Pascale Stendell :: Educator and Therapist :: Professional Credentials
Overview: Holistic Wellbeing programs and services supported by Lived Experience and Formal Education
"La vie n'est pas un long fleuve tranquille" In my French mother tongue, it basically means: Life is not a smooth sailing journey.
The life events / hurdles / challenges shape us but do not define us. We all learn skills along the way whether by formal education or informal learning. These skills are the tools we use to enjoy a better life.
On the importance of education:
My lived experience of childhood trauma has shaped me but does not define me. Together with what I formally learnt and keep on learning and studying, my lived experience strengthens me to better assist whomever seeks my support or services.
Wondering how such a journey may help:
When I seek the services of a professional, I need to know how to best invest my time and money to get appropriate help. Generally I weigh up a mix of criteria including the experience of others by word of mouth or online reviews (if available), experience, and qualifications, especially if I need a health or allied health professional or an educator. I always need to follow by some face-to-face or online encounter. Find my credentials below. Any question, please ask.
Finally this website is a reference point, a tool, a set of resources to help you and I enjoy a better life.
If you are in need of support and are interested in a holistic approach to your wellbeing,
On my holistic approach to wellbeing:
The life events / hurdles / challenges shape us but do not define us. We all learn skills along the way whether by formal education or informal learning. These skills are the tools we use to enjoy a better life.
On the importance of education:
My lived experience of childhood trauma has shaped me but does not define me. Together with what I formally learnt and keep on learning and studying, my lived experience strengthens me to better assist whomever seeks my support or services.
Wondering how such a journey may help:
When I seek the services of a professional, I need to know how to best invest my time and money to get appropriate help. Generally I weigh up a mix of criteria including the experience of others by word of mouth or online reviews (if available), experience, and qualifications, especially if I need a health or allied health professional or an educator. I always need to follow by some face-to-face or online encounter. Find my credentials below. Any question, please ask.
Finally this website is a reference point, a tool, a set of resources to help you and I enjoy a better life.
If you are in need of support and are interested in a holistic approach to your wellbeing,
On my holistic approach to wellbeing:
Higher Education and Training credentials
- TAFE teacher of computing: full time in 1994 in Orange, then part-time in 1996 in Sydney in various TAFE colleges, and at BHP in Newcastle.
access testimonial from Hornsby college of TAFE - Education Consultant ie Corporate Trainer at Oracle Education in 1996-1998 and continued involvement in education in all data management projects until 2018.
access past I.T. education projects - Working in the information technology (I.T.) industry since 1993 with a strong focus on education (mainly group work) still featuring in the current programs being offered at I.T.Matters(Aus) in various contexts including therapy.
access current programs
1992 Master's Degree
in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science
from the ENSEEIHT (Engineering school), Toulouse (France)
including one year at the Research Department of the School of Computing Science at the University of Technology, Sydney
Credentials related to Therapy
How I retrained in the field of therapy
- With Lived Experience of Childhood Trauma, I found myself attending training or courses or organising workshops to help self and others starting with a helpline course with Child Abuse Prevention Service (CAPS) in 1991 (which I did not complete as my visa expired and I had to leave Australia for a while). The workshops and courses I attended since 2010 under Ongoing Professional Development (OPD).
access OPD - In February 2011, I created a support group for Adult Survivors of Child Abuse.
access the support group page - In 2022 I completed a statement of attainment in Mental Health with TAFE NSW and soon after attended a
retreat run by a psychologist I knew of, Di Frost. Further healing occurred for me at the retreat as well as a realisation that I had developed many skills over the years whilst running the support group and networking with local social services. She suggested I considered re-training in that field. Given that I had an incline for expressing myself through visual art, music, and body movement, it was only natural for me to consider art therapy.
- In 2023, I completed entry training in visual arts and a Diploma of Mental Health to prepare for entry into a Masters of Art Therapy I was interested in. I did get an offer but declined for a variety of important reasons. So I considered another option and completed a Diploma of Art Therapy instead together with a Diploma of Counselling so I could get professional accreditation and start my private practice.
Interested in my holistic approach to wellbeing?
