Academic Staff
This page contains information about Metavision Institute staff, the Academic Board, Teachers and other associates.
Christina Nielsen
Founder, Director and Head of Faculty
BSW, BAC, M.AppSci, Cert of Advanced Acupuncture & HerbalMedicine (Hangzhou China) Member AACMA, AASW, AAMAChristina is the Founder and Director of the Metavision Institute. She is a qualified Social Worker, Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner. Her passionate interest in the human condition and her belief that traditional western methods of viewing patients/clients provides an incomplete picture, fuelled her extensive study in Australia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and China. Diverse learning from both East and West has stimulated her unique synthesis of practice and integrated approach to healing.
Building on her early days in Social Work and ongoing studies in the areas of Chinese medicine, Anthroposophy and Process Orientated Psychology, Christina has continued to broaden her understanding of the wellness continuum and develop her therapeutic practices to better meet the needs of her clients, learning that one approach does not suffice when it comes to the complexity of healing and facilitating transformation and change.
Christina has run a busy clinical Holisitc body/mind/spirit practice for over 30 years. Over this period she has continued to study, synthesise and learn from experience.
Christina has also taught in a variety of settings. She also provides ongoing supervision to practitioners from a variety of professions. Her wide-ranging skills and experiences form the basis for the courses of study at the Metavision Institute.
For more information view Christina's Website
Dr David Russell PhD
BSc (Hons) and a PhD in Psychology, University of Sydney.
David Russell is an Associate Professor (Adjunct) in the School of Psychology at the University of Western Sydney. His orientation to psychology, in both teaching and research, is one of emphasising the phenomenology of any dynamic network of images and the ambivalent emotions underlying these images. It is most often when there is a disturbance to the flow of one’s daily living that the relevance of these networks of images and interrelating emotions comes to our attention. Such disturbances have been the focus of his professional practice: psychotherapy, teaching, and research.
David has a small private practice in Sydney where he offers a psychotherapy based on a psychodynamic and whole-of-body understanding of psychology (theory and practice).
His research work (including his published papers) has included: organisational leadership, fearful events, trauma, conversational therapy.
David teaches in the Diploma in Holistic Counselling at the Metavision Institute
Dr Claire Jankelson PhD
BA/BSc, HED, MAppSci (Social Ecology)With a background in Counselling and many years of teaching Qualitative Research to Counselling and Psychology students, Claire has developed a passion for the value of practitioner research towards maintaining and developing ongoing learning in one’s practice.
Claire’s skills are in the design and creation of processes that develop the ability for perceptive self-reflection thereby building on and enhancing the practitioner’s ongoing capacities.
In keeping with modern adult education ideas, she uses the generative qualities of respect and the validation of experience to develop a greater sense of engagement, professionalism and leadership within one’s practice.
Claire teaches Research in the Diploma in Holistic Psychotherapy at the Metavision Institute and teaches and supervises at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management.
Website: www.confluential-leadership.com
Dr Gemma Summers
Certificate of Somatic Psychotherapy, PhD in Social Psychology, Diploma of Process Oriented Psychology, Diploma of Clinical Hypnotherapy, Certificate of Coactive Coaching. Member of PACFA, CAPA, AASP, AHA.
Gemma is a qualified counsellor, psychotherapist, coach and hypnotherapist in private practice for over twenty years. During this time she has trained, coached and supervised mental health professionals and practitioners, as well as facilitated numerous personal and professional development workshops. Gemma has also authored a book on conflict resolution for women, as well as a coaching column for the Melbourne Age. She is increasingly interested in using writing, as well as other creative modalities, in her work. Using an integrative blend of approaches, she views the therapeutic space as an opportunity to assist others in becoming more deeply themselves.
Gemma runs the Conflict Management workshop and teaches in the Diploma in Applied Holistic Counselling and the Advanced Diploma in Holistic Psychotherapy at the Metavision Institute.
Website: www.goodmind.com.au
Shushann Movsessian
M. App Sci. (Social Ecology), Dip Teach, clinical member CAPACounsellor, Coach, Trainer and Writer
Shushann is a certified Process Oriented Psychotherapist. She studied through the Process Work Centre in Australia as well as in Zurich Switzerland and the Process Work Institute of Portland in Oregon.
