QUALIFIED COUNSELLOR
ANNA MACQUEEN
Specialising in grief,
loss and dementia

Welcome to griefcounselling.org




Hi, my name is Anna MacQueen.

I wish to briefly share with you my experiences which have driven my desire to becoming a qualified counsellor. I feel particularly passionate about supporting people who are experiencing grief and loss of some sort, and the myriad of behaviours and emotions that accompany this experience, such as anxiety, anger, depression.

My working background has been primarily in aged care, where l noticed a gap in the mental health area of supporting families of those whose loved ones are living with dementia. Family members can be grieving for the loss of their loved one for many months, or even years, even though their loved one may still be alive and with them in a physical sense. It is a grief for the loss of the identity of that person, as well as loss of independence, dreams for the future, and a host of other ‘losses’ which are associated.

Aged care often involves many life-changing experiences which can be particularly traumatic for the older person. Issues such as loss of independence or loss of spouse can lead to major life changes which often result in more loss for the individual – moving into an aged care facility equates to loss of home, of pets, of friends (social isolation), of individual choice and identity, loss of purpose, and often loss of dignity. Regardless of how well-resourced an aged care facility is, at the end of the day it is shared accommodation on a mass scale which can lead to feelings of institutionalisation and loss of individual preferences.

In my private life my family and I experienced a gap in the mental health area of support for families of those whose loved ones have serious mental health issues. Often families are shut out of the treatment and / or communication process, depending on the age of the individual. Families are often not listened to, and yet they are the ones who know their loved one best and whom usually are left to pick up the pieces when the mental health system fails to effectively ‘treat’, or protect, their loved one.

I want to share my knowledge and experience in order to bridge these 'gaps' in our mental health system, as I have worked with and experienced them first hand. I am proud to offer my services to you, with a desire to enrich your life, provide insight, balance and harmony to you through my counselling sessions.

I look forward to the opportunity to talk with you so please send your questions to my email anna@griefcounselling.org or text them to my mobile phone 0422 480 583. Please also feel free to find my Facebook page here and send a request if you wish. All members are anonymous to protect confidentiality. I post content which l hope provokes some stimulating and positive thinking. You can also use Facebook as a tool for messaging. You can also complete the General Inquiry Form.
After completing the General Inquiry Form, please do not forget to tick 'I'm not a robot' box before pressing 'send'! I aim to reply within 48 hours.



        My credentials
   Diploma Counselling
   Diploma Mental Health
   Certificate IV in Aged Care
   Certificate IV in Disability