areas in the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan. These projects demonstrate her outstanding advocacy skills and passion for mental health and high-quality healthcare. Johanna has also worked in not-for-profits and publishing companies in communications roles organising publicity for the likes of Edward de Bono, Geoffrey Robertson QC, Nawal El Saadawi, Doris Kartinyeri and Botswana’s first female High Court Judge Unity Dow.

Email: [email protected]