Mrs Cassandra Fletcher-Dunham Social Worker

I am an accredited Mental Health Social Worker registered with the Australian Association of Social Workers. My perspective is that you are the expert in your own life. During our sessions I will hear your story and how your experiences have shaped your life. I reflect back the strengths in your story and acknowledge the difficulties you have experienced and how this has impacted you. I will support you as you explore how stressors in your life influence your thoughts and in turn, influence your emotions and behaviours. As a result, the dynamics of your relationships with family and friends are affected. I integrate various layers of theoretical frameworks in my practice with the socio-ecological model being the umbrella under which I draw from therapeutic modalities. For example, Narrative Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. The Socio-ecological model acknowledges the impact that the dynamics of systems have on your life in both a positive and negative way. Beginning with your mind and body systems, rippling out to family and social systems, how you interact within your community and how national and global events accumulate to impact on your wellbeing. The global Pandemic and Australia’s extreme weather events are examples of how wider systemic responses to adverse events can trigger pre existing trauma and/or develop new trauma. How well supported we felt by systemic responses in the aftermath of the pandemic and extreme weather events will impact our sense of self and ultimately our mental health. As an academic and therapist I draw from science based and creative fields and integrate these in order to assist you in expressing your self knowledge. Then, how you may experiment with learning new ways of being your authentic self so you are living by your values and feel in better control of how you respond to life’s difficulties.