I am Chloe Flemming and I have launched Create Change Counselling after 20 years in practice working within hospitals, community teams and government departments. I first completed a BA with double major: psychology and sociology (2001) and later Bachelor of Social Work at University of Sydney (2003).I am an Accredited Clinical Social Worker (ACSW), which means I keep up with the latest evidence based treatments to maintain my registration and provide you with expertise you can trust.
My career started in Sydney at the Sutherland Hosptial, where I supported individuals and their families through their hospitalisation and discharge. My career has taken me to the United Kingdom, where I lived and worked for five years in various roles ranging from The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel to a community based physical disabilities team.
Upon my return to Australia, I was employed by The Department of Human Services, later Services Australia. In these roles I worked one on one with Australia’s most vulnerable, providing counselling, advocacy and strategic support. As a leader, I was also able to support the service officers through consultations and I ran suicide awareness, domestic violence awareness, reflective practice and other training for staff from Centrelink, Medicare, Child Support, Redress and partner agencies.
I believe in a holistic approach; understanding you within the context of your world. The psychological, physical, social, spiritual and emotional aspects of your being all contribute to your mental wellness. My therapeutic style resounds with warmth and genuine connection. We will work collaboratively to identify your goals and tailor treatment to your individual needs.
I am Kim Henderson. I have joined Create Change Counselling to offer Support Coordination and Peer (Lived Experience) Psychosocial Recovery Coaching. I have dedicated my personal life and career to deeply engaging with disability, because firstly, it is a part of who I am. Also, in my career, I have learned that disability is part of who we are as a community, and as a shared humanity. For me, living with an invisible disability means that I have spent a great deal of my life masking who I am and believing that the real me has no value. A wonderful psychologist helped me realise I needed to radically accept myself, and that my denial of my own human needs was causing me psychological harm. My unresolved traumas manifested as the most terrifying three years of my life; I was deeply depressed and paranoid, and I started hearing voices. These days, my mental health is an intentional, daily effort. But I am never alone. I have, with the support of my Husband, my family, friends, GP, therapists and peers, found ways to cope and live well. I strive to live my life unapologetically. In my experience, when you are at peace with who you are as a whole person, you create the groundwork for a life of possibility. To the person reading this, you’ve got this, and you don’t have to navigate this alone. You can try, but I wouldn’t recommend it. My work experience began with my Education Degree. I specialised in disability support needs and graduated in December 2004. I worked as an educator in the UK for 5 years. In 2010 my struggles with my mental health became prominent to the point of being disabling, and I couldn’t work. I reluctantly chose to exit teaching and I returned to Australia from the UK in early 2011. My education degree helped me to secure a position working for the Department of Communities. During this time, I developed a strong commitment to statutory compliance. In my final year of this role, in 2015, I could no longer deny my mental health struggles, and found myself in that familiar territory of being unable to work. Whilst grateful to be relieved from the pressures of a demanding government role, I experienced intense self-loathing. In my first year since resigning, I experienced severe depression, anxiety, and paranoia. This would go on for three years. In 2016 I was diagnosed with complex mental illness. In hindsight, my experience forced me to get closer to who I really was, and I started sharing about my mental health struggles on social media. My smoke signals would eventually attract my ‘tribe’ to me, and it was through this community of likeminded souls that I encountered the profession of Peer Support Work. My diagnosis, whilst upsetting for me, also opened a door I didn’t know existed; to a community of compassionate, strength focused and inspiring individuals who had similar life experiences. Ever since then, the principles of peer support have guided me in my career. When the job you do is connected to who you are and what you believe in, it is energy generating, not energy draining. I have discovered a natural ability and passion for this role that I didn’t know was possible until I met peers just like me. Over the years I have fine-tuned my abilities to provide 1:1 support, from working at community organisations like Ruah Community Services and Grow Mental health from 2016 until 2021. I gained invaluable experience working as a Support Coordinator and Psychosocial Recovery Coach through a peer led organisation between 2021 and 2023, and finally, I spent the last year supporting individuals and their families impacted by acquired brain injury. I am hoping to continue to work with individuals from the ABI community, as well as those with psychosocial support needs, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if what I have written here resonates, and you would like a chat! You’ve got this.
