Naomi Adams is a Psychologist and Animal Assisted Therapist with over 20 years counselling experience, working with adolescents and adults through the lifespan. She has worked in a wide range of settings including community organisations, health services, prisons, private psychology practices and hospitals, and an animal assisted therapy farm!
Naomi's qualifications include Graduate Diploma and Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology; Bachelor of Human Services (Social Welfare); and Cert IV Community Services – Alcohol & Other Drugs.
Along with generalist counselling roles, Naomi has worked extensively in drug and alcohol counselling roles; counselling victims of crime (including victim/survivors of family violence and/or sexual assault); and in the assessment and treatment of forensic clients in the criminal justice system. Prior to commencing counselling roles, Naomi worked as a Youth Worker.
Naomi celebrates diversity and individuality, and endeavours to provide a safe and inclusive space for all. Her approach is trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, disability inclusive, neuro-affirming, and LGBTIQA+/gender diversity inclusive. Naomi respects her clients’ individual experiences and is always learning from them!
Understanding that the foundation of successful therapy is the ‘therapeutic alliance’ (the strength of the relationship between the client and therapist), Naomi aims to provide a safe, supportive space that is free from judgment and promotes trust, honest communication, and collaboration. Naomi values openness, authenticity, and the use of humour, and utilises these qualities in therapy, while maintaining ethical and professional standards of practice.
In her therapeutic work Naomi takes an integrative, holistic approach, drawing from a range of evidence based therapeutic models to tailor therapy to the individual client’s needs. The approaches she utilises are listed at the top of her profile.
With a passion for Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), where appropriate she likes to utilise her trained and registered therapy dog (Darcy, a Border Collie) in her counselling work.
When not working, Naomi might be volunteering (usually helping animals in some way); taking Darcy dog out for a run (to be clear – its Darcy who runs!); practicing yoga & meditation; enjoying the beach & community markets; taking photos (passion project is capturing the human-animal bond); movies & live music; lazy brunches; and spending time with loved ones.
Naomi is fully registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).