Felicity is an enthusiastic and dedicated Social Worker who has spent the majority of her 17 year career working with children and families. Felicity completed undergraduate studies in biomedical science and psychology before beginning her career in frontline child protection. After completing post-graduate studies in Social Work, Felicity spent time working in an acute mental health setting before moving into the family law space.

Felicity worked for several years as a Court Child Expert in the Brisbane Registry of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Felicity has extensive experience completing assessments in parenting matters before the Courts, including both preliminary short form assessments, and comprehensive Family Report assessments. In addition she has experience in preparing reports in respect of children’s views and wishes, and other specific issues. Felicity’s experience within the Courts also extends to having worked therapeutically with families to implement parenting orders such as reintroduction of contact between parents and children after periods of estrangement, and co-facilitating Court based mediations with Judicial Registrars.

Felicity is a compassionate, respectful and empathic practitioner who is accustomed to working with children and families during the most challenging and stressful times in their lives. Her approach is supportive, non-judgemental and strengths focussed. Felicity has a well developed understanding of complicating factors which can impact on family functioning, and at times place children at risk, such as parental substance abuse, mental illness and experiencing family violence. Felicity has undertaken extensive professional development in these areas and in particular is trained in David Mandel’s Safe and Together Model for working with families impacted by family violence.

Felicity delights in working with children of all ages, and is a passionate advocate for the need for children’s views and wishes to be heard, understood and respected; understanding however the need for this to be finely balanced with the need for parents to bear the ultimate responsibility for making decisions in the best interests of their children. Felicity has a strong interest in, and fondness for, working with adolescents; particularly in situations where relationship difficulties arise between parents and adolescents within the context of family separation. 

Felicity believes strongly in egalitarianism, social justice and human rights, and strives to be a staunch ally to First Nations communities, the LGBTQIA+ community, persons living with disabilities and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.