About Us
Rowena Henderson BSW (Hons) MAASW (Acc) AMHSW
Rowena graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) Degree from the University of NSW in 1988. She is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, an approved Medicare provider, and an approved Victims Services provider.
Rowena has worked in Australia, Ireland and the UK in the areas of child and adult protection, both providing and supervising counselling and assessment services for children and adults who have experienced abuse and trauma. Rowena has also written policies and training programs, and has trained over 2000 staff in responding to abuse of older people.
Rowena worked as a Sexual Assault Counsellor with the Central Coast Sexual Assault Service (Biala) prior to moving to her own counselling practice in 2011. Rowena has trained extensively in the provision of counselling for children and adults who have experienced abuse and trauma, including the NSW Health Specialist Sexual Assault Training, mandatory for all Sexual Assault Counsellors. Rowena regularly attends training to ensure she is up to date with latest developments in the area of counselling for survivors of trauma and abuse.
In working with survivors of abuse and trauma Rowena uses trauma informed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Trauma informed CBT is evidence based and addresses the specific psychological and behavioural impacts of trauma. Rowena is also trained in the provision of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).
Underpinning all of Rowena′s work is a person centred and strengths based approach, where counselling can happen within the context of a safe, supportive and respectful therapeutic relationship.