Meet Bree Nicholson
Bree Nicholson is a qualified Counsellor, experienced Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and Equine Assisted Therapy Practitioner with an extensive professional background spanning the disability, community services and justice sectors in both Australia and London.
Bree's career has involved supporting children, young people, adults and families with diverse and often complex needs. This broad experience now informs the warm, practical and individualised approach she brings to her work at MPEAT.
Bree brings together her professional experience, Counselling skills, disability-sector and NDIS background, experience supporting children and young people, therapeutic training and connection with horses through MPEAT.
Bree has a particular passion for supporting children and young people, including those who may experience challenges with emotional regulation, confidence, communication, social connection and navigating everyday life.
Her approach is warm, practical, strengths-based and individualised. Bree recognises that traditional room-based Counselling does not suit everyone and believes meaningful therapeutic work can occur in many different environments.
Depending on each client's individual needs, interests and therapeutic goals, sessions may incorporate Counselling, movement, creative and nature-based activities, together with carefully facilitated ground-based interactions with therapy horses.
Bree's aim is to provide a safe, welcoming and non-judgemental environment where clients feel heard and respected, develop greater confidence and self-awareness, build practical skills and work towards goals that are meaningful to them.Qualifications
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Diploma of Counselling.
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Bachelor of Mediation & Advocacy.
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Graduate Diploma in Family Dispute Resolution.
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Certificate IV in Social Science (Justice).
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Specialised training in Equine Assisted Therapy through Equine Assisted Therapy Australia (EATA).
Professional Memberships
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Registered Counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).
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Registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP) with the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department.
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Animal Therapies Australia member
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Mediation Institute members
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and is committed to ongoing
Professional Experience
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Disability Sector & NDIS Experience
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Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP) with more than 10 years of professional experience in family dispute resolution and mediation.
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Bree is registered as a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner with the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department.
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Bree is a member of Animal Therapies Australia and the Mediation Institute and is committed to ongoing professional development, ethical practice and high-quality, client-centred support.
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Bree has extensive experience working within the disability sector in both Australia and UK, including roles within residential homes and disability day care centres, supporting clients with a diverse range of disabilities, individual needs and levels of support.
While working in the disability sector in London, Bree was also responsible for implementing a horse riding program for clients, providing opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in structured horse-based activities.
This early experience of bringing together disability support and horses forms an important part of the professional and practical experience Bree now brings to Equine Assisted Therapy.
Bree's disability-sector experience continues today through her work supporting NDIS participants. She has experience working directly with participants with a diverse range of support needs and understands the importance of providing individualised, person-centred support that aligns with each participant's needs, strengths and goals.
This experience also gives Bree an understanding of working within the NDIS environment and collaborating, where appropriate, with families, carers, support coordinators and other professionals involved in a participant's support network.
Her disability-sector work has developed Bree's understanding that every individual communicates, regulates, learns and engages differently. She believes in recognising each person's strengths and adapting support to their individual needs rather than expecting the person to fit a particular approach.