Shushann has more than 15 years of local and international experience in counselling, coaching and group facilitation. She has extensive experience in working with individual and relationship issues with 8 years experience working as a senior counsellor for Relationships Australia. Shushann has particular expertise in working with preteen and teen girls and their parents. She is the international selling author of Puberty Girl (2004 Allen ad Unwin) which has been translated into 7 different languages across the world. Shushann has been leading fun, empowering workshops for girls and parents on self esteem, dealing with conflict, and developmental issues.
Shushann's Workshops
Puberty Girl Workshops
Let's Talk Growing Up mother/daughter weekend
Parent Workshops and consultations
Shushann enjoys walking her chocolate poodle, DeeDee, along the coast where she lives.
Find out more at:
http://www.shushann.com/
http://www.letstalkgrowingup.com.au/
http://www.goodtherapy.com.au/shushann_movsessian
Shushann teaches in the Diploma in Holistic Counseling at the Metavision Institute.
Elizabeth Spencer
B Education, Grad Dip Social Ecology, Dip Counselling,Adv Dip Holistic PsychotherapyMember MACA
Lizzie has extensive experience as a teacher from K-12, mainly in Steiner Schools. She is in private practice in the northern beaches of Sydney as an educator, psychotherapist and coach for youth and adults. She runs a unique program of study skills for teenagers, works with individuals and groups in creative, therapeutic processes and teaches in two counselling colleges. Process Oriented Psychology and Positive Psychology are in the background of her work.
Lizzie loves inspiring and freeing people to be themselves more profoundly. She creates the conditions for youth and adults to experience and reconnect with their talents, strengths, values and unique ways of being. She then coaches them to ‘turn these up’ in their inner and outer lives; in study, at work, in creative endeavours, at home and in relationships. She loves her work and is overjoyed that her clients do too.
Lizzie teaches in the Diploma in Applied Holistic Counselling and runs the workshop " Biography - Finding your Life Purpose".
www.elizabethspencer.com.au
Ronan O'Connor
M.App Sc Social EcologyBach Adult Education
Ronan is responsible for all training within the Ted Noffs Foundation. This Foundation is one of the larger Non Government Organisations working with adolescents dealing with addiction, mental health and criminality issues in Australia. The range of projects within Ted Noffs is broad, running from work in remote indigenous communities to structured adolescent residential programs. Adult education in the areas of biodynamic agriculture, gender studies and addiction have been and continue to be an important part of Ronan’s work.
Ronan utilises the prisms of anthroposophy and human development as conduits to understanding these subjects. He has had roles in a wide variety of positions as an adult educator, from private provider to the coordination of a Registered Training Organisation. Regenerative systems within community and in the environment have been a passion for Ronan in his work in Europe and Australia over two decades.
Ronan lectures in the Metavision Institute in the fields of male female studies and addiction.
Patricia Collins
BSW, MSW, PhD candidatePatricia is the Senior Social Worker at the Palliative Care Unit, St Vincent’s Hospital, specialising in grief and loss, death and dying. She presents papers and presents her wealth of experience in the field of Grief and loss across the world.
Francine Bartlett
BSW (Hons); MSc(Hons) Cert IV Training and Assessment; Accredited Mental Health Social Worker; Etheric MassageMember: AASW, AAMA, MHG, WAIMH
Francine currently works in private practice, contracts to Department of Juvenile Justice as a Youth Justice Conference convener, is employed by KU as Family Counsellor for a supported playgroup, teaches for the Australian College of Contemporary Somatic Psychotherapy and Metavision Institute and supervises a variety of professionals.
Her quest to understand and respond effectively to the wonderful complex mystery of people and society has led her to explore many mainstream, modern and traditional methods of counselling and psychotherapy, spiritual practices and philosophies, massage and Body Work, group work, social justice and community development. She has integrated a wide range of approaches with a view to facilitating the journey for individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations and communities. She has a strong commitment to early intervention and respect for people’s inner wisdom and healing potential and the power of the context to support or inhibit wellbeing.
