Founding Director, Counsellor, Play Therapist, Neurologic Music Therapy Allied Professional & Neuro-affirming Advocate.

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Kara's extensive background encompasses a wide range of qualifications and experience in the arts, education, and counselling fields spanning over 20 years. She has worked with countless children, youth, and families along the way, working in schools, early learning centres, and in private practice.

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Kara founded Play & Creative Therapy Bundaberg alongside her own journey as the parent of a AuDHD PDAer navigating the therapy space while also studying her own counselling degree. She recognised the vital need for a lived experience perspective in offering genuine neurodiversity-affirming and neuro-sensitive therapeutic care, in addition to parent support from a lived-experience lens.

 

Her dedication to this work saw Kara additionally train in Neurologic Music Therapy, Child-Centered Play Therapy, AutPlay®️ Therapy, Filial Family Therapy, the CPS model for behaviours (Dr Ross Greene), a range of integrative counselling approaches, creative arts therapies, holistic modalities, and autism and neuro-affirming specific supports. Kara loves to learn and her commitment to her professional development and specialised training is ongoing.

 

As a late diagnosed Neurodivergent person, Kara brings a unique perspective that blends personal experience with professional expertise, particularly in supporting neurodivergent individuals and raising a child with complex needs. She is a heartfelt ND advocate who aims to break down the barriers and misconceptions about neurodiversity that leads to exclusion, discrimination, bias, and negative social, emotional, and mental health factors for ND individuals. She is on a mission to educate her community in ways that helps reduce trauma on young neurodivergent people.

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Kara’s interest areas include Autism, ADHD, PDA, RSD, trauma, anxiety, sensory integration, attachment informed relational neuroscience, and the interplay between human behaviour and interpersonal neurobiology.

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Beyond her professional life, Kara finds solace in reading, meditating, singing, writing music, travelling, enjoying quite walks by the ocean, and spending time with her family and loved ones. She believes being a Mum is the most treasured gift in the world!

 

Kara is best known for her love of music and creativity, her collection of boho and rainbow earrings, nurturing heart, and her authentic, kind and compassionate personality. Kara truly embodies the essence of empathy and understanding that shines through in her work and personal life alike.