Renee Hughes – Newport Counselling Claimed

Renée is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker who provides clinical services to children, adolescents, parents, families and adults. Renée’s experience includes working with many different presenting issues; in particular, the parent-infant relationship, parental separation, mental health, parenting, family violence, trauma, grief and loss.

Renée describes her diverse experiences and therapeutic style as being very eclectic and based mostly in psychodynamic theories and attachment. Renée is highly personable, bright, friendly and describes her style as engaging, empowering and person-centred, whilst employing a systemic lens.

Renée has experience working with serious mental health issues and managing risk in relation to mental health. She has an exceptional understanding of the pathway for acute and community mental health treatment and has worked at the Austin Parent Infant Mental Health Program and obtained further skills working with clients who have a serious mental illness. Renée also has experience providing training to the Department of Health and Human Services and local community mental health teams regarding the parent infant relationship and parental mental illness.

Renée’s experience working within clinical hospital settings has allowed her to develop her skills in grief and loss, trauma, along with issues surrounding pre-term birth, pregnancy and medical issues for children. Renée is a certified Circle of Security Trainer (DVD) and is able to offer this in sessions with clients during counselling or facilitating groups as part of the Being Held program.

Renée is interested in risk assessment and managing risk, particularly in relation to children and also family violence. She has specialist training in family violence within her previous role as a Family Consultant at the Family Court where there is a strong focus on family violence. Renée is considered an expert in child development, parental separation and family violence.

In addition, Renée has a solid knowledge of the issues associated with parental separation and the subsequent impact on children and provides targeted counselling sessions to both children and parents, managing the impact of separation and supporting parents in achieving a successful co-parenting relationship.