Kathryn Millist-Spendlove (she/her), Registered Counsellor

Kathryn is a registered counsellor specialising in:

Infertility and sub-fertility counselling (including supportive counselling around assisted reproductive technology treatment, legally prescribed donor counselling, miscarriage and stillbirth, decision-making in fertility treatment (including continuing/ending treatment, and excess embryos).

Psychosexual Therapy (including sexual rediscovery after childbirth, illness, injury or assault, sexual function issues for individuals and couples (all types, genders and sexual orientations), pre- and post-marriage support for couples choosing to remain celibate until marriage, and sex education for couples).

Perinatal Counselling and Birth Trauma Counselling (including the transition to parenthood, and birth trauma and disappointment).

Counselling for Lawyers and other Legal Professionals (including vicarious trauma, career transitions, early career lawyers, moral injury, and workplace stress/burnout).

She is a lawyer who has worked as a solicitor, barrister and in-house counsel. Her move into counselling came following years of practice in Abuse Law working for survivors of sexual abuse.

Kathryn holds qualifications in law and psychology. She completed a Master of Counselling with Distinction by research. and a Graduate Diploma of Science in Medicine (Sexual and Reproductive Health (Psychosexual Therapy)).

She previously worked as a counsellor and program facilitator within the prison system, before moving to work in the domestic violence sector.

Kathryn uses a trauma-informed integrated modality of counselling, including neurobiology, somatic therapies and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She is also a Trauma Sensitive Yoga practitioner, Certified Shark Cage© Facilitator, and specialist infertility counsellor (Provisional Member of the Australian and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors Association).

Qualifications, Memberships and Positions:

Masters of Counselling (with Distinction) (University of Southern Queensland

Graduate Diploma of Counselling (with Distinction) (University of Southern Queensland)

Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) (University of New England)

Bachelor of Law (Honours) (University of New England)

Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (The College of Law, Sydney)

Graduate Diploma in Science in Medicine (Sexual and Reproductive Health) in Psychosexual Therapy (University of Sydney)

Member of the Australian Counselling Association (Level 3)

Member of Fertility Specialists in Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ)

Member of the Australian and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors Association (ANZICA)

Member of the Asia-Pacific Initiative on Reproductive (ASPIRE)

Queensland Representative - ANZICA

Additional training:

• Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE) - Basic Skills in Perinatal Mental Health - 25 October 2022
• Psychwire - ACT for Grief and Loss - completed 21 June 2022
• Psychwire - ACT for Beginners - completed 15 March 2022
• Australian Childhood Foundation – Trauma Responsive Practice with Children – 18 November 2021
• TCTSY - Foundational Training in Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga - 15-17 October 2021
• Australian Childhood Foundation – Therapeutic work with children and young people in the online space – a trauma responsive approach – 23 September 2021
• Australian Childhood Foundation – Supporting Children and Young People to heal from trauma of family violence – 9 September 2021
• Fighting Fair (Scott Dutton) – Artistry of Facilitation: Training Small Groups – Virtually! – 14 July 2021
• Blueknot – Trauma Informed Care and Practice when working with Domestic and Family Violence (Level 1) – 18 March 2021 OPD
• Ursula Benstead – Shark Cage© Training: A practical framework for address vulnerability and re-victimisation in women who are victims of abuse and domestic violence – 19 February 2021
• DV Alert – Multicultural workshop (CHCDFV001) – 16-17 March 2021 OPD
• Child Safe Organisations – National Principles for Child Safe Organisations e-learning modules – Introduction and Principles 1-10 – 21 January 2021 – 8 February 2021
• NAPCAN – Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention/Mandatory Reporting Workshop – QLD – 30 January 2021