About

Supporting rural & remote families across all stages of their parenting journey.

Hi, I’m Jen.

I’m a experienced perinatal and early infancy mental health professional passionate about helping families living in rural and remote communities across Australia. 

My practice, Her Herd, is based in the Northern Tablelands town of Armidale NSW and Australia wide through telehealth appointments.

I provide a specialist perinatal mental health service around the vulnerable life stages of fertility, pregnancy, birth and parenting in the early years.

I dedicate much of my work to helping rural and remote women and their families as they manage the often challenging path of becoming parents, by assisting them through the emotional time of fertility struggles,  IVF and perinatal anxienty and depression.

Life can throw us many curve balls and I am here to help you navigate and be present in your motherhood journey. I focus on you as an individual, as well as as a family unit, and take an holistic and client-centred approach to navigate parenting trials and create secure attachments to your young children, through creative and evidence based solutions.

I draw on practical techniques and solutions to help you develop coping mechanisms and the tools you need to to be more present and navigate challenges as they arise.

Help is just a call away.

Rural and Remote Families – don’t let your location stop you from getting the support you deserve.

Many of our rural communities have limited, if any, specialist perinatal mental health services. At HerHerd, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to access the help they need no matter the stage of their parenting journey. Our video consultations are conducted over a secure platform (similar to Skype or Zoom) to maintain patient privacy. 

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No referal required

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Online appointments available to help you when you need it most

What I Do

I work with women who are experiencing feelings of anxiety, depression, have experienced loss or birth trauma, or are finding adjusting to parenting in the early weeks and months challenging. I also work with families as a whole unit to help develop a nourishing attachment with your baby and bulid resilience and connection.

 

My Approach

I bring a warm, relaxed and compassionate appraoch to our sessions. I aim to create a space where you feel understood, accepted and empowered to tackle the chanllenges you are facing. 

My Core Values

Deciding to start a family is one of the most exciting, but at times challenging times of our lives. For Rural and remote families this new chapter can also bring about increased anxiety as they struggle to access fertility and perinatal support services due to the geography of where they live. I believe every family deserves access to the support they need to help them on their parenting journey.  

Credentials & Education

Having completed a Masters of Social Work Jen is an accredited clinician holding professional memberships with the Australian Association of Social Work and the Australian Association of Infant Mental Health. 

Jen works with families and carers to assist young children with difficult behaviours by designing child centred programs to help in their everyday lives. Jen is highly regarded in conducting cognitive educational and diagnostic reports, both in her practice and in both public and private school settings. Play is a theme throughout Jen’s work where she creates a safe space for children struggling with emotions, fears, worries, relationships, life changes and loss.

In addition, Jen is Newborn Behaviour Observation (NBO) clinician and a qualified Neuroprotective Developmental Care (NDC) practitioner through the Possum Project. Drawing on the Australian designed program, Jen helps families create secure attachments with their young children through the first 1,000 days by providing evidence based support for infant cry fuss behaviour, sleep, settling and feeding.

As a mother raising a young family in a rural community, Jen’s primary focus now lies with guiding country based women at all stages of their perinatal journey. Jen is passionate about helping women who are experiencing feelings of stress, anxiety or depression, are struggling with miscarriage, loss and birth trauma or are facing infertility struggles. Jen draws on her lived experience, along with practical techniques and strategies to help mothers develop coping mechanisms and the tools to be more present in their transition into parenthood.

Schedule an Appointment

Happy Clients

Caroline

Parent

Jen is a conscientious and caring clinician who my daughter looks forward to seeing.  She is part of my daughter’s larger family and has improved her life greatly.

Amanda

Parent

Both our children have seen Jen for the past four years, in this time she has been able to establish a close rapport with both children enabling them to trust and confide with Jen to get the most out of their sessions. We have all found Jen to be friendly, honest and an extremely professional clinician and I have especially grown to really value Jens advice.

Maggie

Parent

I feel extremely fortunate to have been introduced to Jen. My son and I have been on a journey of great challenges over the past few years with leaving a domestic violence situation as well as changing schools, re-locating etc. Knowing that Jen has been a constant other person giving unconditional support and care to my son has meant the world. He has felt safe, seen, heard and always has lots of fun!