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Mission Statement & Therapeutic Approach

My mission is to support emotional wellbeing, resilience and meaningful personal growth through compassionate, trauma-informed and individualised care. I work with children, adolescents and adults, providing a supportive therapeutic environment where clients can explore, understand and express their emotions, develop greater self-awareness, and build practical strategies for navigating life's challenges.

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Grounded in a holistic, person-centred and trauma-informed philosophy, my approach draws on evidence-informed therapeutic and body-based practices, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Play Therapy, mindfulness, Yoga and Pilates, where appropriate to each person's individual needs, preferences and goals.

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I recognise the important connection between emotional wellbeing and our experience of the body. Where appropriate, therapy and mindful movement practices can provide opportunities to develop emotional awareness, body awareness, grounding, self-regulation and greater confidence in responding to stress and life's challenges.

My approach is collaborative and strengths-based, recognising that every person's experiences, needs and therapeutic journey are different. Rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach, support is tailored to the individual and developed together at a pace that feels appropriate.

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About me 

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I'm Mara Gomes, an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, fitness educator and trauma-informed practitioner with a strong interest in holistic wellbeing and the connection between emotional and physical health. My professional background brings together mental health practice, trauma-informed care and movement-based approaches, recognising the ways our emotional experiences, relationships and physical wellbeing can influence one another.

With nearly two decades of experience across health, education, community and fitness settings, including 5 years in clinical mental health practice, my work is grounded in compassion, cultural sensitivity, and a strong commitment to ethical, person-centred care.

Throughout my career, I have supported children, adolescents, adults and families experiencing a broad range of challenges, including trauma and post-traumatic stress, anxiety, grief, emotional regulation difficulties, relationship and family concerns, and complex mental health and neurodevelopmental presentations. My experience also includes working with people with autism (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders and co-occurring mental health needs.

I believe effective therapeutic relationships are built on trust, respect, collaboration and genuine understanding. My aim is to provide a supportive environment where people feel heard and respected, can explore difficult experiences at an appropriate pace, recognise their existing strengths, and develop practical strategies that support their individual goals and wellbeing.

Mara Gomes

Driven by an ongoing commitment to professional development, I have completed more than 50 professional development courses across areas including clinical mental health, child and adolescent therapy, trauma and attachment, family intervention, neurodiversity and therapeutic movement. My practice draws on evidence-informed frameworks and approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), trauma-informed care, developmental perspectives, attachment theory and relational and family-based approaches.

My background in fitness and movement also informs my understanding of the relationship between physical activity, body awareness and emotional wellbeing. Where appropriate, I incorporate body-awareness, grounding and movement-based strategies to complement therapeutic work, always considering the individual's needs, preferences and goals.

 

Whether I am supporting a child to express themselves through play, working alongside an adult navigating difficult experiences, helping a family strengthen communication, supporting parents to better understand their child's emotional needs, or facilitating a Pilates or Zumba class, my approach remains grounded in the same principle: meeting people where they are and supporting them to move towards greater understanding, connection, confidence and wellbeing.

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'Qualifications & Professional Training

Formal Education

  • Master of Social Work – James Cook University

  • Double degree in Business & Psychological Sciences – James Cook University

Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Therapeutic Training​

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2026

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy Certificate (C-DBT)

  • Dr. Arielle Schwartz’ Trauma-Informed Yoga for Therapists Training

 

2025

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Enhanced Practice. (23 Sep)

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 101: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) 101 (22 Sep)

  • Play Therapy Training - Play Strong Institute.

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2024

  • Family Therapy Foundations – La Trobe University

  • Clinical Supervision – University of Melbourne (24 Oct)

  • Introduction to Infant Mental Health – University of Melbourne (6 Nov)

  • Developmental Psychiatry Course – University of Melbourne (12 Dec)

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2023

  • ASD Assessment Fundamentals and Co-occurring Conditions – University of Melbourne (17 Apr)

  • Tuning Into Kids Facilitator Training – University of Melbourne (15 May)

  • Trauma & Attachment with Children & Families – Australian Childhood Foundation (24 July)

  • Eating Disorders Core Skills – National Eating Disorders Collaboration (5 Sept)

