Profiles
Judi Barwick
Qualifications
Bachelor of Social Work with first class honours
www.uq.edu.au/swahs
Member of the Australian Association of Social Workers
www.aasw.asn.au/membershipinfo
Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
www.aasw.asn.au
Accredited Mental Health Social Worker Certified Imago Relationship Therapist
gettingtheloveyouwant.com
Areas of Expertise
Assessment and treatment of mental health issues.
Depression and anxiety.
Debriefing complex trauma, including PTSD.
Suicide assessment and intervention.
Adjustment and personality disorders.
General health issues.
Relationships and family conflict.
Grief and loss.
Longer-term therapy for improvement in personal coping.
Self-esteem issues.
I have used many different therapies for individual and relationship enhancement, including Family Therapy, Group Therapy and Facilitation Solution Focused Therapy, Interpersonal Therapies, and anxiety and stress management.
I am also trained in the effective use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), which is extremely useful in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and also Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Background
I have worked in a variety of mental health contexts, including general hospitals (13 years as a registered nurse), at Lifeline (as a Training Officer and face-to-face counsellor), for a large psychiatric hospital (as the Senior Psychiatric Social Worker), and with The Department of Veterans’ Affairs as a counsellor and caseworker.
I have extensive experience working with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and I am acutely aware of it’s effects on sufferers and their families. I can provide appropriate and effective crisis intervention, counselling, personal support, and help with relationship issues associated with PTSD.
I believe in the power of a constant and reliable therapeutic relationship in treatment of all trauma related issues. I also firmly believe that emotional and psychological healing can occur within an intimate adult relationship, so I trained in Imago Relationship Therapy to help me to work more effectively in that way.
Counselling is a rewarding and humbling experience for me, especially my work with combat veterans, Defence Force personnel, and their families. I really appreciate the opportunity to work at a deeply personal level with clients, and to help them to change their lives for the better. Private practice is both a joy and a challenge.
I acknowledge that when courageous people allow us to enter into and share their very personal experiences, we “grow” as therapists and human beings. When I am able to assist an individual to reach their full potential, I too am enriched by the experience as my personal capacity for empathy and change grows.
Testimonials
Judi’s patience, insight and experience with Imago has benefited us deeply, from the very first session. Working with her, my partner and I have been able to revolutionise our communication with each other. Since we started sessions with Judi, we’ve been able to recognise and replace old patterns and habits that were holding us back from understanding each other in a more authentic – and loving – way. We weren’t sure what to expect before our first session, but the process is so practical, we immediately understood its usefulness. While we still have misunderstandings and stressful moments, we now have the tools to ‘dialogue’ with each other about our feelings, fears and needs in a much more positive and productive way. It has strengthened our partnership and even relationships with friends and colleagues.
E & R
“My experience with Tara Counselling and Judi has been excellent and successful leading to lasting change in myself and my intimate relationship with my partner. Judi has a wide variety of tools and techniques that were easy to apply and have made an incredible improvement in the quality of life for me and my partner. With Judi we have taken our relationship from the brink of collapse to a new and rewarding marriage. Imago therapy was the key to getting things back on track, showing us how to end the blame game and really understand each other and move towards each other in true intimacy. We had tried other counselling services and Judi’s counselling skills and the Imago techniques have been the only approach that brought two individuals together in understanding and intimacy.”
With Gratitude – Andrew