MBBS (Hons)

Cathy worked in medical practice for 20 years, mostly as a GP. She has held leadership roles at Blue Knot Foundation for 12 years, including 2 terms as Chair. 

In Feb 2012 she was appointed Blue Knot Foundation President in recognition of her significant contribution and importance of her role with external stakeholders, including government and mental health sector. She now holds a broad-based representative role with responsibilities across media, advocacy, service strategy and government relations.

She is a medical practitioner, mental health consumer advocate and the President of Blue Knot Foundation National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma. She is a current member of NSW Child Safety Standing Committee for Survivor and Faith Groups, member of the Advisory Panel of Tzedek, member of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Task Force on Child Protection. She is past director of the Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC), past member of the Mental Health Community Advisory Council (NSW), foundation member of the national Trauma Informed Care and Practice Advisory working Group, member of Independent Advisory Council on Redress.

Cathy was short-listed for CLW’s Leadership Achievement Award for Women in 2009-www.leadershipforwomen.com.au - and appointed an ambassador for National Families Week 2009/10/11/12/13 and 2016.

On Australia Day 2015 Cathy was awarded an AM "for significant service to community health as a supporter and advocate for survivors of child abuse".

She is a prominent voice in the media and at conferences, as well as author of her own memoir chronicling her journey of recovery from childhood trauma: Innocence Revisited- a tale in parts. Cathy is co-author of Blue Knot Foundation documents Practice Guidelines for Treatment of Complex Trauma and Trauma Informed Care and Service Delivery, The Cost of Unresolved Childhood Trauma and Abuse in Adults in Australia and Trauma and the Law: Applying trauma-informed practice to legal and judicial contexts.

JP, B.Bus(Acc), CSA(Cert),MIPA

Belinda Johnson is an Accountant with over 25 years of finance and business experience in a variety of SME's. Belinda has a strong background in corporate governance, business and finance management, audit and risk and competitive/lean manufacturing. Belinda currently is in Public Practice providing Cloud based financial management solutions to a variety of micros and SME. Belinda holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from UWS and a Certificate in Governance Practice with the Governance Institute of Australia.

PhD in Politics (University of Melbourne, 1989), Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy (Jansen Newman Institute, 2001), Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment (2004), BA (Hons) University of Melbourne, 1983

Pam, a former Fulbright Scholar, has held lectureships at Macquarie University and the University of New England, taught in two Master of Counselling courses, and is a former Program Director of the Jansen Newman Institute. She has written research reports in the community health sector, and was a Senior Research Officer with the Mental Health Association NSW. Pam is a practising therapist, and a supervisor in the area of complex trauma. Her research interests relate to trauma, depression, and the politics of subjectivity.

She is the author of Living under Liberalism: The Politics of Depression in Western Democracies (Florida: Universal, 2008), co-author of Gender Studies: Terms and Debates (New York: Palgrave, 2003) and has published several book chapters, articles and reviews. She is the lead author of `Perceptions and Experiences of Cannabis Use by Young Adults Living with a Mental Illness: A Qualitative Study’ [paper based on What Works? Report into Cannabis Use by Young Adults Living with a Mental Illness, Partners in Mental Health Publishing Consortium and Social Justice Social Change Research Group, University of Western Sydney, 2010] Australian Social Policy Journal (No.10, 2011), pp.51-69.

Pam is co-author of Blue Knot Foundation's Practice Guidelines for Treatment of Complex Trauma and Trauma Informed Care and Service Delivery and Trauma and the Law: Applying trauma informed practice to legal and judicial contexts. Pam is a member of the scientific committee of the International Society for Study of Trauma and Dissociation.

Her recent publications additional publications include:

[with Bethany Brand,  Vedat Sar, Christa Krüger, Alfonos Martínez-Taboas, Roberto Lewis-Fernández  & Warwick Middleton] `Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths about Dissociative Identity Disorder’ Harvard Review of Psychiatry, Vol.24, Issue.4, July-August 2016, pp. 257-270.

with Martin Dorahy, Roberto Lewis-Fernandez Christa Kruger, Bethany Brand, Vedat Sar, Jan Ewing, Alfonso Martinez-Taboas & Warwick Middleton, `The Role of Clinical Experience, Diagnosis and Theoretical Orientation in the Treatment of Posttraumatic and Dissociative Disorders: A Vignette and Survey Investigation’, Journal of Trauma and Dissociation (Vol.18, Issue 2, 2017).

[with Cathy Kezelman] `Dealing with Trauma’, Law Institute Journal, October 2016, pp.36-39.

[Review article] `Functional Dissociation in Oppressive Social Contexts’, Review of Vedat Sar & Erdinc Ozturk (2013; 2007), Expert Commentary, ISSTD News, Vol.32, Issue 2, April 2014  http://www.isst-d.org/default.asp?contentID=281

[with Martin Dorahy, Bethany Brand,  Vedat Sar, Christa Krüger, Alfonos Martínez-Taboas, Roberto Lewis-Fernández  & Warwick Middleton]

`Dissociative Identity Disorder: An empirical overview’, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 48 (5) 2014, pp. 402 - 417.