  • Bringing Up Great Kids Facilitator Training – Australian Childhood Foundation (27 Oct)

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2022

(Queensland Health / Evolve Therapeutic Services)

  • Establishing Suicidal Intent

  • Depression

  • CBT for Eating Disorders

  • Professional Relationships in Mental Health

  • Mental State Examination

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2021

  • Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – Centre of Excellence, 2021

(Queensland Health / Evolve Therapeutic Services)

  • Qc9 Critical Components of Risk Assessment

  • Dual Diagnosis

  • The QUEST – Caring for Young People with Trauma, Abuse and Neglect

  • Trauma-Informed Care

  • Responding to Complex Trauma

  • Brief Interventions: Alcohol and Other Drugs

  • AOD Assessment

  • ASSIST

  • Mental Health First Aid

  • Micro-counselling Skills

  • Motivational Interviewing: Spirit and Core Skills

  • Motivational Interviewing 2 – Change Talk

Fitness Training and Professional Development

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2026

  • Pole Dance Instructor Certificate - Pole Dance Academy (currently completing) 

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2025

  • 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training - YogaRenew (currently completing)

 

2024

  • Training Special Populations Level 1 & 2, Fitness education online, Australia

  • Pilates Pregnancy and Post-natal, Louise Taube, Australia

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2023

  • Boogie bounce instructor, Boogie Bounce, Australia

  • Pre and Post Natal Barre, Barre Certification, Australia

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2019

  • Powertamp instructor, Emma Newham Fitness, Australia

  • Barre instructor, Barre Certification, Australia

 

2018

  • BODYPUMP® international instructor, Les Mills group, Australia

  • SPRINT International Instructor, Les Mills group, Australia

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2015

  • Cert III and Cert IV In Fitness, Sand Goanna, Townsville, Australia

  • Personal trainer, Sand Goanna.

 

2014

  • Zumba Step Instructor Certification, Zumba® Fitness, Cairns, Australia

 

2013

  • International Bokwa® Instructor Certification (Level I), Bokwa® Fitness, Lisboa, Portugal

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2012

  • Zumba Gold, Zumba Glutes and Zumba ABS, Zumba® Fitness, Copenhagen, Denmark

  • Zumba Sentao Instructor Certification, Zumba® Fitness, England

  • Zumbatomic/Kids Instructor Certification, Zumba® Fitness, England

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2011

  • Pilates Instructor, Promofitness, Manz, Portugal

  • Zumba Toning Instructor Certification, Zumba® Fitness, Sydney, Australia

 

2010

  • Zumba Basic and Zumba Circuit Instructor Certification. 

  • Indoor Cycling Instructor Certification, Fitness Brazil, Santos, Brazil

  • Brazilian Body workout Certification, Fitness Brazil, Santos, Brazil

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2009

  • Pedagogical methods and techniques for fitness education, Institute of Employment and Vocational Training, Aveiro, Portugal

 

2007

  • Team Management, Customer Service and FISH Training Course, Vivafit, Oeiras, Portugal.

 

2006

  • Fitness Sales and Circuit Training Course

  • IFAD Sport and Wellness School, Loulé, Portugal

  • International Fitness Instructor Level II Certification

​I am an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (member no. 513419). I hold a Master of Social Work from James Cook University. Social work is a self-regulated profession in Australia and is not registered under Ahpra. I work to the AASW Code of Ethics and the AASW Practice Standards, and I am accountable to the AASW and to the Queensland Office of the Health Ombudsman. I hold a current Blue Card (Working with Children Check), maintain professional indemnity insurance, and undertake regular clinical supervision. My practice is guided by the Queensland Child Safe Standards. My Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy, Code of Conduct and complaints information are available at the bottom of this page.
I offer two separate services, and I am always clear about which one we are in. Therapy and counselling is a clinical service. It may attract a Medicare rebate where you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan and a referral. Movement services - yoga, Pilates, stretching and mobility — support wellbeing, regulation and body awareness. They are NOT psychological therapy, physiotherapy or exercise physiology, and they are NOT claimable under Medicare. They are provided under a separate service agreement. Where body-based or grounding strategies are used inside a therapy session, that remains therapy. Where you attend a movement session, that is a movement service. If you see me for both, I will never move between them without talking to you first.
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