Anna Amhrose

BSocSc (Children and Family Studies)

Children's Counsellor

Working with children, young people and their families

Member of Australian Institute of Community and Welfare Workers (AICWW)

Anna is currently on maternity leave and will be returning to the Mt Lawley Counselling Centre in September 2010.

Over 14 years, Anna has gained experience working with children, young people and their families in a range of settings, including community based agencies, the domestic/family violence field and private practice. She has been employed as a Family Advisor and Children's Counsellor at the Joondalup Family Relationship Centre and as a Children's Counsellor at the Patricia Giles Centre Children's Counsellling Centre. She has also been employed on a sessional basis at Edith Cowan University and has worked on developing an on-line health and well-being course. Anna has delivered training to professionals in Melbourne and Perth.

Anna has experience working with children individually providing home based and centre based counselling, with children in group settings, sibling groups and with parents and children together. Experience in facilitating parenting groups has provided her with the opportunity to develop skills in working with parents on a range of parenting issues. She is able to provide support to families with building on parenting skills and creating positive relationships. Anna is also familiar with the concepts and approaches of 'Triple P' (Positive Parenting Programme).

Anna's area of specialty include:

• Working with children and young people (ages 3 - 15 years)
• Promoting positive self-esteem
• Developing social skills
• Promoting emotional resilience
• Anger management
• Developing play skills
• Addressing the impact of domestic/family violence
• Grief and loss
• Family separation
• Promoting secure attachment relationships
• Parenting issues (such as behaviour management strategies, developmental information, developing positive relationships, conflict resolution)
• Developing appropriate boundaries
• Child-inclusive family dispute resolution

Anna employs a range of tools in supporting children and young people with processing issues and building self-esteem and positive relationships with their peers, families, school and community. This includes age appropriate and child-centred counselling techniques involving tools such as play therapy, expressive therapies and art therapy. Her training provides a solid foundation for working with children and young people in ways that are meaningful to them. Anna's work is characterised by creating trusting, warm and safe relationships where children and young people feel accepted, listened to and can gain a sense of mastery over the issues or experiences in their lives. She is also experienced in working in partnership with significant others in children's lives, including parents, siblings and schools. When working with parents Anna employs a strengths based approach and draws on Humanist and Behaviourist approaches to guiding children's behaviour.

Anna has written an article on boundaries that is available on this website.

Anna is currently on maternity leave and will be returning to the Mt Lawley Counselling Centre in September 2010.

Telephone: 0424 980 878

Anna Amhrose
Mt Lawley Counselling Centre
13 Alvan Street
Mt Lawley WA 6050