Donna is warm and engaging.  She has a wonderful ability to correlate her dogs’ behaviours and personalities with the students she works with. By doing this she is able to help her students make strong and lasting connections with her therapeutic process. The positive outcomes Donna has made in the lives of the young people she works with is remarkable.

Sarah Macdonald - Director, Canine Comprehension

When my children were young I was living abroad, with no family support and few friends with children.  I enrolled in Donna’s Parent Effectiveness Training course and it was an absolute delight!.  Not only did she bring together parents from diverse cultures and backgrounds but we were also mothers of children of all ages - from babies to almost adult teens. With such cultural diversity, not everyone’s parenting practices were the same yet there was never any judgement - we all learnt from each other but at all times were gently guided and directed by Donna in an inclusive, respectful way.  We all benefited from the material covered and from being in the group environment.

One of the things that impressed me most about Donna during the course was her calmness, her ability to create a space for everyone even though we were at times a rowdy bunch.    And also how we were never told what to do - the solution evolved through discussions and became what was right for each of us, regardless of the age and stage of our children, or our cultural differences.  That takes a real connection to people, and an understanding of her own material and how to apply it appropriately in individual cases.

I highly recommend Donna as a parent counsellor for anyone - because I have not only found her to be a great support to me but also seen in this group setting how she deals with others.  Calm, culturally sensitive, extremely knowledgable and adaptable as the case may require.

Marcia Ward

Donna’s play therapy and animal assisted therapy work has been instrumental in developing an understanding of the underlying issues of our disengaged refugee students.  Her expertise has also been welcomed by wellbeing staff and teaching staff who need insight in engaging and developing strategies to meet the needs of our highly challenging students

Ivan Araujo - Dandenong West Primary School Wellbeing Youth Worker