2024 Diploma in Art Therapy
from the College for Educational and Clinical Art Therapy (CECAT), Principal Rob Gray
2024 Diploma of Counselling CHC51015
from the Evolve College
gaining professional certification
with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
Level 1 Member: R82615
Tennis Coaching credentials
Casual coaching at the Cowra Tennis Club in 2013
My journey as a tennis player and coach
- Late 1970s: I started playing tennis during my early teens and played competitively in France until I came to Australia in 1991. I reached a 15/3 level which is a good regional level knowing that the requirement at the time to be a professional coach was 15/2.
- The Coca-Cola story: As a side story I won the regional title as a 15/5 promoted by Coca-Cola. I weighed 56kg at the time and won my weight in coca-cola. This was not a gift as I do not drink coca-cola. Not knowing what to do with such prize, I sold it at a good price to the University bar. Win! Win! and such a relief to me.
- 1986-1991: I completed the 2 levels of amateur coaching (called in France 'Éducateur Fédéral de Tennis 1er degré et 2ième degré') and coached in France till 1991.
- In Australia, I played competition to start with in Sydney (Randwick and Moorebank at A grade level), started work in computing and my involvement with the game faded. I got involved in tennis clubs from time to time, for fun: in Blayney in 1994-1995, in Canberra (Woden) around 2000, and in Cowra in 2013 to help the then tennis club committee achieve its aim to promote tennis as a family game, and in 2015 to introduce juniors to the game whilst providing pathways to professional coaching and social games and competition.
Cowra Tennis Club: 2013 article
Cowra Tennis Club: 2015 initiative - In 2024, an opportunity to promote women as coaches came up and I completed the Tennis Australia 'Trainee Coach' on 14 July 2024 for personal pleasure. It also allowed me to become aware of the modern coaching principles and techniques as the sport has much evolved since my coaching training in the late 1980s.
- In 2025, Tennis Australia followed up as they do with their coaches - especially the new coaches - and I expressed my desire to bring together tennis and wellbeing for families with special needs. I then developed the program now on offer.
Interested in the Tennis Coaching program for Families with Children and Teens with Special Needs?
FFT educateur 1990 card
1985; 1987 Éducateur de Tennis 1er degré et 2ième degré
from the Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT)
Music credentials
.... Australia from 1991 to 2025 .... 
My journey as a music player
- 1986 I started taking alto saxophone lessons in Reims, France with a Jazz teacher and played the alto sax till 1992 in the Botany Bay band in Sydney.
- 1987-1991 I worked for 5 seasons as a volunteer at the Jazz in Marciac (JIM) international festival in France. Tasks were varied and included driving international musicians to and from airports, hotels, and restaurants. Such opportunities enabled interesting discussions such as in 1991 with the musicians supporting Gerry Mulligan (one of the best ever jazz baritone saxophonists). Concerts such as with Tom Harrell supported by Phil Woods (alto sax) and Johnny Griffin (tenor sax) were amazing experiences too. Listening to such quality jazz and being a part of all aspects of running a festival for evening audiences of 4,000 people (at the time) provides a good appreciation for what it takes to perform to a live audience.
- 2017- I had not played music for 25 years and decided to explore another passion of mine: the tenor sax. I took tenor sax lessons in Cowra, NSW, Australia, and joined the local Cowra and District (CDB) band,
sat Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) exams, took part in the local Cowra Eistedfodd, was provided with opportunities to play with other local bands such as Grenfell, Parkes, and Subfusion, and embraced the opportunity to feature the sound of my Tenor sax in an interesting improvised composition to support a choreography for a community project. In 2019 I started a musical practice program for young people as it became obvious that young people did not have many opportunities to play in front of a public audience for fun and/or to practice their performance skills.
Interested in the music program for young people?
2018 Community project: contributing with the sound of the tenor sax to an interesting improvised composition to support a choreography for a short film
The Corridor Project: The Shearer Ballet
Ongoing Professional Development
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2026
- 26 May 2026 DV-alert 1 Day workshop: Men Who Use Violence. Delivered in Orange, NSW by
Lifeline trainers: Lisa Churches, and subject matter expert in domestic violence: Dawson Ruhl.
- 13-14 May 2026 DV-alert 2 Day Foundations workshop. Delivered in Grenfell, NSW by Lifeline trainers: Jennie O'Hara and Lisa Churches.
- 26 March 2026 Introduction to Sandplay Therapy 1 Day workshop. Delivered in Cowra, NSW by NALAG trainer: Cathy Banks, Counsellor & Psychotherapist.
