Bernadette Zeeman

AMHSW. BSW. BA. Grad Dip Ed. PG Child Dev. Adv. Dip CS. Dip CS. Dip Youth Work. Dip Protective Intervention.

“Stop every now and then. Just stop and enjoy. Take a deep  breath. Relax and take in the abundance of life.”

Bernadette works with clients across the lifespan including families and couples, helping them find ways to deal with personal and social difficulties that affect mental health and wellbeing, with a focus on each person’s unique situation and strengths. She believes in the importance of creating a caring, supportive and non-judgemental environment when assisting clients to create change.

Bernadette particularly enjoys child counselling; She provides a whole-family approach working in partnership with client families. She has a strong professional background through many years of working in Child and Family Services. She utilises a child focused and creative counselling model that is centred on optimising children’s abilities to express, explore and resolve upsetting thoughts, feelings, experiences, in developmentally appropriate ways.

Her collaborative approach may include working with clients and their family, doctor, teachers and others, to develop treatment plans and strategies to best meet client’s needs. She can also help people identify and connect with appropriate services they may not have known about.

She has a trauma-informed practice, this means she incorporates core principles of safety, trust, collaboration, choice, and empowerment in her services.

As a trauma-informed social worker, Bernadette draws on her knowledge about trauma to respond to clients in a way that conveys respect and compassion, honours self-determination, and enables the rebuilding of healthy interpersonal skills and coping strategies.

Bernadette has experience in helping client utilises a wide array of tools in her work to help people find better solutions to current concerns, including strengthening relationships, develop and practise new skills, while gaining confidence in themselves and their recovery.

Bernadette uses evidence-based practices incorporating a range of therapy approaches including: Cognitive behavioral therapy, Dialectic behavioral therapy, Acceptance, and Commitment therapy, Interpersonal and Narrative therapy, and Family therapy, as well as Mindfulness stress reduction, and Motivational Interviewing.

Her approach in Psycho-education integrates concepts of Neuroplasticity enhancing understanding of how our brains work and using that knowledge to benefit mental health and wellbeing, attachment, emotional regulation, self-esteem, positive emotions, and cognitions.

Her specialist areas of practice include: Professional supervision, Relationship focused work, Parenting support, Interpersonal skills, and Bereavement counselling.

Bernadette is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker she is a registered provider with Medicare Australia. Bernadette has been assessed on behalf of the Commonwealth Government by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) as having specialist mental health expertise.

Bernadette has worked in many government, non-government, and community agencies – including, hospitals, community services, early intervention and child and family support services, schools, disability and aged care services and palliative care. She has extensive experience with individual, family, and relationship focused work. She has provided services through the Commonwealth-funded Better Access to Mental Health Care and Chronic Diseases Management (Enhanced Primary Care) programs and the Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program.