Buddhism, Process Oriented Psychology, Meditation, Developmental and Attachment Theory, Systems and Social theory, Anthroposophy, Massage, art, play and sand tray therapy, are important influences. However, Life and children have been her greatest teachers.
Patries Orange
Therapeutic Eurythmist
Patries spent many years as a Eurythmy therapist at the Park Attwood clinic, a Medical Residential Clinic offering conventional and complementary holistic medical care for chronic illness, palliative care and light-psychiatry. She also taught eurythmy in schools in the UK and in medically based trainings and workshops working out of and representing the Anthroposophical approach to medicine. She has been a eurythmy performing artist for many years, performing in theatre productions for adults and programs for children and schools.
Patries and two of her colleagues took on the responsibility for the UK Eurythmy therapy training which is now continuing without her; she is at present involved in the beginnings of the New Zealand training. Her passion for both a medical and psychological understanding of body, soul and spirit led her to study and teach in the Psychosophy Seminar in Copake, New York State. That same passion brought Arnold Mindell’s Process Oriented Psychology into her life.
Since her arrival in Australia in 2007, Patries has been involved with the Metavision institute as student and teacher. She now runs a private practice in Northern NSW as Eurythmist, Eurythmy therapist and psychotherapist working with adults and children as well as conducting regular Eurythmy group sessions exploring our spirituality through the art of the spoken word and music in Eurythmy.
Rosemary Shapiro-Liu
B Soc Sci (Social Work) HonoursMember International Coach Federation (ICF), Australasian RegionMember Australian Facilitators Network; Women on Boards.
Rosemary is a professional coach and facilitator, and offers strategic and business development services through her consultancy, Making Things Work. Rosemary has more than twenty years experience working with non-profits, social justice organisations and campaigns, funding bodies and goverment. She has worked locally and extensively in other countries, particularly in Southern Africa. Rosemary has specialised in marketing, business development and funding for social justice and other projects.
Presently Rosemary works mostly with executives and managers, and groups, particularly in the social entrepreneurship and in marketing their often new and exciting projects and ideas.
Rosemary's focus is on freeing people to be the best they can be so that they do what they love doing in the most effective way possible. Her motivational and collaborative style has been honed through many years of working in urgent and complex social justice campaigns. A core part of her work was as the National Manager of Restorative Justice in an ngo in South Africa. Her work in changing the criminal justice system, including working with with juvenile offenders in prisons and institutions, staff and policy makers, and advocating for a new Child Justice System in South Africa which has recently been put in place.
Rosemary's passion for process and for dance (particularly tango) are often combined in her work.
Rosemary runs the Holistic Coaching Course at the Metavision Institute.
Nerida Oberg
(B Couns. Dip Psych/Couns, Dip Prof Couns, CMCAPA, PACFA Reg)
Nerida has over two decades of experience working with individuals, couples, families and children. She first began her journey in Psychotherapy training when she owned and directed her own preschool kindergarten in 1988. After leaving early childhood development, Nerida initially worked for Relationships Australia where she specialised in Couples and Family Therapy. She then completed a University Degree in Counselling with a specialisation in Bereavement care. Past teaching contracts include fourteen years at the Australian College of Applied Psychology teaching twelve of the modules including the Master’s Degree in Family Therapy, twelve years with Jansen Newman Institute facilitating Existential Group Psychotherapy for students in training, Primary Family Therapist for South Pacific Private Hospital and NSW Senior Lecturer and workshop facilitator for ten years for the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors.
Private practice commenced in 1992 and concluded in the busy CBD in 2009 when Nerida moved to Berry to write and work part time. She now operates the Berry Healing Centre (www.berryhealingcentre.com.au) which includes a diverse range of healing services. In addition she works part time for Anglicare in Nowra both training and facilitating children and adolescent counselling services. In 2009 she was personally initiated into her Bereavement specialisation with the death of her only daughter aged twenty years. Her first book titled Walk with Me is due for release early May 2011, a very personal story of love, loss and spiritual awakening. Her second book, a new roadmap for grief is due out by the end of 2011.