- 17 March 2026 Coaching players with autism. Online course offered by
Tennis Australia (TA) including videos and educational resources such as communication cards.
- 4-25 February 2026 a Somatic Journey Through Shame and Grief. Online Live course (6 hours over 4 sessions) offered by Trauma Solutions: Diane Poole-Heller, attachment expert, and founder of Trauma Solutions, and by the founder of Somatic Experiencing (SE): Peter Levine.
- 15-29 April 2025 The IFS Clinician’s Guide: Restoring Self, Healing Trauma, and Deepening Therapy. Online Live course (6 hours over 5 sessions) offered by Trauma Solutions: Diane Poole-Heller, attachment expert, and founder of Trauma Solutions, and by Frank Anderson, MD.
- Mental Health Academy online short introductory courses
- 15 April 2025 Internal Family Systems (IFS) for "Borderline Personality Disorder"/Early Developmental Trauma
- 15 April 2025 EMDR: A Primer for Clinicians
- 15 April 2025 Drawing upon the Body's Intelligence: An Introduction to Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
- 10 April 2025 How Polarised Parts Develop in Addiction, and How Therapy Can Resolve the Stalemate
- 8 April 2025 A Psychological Model of IFS-style Parts and Their Role in Addictive Disorders
- 5 April 2025 Using Internal Family Systems Therapy for Overcoming Addictive Behaviour Patterns
- 31 March 2025 The Treatment of Trauma and the Internal Family Systems Model
- 10-11 September 2024 Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training - Suicide First Aid. Delivered in Cowra, NSW by LivingWorks trainers.
- 16 July 2024 Mental Health First Aid - Conversations About Suicide. Delivered in Cowra, NSW by Jennie O'Hara.
- 13-14 September 2023 2 Day Art Therapy Introduction workshop. Delivered in Sydney, NSW by CECAT trainer: Rob Gray.
- 29 March 2018 Mental Health First Aid. Delivered in Cowra, NSW by trainers: Dianne Gill and Vanessa Kendall.
- 5 December 2015 One Day ASCA Educational Workshop for Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma and Abuse. Delivered in Parkes, NSW by ASCA (now BlueKnot Foundation) trainers. Organised by I.T.Matters(Aus)
- 4 December 2015 Half Day ASCA Workshop for All Staff: Foundations for Trauma-Informed Practice. Delivered in Parkes, NSW by ASCA (now BlueKnot Foundation) trainers. Organised by I.T.Matters(Aus)
- 4 December 2015 2hr ASCA Workshop for Primary Care Practitioners: Identifying and Responding to Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma (including abuse). Delivered in Parkes, NSW by ASCA (now BlueKnot Foundation) trainers. Organised by I.T.Matters(Aus)
- 23 May 2015 One Day ASCA Educational Workshop for Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma and Abuse. Delivered in Cowra, NSW by ASCA (now BlueKnot Foundation) trainers. Organised by I.T.Matters(Aus)
- 22 May 2015 One Day ASCA Workshop for Health Professionals: Working with Adult Survivors of Complex Trauma. Delivered in Cowra, NSW by ASCA (now BlueKnot Foundation) trainers. Organised by I.T.Matters(Aus)
- 21 June 2014 One Day ASCA Workshop for Partners and Supporters (carers) of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse. Delivered in Canowindra, NSW by ASCA (now BlueKnot Foundation) trainers. Organised by I.T.Matters(Aus)
- 5 December 2013 Online course: Strategies for Managing Abuse Related Trauma (SMART). Delivered online by the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF).
- 14 November 2013 One Day Workshop for Health Professionals Working with Adult Survivors of Complex Trauma. Delivered in Cowra, NSW by ASCA (now BlueKnot Foundation) trainers.
Organised by I.T.Matters(Aus)
- 17-18 September 2013 One Day Facilitator training for LoveBites. Delivered in Cowra, NSW by NAPCAN trainer: Maureen Moran.
- 8 May 2013 Working with Voices: the experience of Hearing Voices and How to work with them; a forum for mental health workers, consumers, and carers. Delivered in Orange, NSW. Organised by Orange Health Services Bloomfield Campus.
- 1 August - 30 November 2011 CHCAC319A - Provide support to people living with dementia 1 unit of competency from Certificate III in Aged Care. Delivered face to face over several weeks at the Community Health Centre in Canowindra, NSW by Hammond Care.
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