Xzarina Nicholson

I use trauma-informed transpersonal, clinical, expressive and art therapy techniques to help clients navigate and resolve psychoemotional and psychosomatic challenges. My areas of focus include trauma (PTSD & C-PTSD), addictions (substance abuse and process), anxiety-depression, psychosomatic illness, relationship issues, life transitions and spiritual emergence/crisis.

As a member of a multi-disciplinary therapeutic team within a primary-care substance abuse and behavioural addiction rehabilitation clinic, I managed a full caseload of patients receiving 1:1 care for post-traumatic stress and addiction, and facilitated CBT-based group therapy and process groups.

I devised and delivered The Cabin's 'Kintsugi' trauma programme for long-term patients, aimed at facilitating post-traumatic growth through interactive workshops and process groups incorporating psychoeducation, holistic therapies, depth-work and expressive arts practices.

In a newly created role within a humanitarian aid and research organisation providing essential medical services to IDPs and migrants in crisis conditions on the Thai-Myanmar border, my primary responsibilties involved MHPSS education and psychoeducation, risk assessment and staff support and training.

I also devised and delivered interactive trainings and workshops in basic mental health care to local aid and educational organisations.

As member a multidisciplinary clinical team in a luxury inpatient substance and behavioural addictions rehabilitation centre, I was primarily responsible for delivering 1:1 and group therapy and group processes, including holistic therapies (trauma-informed yoga, meditation and mindfulness practices). Additional responsibilities included client screening, intake and admissions.

As a self-employed freelance editor, I collaborated with private clients (international universities, research institutes, NGOs, etc.) to prepare academic articles, books, research papers, reports, conference papers for publication.

As a member of an international team, I filled a dual role in the editorial and administrative departments coordinating and delivering on projects across a team of more than 200 staff during COVID. As editor, my responsibilities included writing and editing client manuscripts, producing content for web and educational materials, and overseeing the work of junior editors. As an administrator, my responsibilities included client liaison, project coordination and overseeing daily operations and quality assurance.

As a senior instructor of yoga and meditation at the longest-established school on Koh Tao, I primarily delivered daily instruction for individual, group and private classes, and facilitated workshops on various topics related to mindfulness and yogic therapies. Other responsibilities included daily operations and management, marketing and online content creation, and staff recruitment, mentoring and training.

As a junior member of an multidisciplinary team across political, social and psychological science departments, I collaborated on research design and planning, funding/grant applications, data collection and analysis for research projects on social psychology and politics. This resulted in the publication of a co-authored article in an A-grade academic journal, as well as co-authored a published academic journal. I also edited journal articles, manuscripts, reports and conference papers.

Concurrent with post-graduate research studies, I participated in an Australian Research Council funded project facilitated through the Department of Political Sciences and International Relations titled 'How Images Shape Responses to Humanitarian Crises'.

As a member of the Teaching and Educational Development Institute of a top-tier Australian university, I contributed to the team's delivery of quality assurance of university teaching and learning by conducting evaluations processes, data collection and analysis, and through liaison between the institute and university faculty staff.

In a short-term contract position, I assisted the Director of the Griffith Health Executive and the Learning Development team to implement processes to identify and support 'at risk' students and to develop resources and tools to enhance student engagement and retention.

As Executive Assistant to the Regional Executive Director, my responsibilities included facilitating administration for the effective management and operation of the department, including coordinating and editing ministerial responses, delivering grant funding and regional programmes, as well as disaster recovery efforts within the Gold Coast region.

• Provided psychoemotional support for students in 200-hour Yoga Alliance trauma-informed yoga teacher trainings, providing individual counselling, group art therapy and lectures on yoga, psychology and mental health