Tanya is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and has worked with children, young people and families for over 27 years. Tanya commenced her career in Department for Child Protection (DCP), working there for 6 years. She then worked for a couple of years at The Second Story Youth Health Service (now called Metropolitan Youth Health), before moving into a ‘Keeping Them Safe’ (KTS) Therapist position at Southern Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) for 12 years. This role involved providing therapeutic services to children, young people and families with a specialisation in supporting children and young people in DCP care as well as foster care and kinship care support.
Tanya is passionate about working in the child protection area, as well as recognising the importance of early intervention for families and the vital role that therapeutic intervention plays in families achieving successful outcomes and breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma. This commitment and interest endure throughout her career. Tanya also recognises the importance of early relational health on wellbeing, leading to a particular interest in providing services that promote infant mental health and perinatal mental health. This led Tanya to taking a position as a Family Practitioner with Department of Human Services in 2019, supporting families of children aged 0-6 years old who were identified as high risk of child protection involvement, to address the issues early and get the support they need to avoid DCP involvement. Following this family preservation work, Tanya moved into private practice in 2021 with a focus on early intervention, perinatal & infant mental health, strengthening parent-child relationships and healing from trauma, grief and loss. Tanya joined Connecting Families in 2022 and finds it fulfilling engaging in the therapeutic work she does with children, parents and caregivers to support successful reunification.
Tanya has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a Postgraduate Bachelor of Social Work. Tanya’s work is underpinned by a system’s focus, psychodynamic psychotherapy approach, an understanding of the neurobiology of trauma, and the importance of relationships in therapy and for healing.
Tanya is committed to her ongoing training and professional development, having completed a Graduate Certificate in Family Mediation, Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health and extensive training in EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing), having completed Level Two in EMDR training with Adults and with Children & Adolescents, and being registered as a full member of EMDRAA. Tanya is also an accredited Marte Meo Therapist, Circle of Security Parenting facilitator, Bringing Up Great Kids facilitator and The Shark Cage facilitator (working with women who have experienced abuse and domestic violence). Tanya is trained and experienced in providing Therapeutic Life Story Work, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and parent-child psychotherapy. Tanya has also completed training in Motivational Interviewing, Schema Therapy, various training in grief and loss and in trauma-integrated practice.
Tanya has been an active advocate in the child protection practice space for many years, and she has been a member of AAIMH (Australian Association of Infant Mental Health) since 2019. Tanya currently holds the position of SA Branch Secretary for AAIMH in a volunteer capacity.