I am the co-founder of Restoring Resilience, a psychotherapist, gestalt therapist, somatic experiencing practitioner, counselling supervisor and trainer.
I love what I do because I get to watch parents and youth professionals transform the way they interpret difficult youth behaviour and in turn respond in ways that directly lead to an increase in families bonding, youth healing and growth.
I’ve worked in the industry for over 12 years, spending much of my career teaching, counselling, supervising counsellors, running parenting courses, all the while focusing on counselling children, youth and families in the hope to build supportive, connected families. I am fascinated by how the energy within a child shifts as they start to feel safer externally then internally. With this there’s growth, healing and connection to a sense of aliveness which supports an increase in capacity to venture into the world with a heightened sense of resilience and confidence.
My Approach & Values
I co-authored the Working with Kids suite of workshops for practitioners and parents because I am passionate about helping kids live a life where they feel understood and accepted in their experience, safe and connected so that they can grow to their full potential.
My aim is to resolve child and youth stress, overwhelm and trauma. My mission is to empower you with the knowledge and effective powerful interventions to help youth feel understood, safe and connected. For you to build a strengthened bond with kids and youth that supports healing, growth and resilience. I am so excited about our programs. The results so far have been outstanding.
Come join us on this journey. You won’t regret it.
My Experience
Psychotherapist –Private Practice; Camcare
Senior Wellbeing Counsellor and Counselling Supervisor – Private Practice; Camcare
Generalist counsellor specializing in youth and family counselling – Private Practice; Camcare
Counselling Educator – ACAP (Australian College of Applied Psychology)
Community Mental Health – Neami PIR, Mind, VAC, Camcare, 360 Youth Resource Centre
Turning In To Teens Parenting Group Facilitator and Co-ordinator – Camcare; Private Practice
Somatic Experiencing training program assistant – SE Australia
Parenting Forum Presenter – City of Boroondara Youth Services
Therapeutic Specialist – NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme)
Workshop developer and facilitator – Camcare; Private Practice; Restoring Resilience
My Education
Masters of Counselling – LaTrobe University
Advanced Diploma of Gestalt Therapy – Gestalt Therapy Australia
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner – Somatic Experiencing Australia
Mentors – global leaders, international authors in child trauma resolution training – Maggie Kline; Michael Mc Knight
Hello! I’m Anna Skolarikis
I am the co-founder of Restoring Resilience, a gestalt-trained psychotherapist, a Somatic Experience Practitioner, Clinical Supervisor and trainer/facilitator. I am in private practice 3 days a week and work one day a week as a Clinical Supervisor with the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency.
Restoring Resilience Workshops have emerged from a practice that is fuelled by passion, determination and belief that all healing is innate. Our bodies are hardwired not only to survive but to thrive post events that are stressful, overwhelming and traumatic.
Having worked in mental health, disability, residential care, AOD, Domestic Violence and trauma for the last 10 years I have witnessed despite the best of intentions from most organisations, practitioners, families and carers they are not immune to the impact of trauma.
My Approach & Values
Unfortunately many passionate, well-intentioned and skilled practitioners slowly and sadly burnout, many parents, families and carers have lost hope, direction and agency. This is not a reflection of their love, their capacity and/or desire but the result of not understanding how stress affects our bodies not just our minds.
As a result, I have co-designed a suite of workshops that are geared to inform, empower and protect practitioners, therapists, social workers, teachers, case managers, team leaders, parents, carers who are working or living with stress, overwhelm and trauma.
The workshops are based on the latest neuroscientific framework – Polyvagal Theroy by Stephen Porges, combined with relational gestalt theory and somatic interventions (bottom up processing). Workshops are engaging, dynamic and potent in changing people’s lives and facilitating transformational healing.
My Experience
Psychotherapist – Private Practice
Clinical Supervisor – Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
Somatic Experience Practitioner
Somatic Experience Assistant
Family Violence Team Leader – Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
Therapeutic Support (specialist in trauma) – National Disability Insurance Scheme
Support Co-ordinator/Facilitator – Partners In Recovery – Neami National
Residential Care – Mind Australia
My Education
Somatic Experience Practitioner
Gestalt Therapy Australia
Australia College of Applied Psychology
Eye of the Needle Training (1) – Peter Levine United States
www.restoringresilience.com.au
