Elise was born in South Africa and moved to Brisbane to study Occupational Therapy at the University of QLD in 2000. She graduated in 2003, and after obtaining her first position at The Park Centre for Mental Health has continued her career in Mental Health Services for the past 18 years. Elise has extensive community based clinical experience in working with people experiencing severe and enduring mental illnesses including Schizophrenia, Mood Disorders, Eating Disorders and Complex Trauma. She has personal experience of the impact that mental illness can have on carers and family members and strives to be inclusive of carers and significant others in her work.
Elise’s passion is to enable those experiencing mental illness and or psycho-social disability engage in meaningful occupations and life of their choice despite the barriers posed by illness. She draws from a number of therapeutic frameworks in her work including Occupational Therapy specific models including the Vona Du Toit Model of Creative Ability, Sensory Modulation and Cognitive Disabilities Models as well as therapeutic modalities including Narrative therapy , Compassion-Focused Therapy and Trauma Informed approaches.
07 5479 2978