TRAUMA THERAPY, FAMILY & PARENTING SUPPORT, AND EDUCATION

Shani Prideaux - Director

Australian Counselling Association - Level 3 (Clinical Counsellor)

BA in Counselling (minor coaching) ~ children and youth, trauma and grief, family therapy, addiction.

Diploma in Positive Psychology & Wellbeing ~ Positive Parenting & Coaching.

Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level 2 (CCTP-II)

ADHD Clinical Services Provider - ADHD-CCSP

ASDCS - (Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist)

Brainspotting Practitioner - Phase 1,2 & 5

Mental Health First Aid - Master Trainer

“ passion lies in promoting well-being and fostering post-traumatic growth for people navigating activating events, distressing challenges, or a desire to create meaningful life changes. As a counsellor and psychotherapist, I work with individuals, families, and communities, supporting them through a wide range of personal, relational, and systemic issues.

My Journey and Discovery

Talking to people has always been a natural fit for me. Beginning as a hairdresser, I noticed how clients trusted me with their stories—joyful, painful, and deeply personal. This early experience planted the seeds for a career dedicated to listening, connecting, and helping others heal. Later, when I moved into health and fitness after becoming a parent, I found myself drawn to people who used exercise as a way to manage mental health struggles, disordered eating, and body image concerns. My curiosity and compassion led me to further study in counselling, psychotherapy, and well-being, which opened the door to a vocation I had been building toward all along.

Over the years, I began to see recurring themes in the stories shared with me. Many of my clients were neurodivergent—often ADHDers or Autistic individuals—who resonated deeply with the way I adapted therapeutic strategies to suit their unique experiences. Only later did I discover that my ability to do this so naturally came from being neurodivergent myself, a realisation that reshaped not just my practice but also my understanding of my own journey.

Bringing My Experience to My Work

Understanding my own neurodivergence has sharpened my empathy and allowed me to connect with people who feel “too much” or “not enough,” who mask their struggles while overcompensating in other areas. This lived experience complements my professional expertise and has deepened the way I walk alongside clients as they navigate trauma, relationships, identity, and change.

My professional experience is diverse. I have:

  • Worked with parents and families through foster networks and Relationships Australia, supporting resilience, connection, and growth in complex family systems.

  • Supported all forms of parenting—from early parenthood to blended families, co-parenting, and ethical separation. My focus is on helping parents work together to create stability, reduce conflict, and prioritise children’s wellbeing, rather than engaging in adversarial or court-based processes.

  • Provided relationship therapy that recognises the relationship itself as the client. This means support may involve strengthening a partnership, exploring new ways of relating, or navigating conscious uncoupling and redefined family structures.

  • Served as a program counsellor for Raise Foundation, mentoring young people in schools, and as a therapist at Tumbelin Farm, a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program for young men.

  • Partnered with high schools and well-being teams to support young people navigating developmental transitions, mental health struggles, and identity challenges.

  • Engaged with people in health and fitness communities, addressing disordered eating, body image, and self-esteem with a trauma-informed, compassionate lens.

  • Delivered mental health education and training across Australia and New Zealand, advocating for social inclusion and mental health literacy.

My Approach

My work is grounded in social inclusion, compassion, and the belief that everyone has the capacity for healing and growth. I integrate a variety of evidence-based and embodied modalities tailored to the individual, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Systemic Family Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Brainspotting, and positive psychology approaches.

At the heart of my practice is a commitment to creating safe, empowering spaces where people can reconnect with themselves and others, and move toward meaningful and sustainable change.”

Shani works with people face-to-face in the Smithfield clinic, and online.