About your therapist Lauren Fisher

Lauren (she/her) lives in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, Wurundjeri Country, in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia, with her young adult human and elderly Siamese cat. A portrait photographer for 20+ years in her previous work life, she appreciates all things collage and papercraft. She has lately been dabbling in a lot of creative writing, weaving and 3D mixed media wall art using nature-based objects as of late. You will often find her with her nose in a book, dancing in her lounge room to Middle Eastern music or going on grand adventures somewhere in the outdoors. She is a proud member of the queer community.

Lauren calls herself “a bit of Feminist Theosophical Omniest Witch” - with all knowledge and education in transpersonal and spiritual-based arts and modalities purely driven by passion, curiosity and self-interest.

She hopes to see more of the world and obtain her Master’s Degree in Arts Psychotherapy in the near future.

EXPERIENCE

Experienced working with all manner of mental ill-health, neurodiversity and disability, including:

✨Anxiety

✨Depression

✨Autism – all levels of support needs welcome

✨ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) - Externalised, internalised and combined types

✨Combined types of Autism and ADHD - “Autistic Fast Brains” or “AuDHD”

✨SPD - Sensory Processing Differences inc. APD - Auditory Processing Differences

✨Global Developmental Delay

✨Intellectual Impairment

✨PDA - Pathological Demand Avoidance aka “Pervasive Drive for Autonomy”

✨Learning challenges e.g dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia

✨Muscular Dystrophy

✨Neurological disabilities involving a shortened life span

✨Alzheimer's and Dementia, inc. Frontotemporal Dementia with Aphasia

✨Tourette’s Syndrome

✨Bipolar

✨Schizophrenia

✨Schizo-Affective

✨BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder)

✨Psychosocial Disability

✨ABI/TBI - Acquired or Traumatic Brain Injury

✨Relational or Environmental Trauma, PTSD and C-PTSD

And challenging life situations such as:

✨Burnout (esp. Autistic/ADHD burnout)

✨Parenting and Motherhood

✨Caring for a disabled loved one

✨Family separation and divorced

✨Supporting a family member with addictions

✨Finding and maintaining a spiritual path

✨Questioning spiritual, religious, cultural or societal norms

✨Living with chronic pain

✨Medical neglect and gaslighting

✨Exploring gender and sexuality

✨Exploring a sense of self and identity

✨Grief, loss and bereavement

✨Challenging living situations, including homelessness and displacement from migration or seeking asylum

✨Challenges met from experiences with non-ordinary states of consciousness - spiritual, psychiatric or substance-induced

✨Historical family trauma or intergenerational trauma

✨General lack of satisfaction with life’s direction - needing guidance, inspiration and a road map to moving forward

All challenges are met through a bio-psycho-social-spiritual systematic theory lens and following a social model of disability, with a compassionate and empathetic understanding of how neurodiversity, disability, mental ill-health and adversity can more than often intersect and co-occur.

EDUCATION

✨Bachelor’s in Arts Psychotherapy (Ikon Institute of Australia)

✨Advanced Certificate in Photography (PiC)

REGISTRATION, INSURANCE AND CHECKS

✨Registered with ANZACATA (tiered level)

✨Currently finalising registrations with ACA and PACFA

✨Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance with Focus

✨NDIS Check - NDIS Worker Screening Clearance

✨First Aid Level 1 Certificate

✨Working with Children’s Check

✨Police Check

SUPERVISION

Lauren continues to have 1 hour of Clinical Supervision to every 15 client contact hours.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

✨Art Therapy First Aide with Dr Carla Van Laar | 2020

✨Getting Creative with Trauma Part 2 with Dr Carla Van Laar | 2020

✨The Art of Relationship, Connection and Co-creation with Dr Carla Van Laar | 2020

✨Creative Mental Health and Self-Care Retreat with Dr Carla Van Laar | 2021

✨Yellow Ladybugs Conference: Supporting Autistic Girls/Gender Diverse Youth | 2023, 2024.

✨Tending to the Therapist Within with Laura Battley | 2024