 [with Warwick Middleton, Martin Dorahy, Christa Krüger,  Roberto Lewis-Fernández,  Alfonos Martínez-Taboas, Vedat Sar, & Bethany Brand]

`Institutional Abuse and Societal Silence: An Emerging Global Problem’, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Vol.48 (1) 2014, pp.22-25.

[with Middleton et al]

`The Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse’, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry Vol.48 (1) 2014, pp.17-21.

[with Middelton et al] `Child Abuse and the Dynamics of Silence’, ANZJP, 48 (6) 2014, pp.581-583.

Bachelor of Science (Psychology) Honours; Graduate Certificate Public Sector Management, Certificate 4 Training and Assessment, Level 1 Executive Coach, PRINCE 2 practitioner, Member Australian Psychological Society, AHPRA Registered Psychologist. Elena has also completed numerous training programs in the fields of trauma, psychology, management, organisational change, domestic violence, policy and program management. 

Elena is the Training and Services Manager at the Blue Knot Foundation, and brings with her over 30 years of clinical, management, public sector, non-government sector, consultancy and training experience.

She has also worked at senior management levels in NSW Health, Local Health Districts, Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia. Elena has developed and rolled-out many statewide programs in the areas of carers, aged care, disability, women’s health, younger people in residential aged care, and violence prevention.

A commitment to social change, health equity and gender equity has meant that Elena has chosen to work in areas that support social and systemic change and advocacy for the needs of disadvantaged groups. Elena has also worked with trauma survivors in a clinical capacity in private practice, using a strengths-based, recovery focussed, trauma best practice approach.

 Elena has also developed, conducted and evaluated many training programs for both the private sector and public sector in the areas of domestic violence, trauma, violence against women, sexual assault, vicarious trauma,  sexual consent, PTSD, trauma treatment, perpetrators of violence, supporting carers, anxiety and depression.

Elena has also provided clinical supervision, policy and organisational consultancy services with the aim of supporting workers and organisations to deliver high quality, best practice, human rights driven and ethically based services.  

Bachelor of Social Work, UNSW; Diploma in Management

Tarja  is the manager of the Blue Knot Helpline and counselling team which delivers specialist telephone-based services for adult survivors of childhood trauma and abuse and those who support them professionally and personally. Tarja has worked in the human services sector since 1984 in a variety of roles from supporting children and adolescents who are living in out of home care, to specialist counselling roles assisting young people who have a history of complex trauma, teaching and training for a decade in subjects related to working therapeutically with young people, child protection and family interventions: managing a state wide Parent Counselling Service, managing early childhood intervention centres for children with disabilities and their families; to more recently working with the Royal Commission Inquiry Into Institution Responses to Child Sexual Abuse for 4.5 years in both management and counselling roles. Tarja is interested in innovative human service practices, has a strong focus on continuous improvement and development and places the client at the centre of all activity. She has strong social justice principles and has a deep passion and commitment to working towards creating a community/society where children are safe and nurtured. 

Master of Commerce (UNSW) , Bachelor of Engineering (VIT, Vellore)

Shan is the Marketing and Sales Coordinator at Blue Knot Foundation. He had previously worked in pharmaceutical and construction industries and is keen to learn, grow and challenge himself in the not for profit sector. He is passionate about Marketing and is always keen to hear from peers on new marketing practices in the industry. He has a Masters degree in Commerce from the University of New South Wales and is here at Blue knot foundation to add value through his education and experience.

Joanne was born in London United Kingdom and trained as a Play Therapist at Great Ormond Street hospital in 1999 went onto to working with and supporting children, young people and their families in a palliative care setting and in an oncology ward at Barts and the London Hospital.

Joanne migrated to Australia from the UK in January 2008.

Joanne’s last position was a coordinator for the Royal Commission into Institutional responses to child sexual abuse at Medibank Health Solutions. Joanne managed complex case management issues alongside Royal Commission teams, developed training packages/manuals and delivered training to new employees. Joanne is passionate about creating programs for vulnerable populations.

Lyndsey grew up in Dublin, Ireland and completed a BA in Psychology there. She also works as a Telephone Counsellor on our Helpline and is the Programs Coordinator in the training team at Blue Knot Foundation.

Lyndsey has worked as a Counsellor at Lifeline, The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual abuse, Beyond Blue, 1800 Respect First Response at Medibank Health Solutions and as a Wellbeing Officer for The Commission for Children and Young People. 

Yolanda’s role involves coordination of Blue Knot Foundation’s operations, office management and human resources.  Yolanda has over 15 years administration, accounts and office management experience across different industries as well as high level administration skills.

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Asian Studies (ANU)

Due to Lilly's interests in conflicts and their impact on the international environment, she is currently in a volunteer role as the Executive Director of the Australian Division for the Organisation for World Peace. She has joined the Blue Knot Foundation to gain experience while working towards an important cause. 

Miriam’s role includes providing administration support to the staff at Blue Knot Foundation. Miriam has experience in marketing, administration, accounts and office management.