New Parent Counselling is run by Michele Elsom.  Michele is a Sydney based Family Counsellor. She is an expert in the early childhood field and specialises in providing counselling to parents who are adjusting to the changes in their lives as a result of starting a family.  Michele provides support to parents in understanding children's emotional needs and managing challenging behaviour right through the childhood years. She also provides support and  treatment for post natal depression.  
In addition, Michele offers a broader based counselling practice that provides individual, couples and family counselling.  

Meet Michele

Hello, I'm Michele Elsom. I have worked in the field of early childhood for almost forty years. I have worked as a preschool and primary teacher and as a lecturer and tutor in early childhood education at Macquarie University and Notre Dame University. I am also a mother of 2 children. I now have a general counselling practice with a focus on helping families whether with parenting or with other issues, such as relationships, anxiety, depression or grief. I also provide counselling for couples.

I hold a Masters of Social Health and Counselling at Macquarie University. I am now undertaking additional studies into perinatal and infant mental health with the NSW Institute of Psychiatry.  I am a practitioner of the Circle of Security Parenting program.

My passion for working with families and children stems from my own experience of becoming a parent and raising my own children. With my early childhood background, I naively thought having children would be ‘a piece of cake.’ I was not prepared for a less than perfect pregnancy and birth plus the exhaustion of those early months of sleepless nights. I was anxious to ‘get things right’ and was confused by the avalanche of advice. I was also not prepared for the changes in my relationship with my partner and occasional bouts of self-doubt, guilt and depression. I sometimes felt socially isolated and without the kind of support that I needed. This experience led me on a long journey of reflection on my own parenting and ignited a passion and determination to provide support for families. 

Qualifications:

NSW Institute of Psychiatry - current student

Macquarie University, Sydney - Masters of Social Health & Counselling

Macquarie University, Sydney – Post Graduate Diploma of Social Health and Counselling

University of New England – Post Graduate Diploma of Social Science (Psychology)

Circle of Security Training (Kent, Hoffman & Powell)

University of Adelaide - Bachelor of Education

Adelaide College of the Arts and Education - Diploma of Teaching (primary)

Sydney Kindergarten Teachers College - Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood)

Memberships:

Member of the Counselling and Psychotherapists Association (C.A.P.A, now merged with PACFA)

Member of the Australian Association of Infant Mental Health

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NEW CIRCLE OF SECURITY PARENTING PROGRAM

This parenting program is suitable for parents of newborns, toddlers, pre-schoolers and children up to around 8 years old. It focuses on building secure relationships with children, and has implications for other close relationships in our lives. Using a combination of video clips and small group discussions, the program assist parents to become more attuned to their children's emotional needs and helps in understanding children's behaviour. 

NEXT COURSE:  (see News)

Starting Date: February 2018 COST $190.00

Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre, 16-18 Fitzroy St, Kirribilli.

If you cannot attend the group at Kirribilli, I also am happy to bring Circle of Security Parenting to your home.

1. Circle of Security Parenting - Parents Course

Circle of Security Parenting is an effective research based program based on attachment theory and decades of attachment research. It focuses on the relationship between children and their parents and how strengthening this connection can increase emotional security.

During the eight two hourly sessions parents learn ways to identify and respond to their children’s principal attachment needs and to become more attuned to these.

Circle of Security Parenting provides a simple roadmap to understand children’s specific children’s emotional needs and is especially helpful in understanding why children act out and what do to help them learn to manage their behaviour. The group offers a safe and supportive space to share the joys and challenges of parenting. It also offers insights into the dynamics of other intimate relationships.

The course is suitable for parents of newborns, toddlers, preschoolers and children up to around 8 years.

The following videos explain some of the philosophy behind the Circle of Security Parenting program.

Circle of Security Professional Development Course

The Professional Development Course is a course designed to provide professional childcare and preschool workers with information about the Circle of Security Parenting program. The focus of this workshop will be for participants to learn Circle of Security Parenting for their own personal family relationships and is not training participants to professionally use the materials or DVD. It can be run in-house or externally to suit the requirements of the childcare centre. For further information regarding the Professional Development Course, please contact Michele directly on 0413 437 101.