About Us

Claire Hudson-McAuley is Founder and Director of The Growing Heart, a growing Community of Care, Practice and Learning.  An experienced Somatic and Gestalt psychotherapist, Registered Nurse, Drug and Alcohol Counsellor, Couples & Family Therapist, Training and Group Facilitator, Claire recognises the need to support the front-line heroes working with complex clients. Many humans working in mental health settings are unsupported or under supported. The Growing Heart now offers various trauma-informed and relational therapy trainings nationally and internationally, therapist support groups, and clinical supervision, as a guide and support to dedicated humans.

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With experience in business, leadership, and senior health roles, and an interest in holistic, humanistic empowered and collaborative recovery, I specialise in working with people toward healing complex trauma symptoms and gaining a felt sense of recovery. The Growing Heart was founded in 2012 and now offers a range of trainings, support groups and psychotherapy services online nationally and overseas.

Despite the significant problems and limitations of the existing mental health system (Benjamin et al., 2019) I am convinced that healing complex trauma and dissociation is possible and critically necessary for humanity.  I am committed to increasing hope, reducing stigma and suffering, educating and strengthening people to become more resourced, choiceful and empowered.

This must start with the humans involved as clinicians and collaborators in the recovery process. Many clinicians and healers experience stress and burnout as a result of the constraints of the system and the medicalisation of distress, including the rise in prescribing. They enter their roles seeking to help others, but become disempowered, ignored or mistreated by the systems they are in. My intention is to empower and build structural support for those heroes who are helping others toward recovery. It is acknowledged that many clinicians and healers have their own complex stories, and that the biomedical model is based on patriarchal and narrow interests which are not necessarily aligned with recovery.

My work with clients and clinicians is also based on the lived experience of healing my own trauma over many years, and the delight of creating secure functioning attachment with husband and family. My personal healing journey allows for passionate commitment to uplifting others working in the field and growing a strong sense of community.

I am included on Blue Knot Foundation’s database as a provider of trauma-informed therapeutic services and registered with AHPRA, also eligible for re-credentialing by ACMHN, and a Professional Member of AAFT. As Chair of Psychotherapy at the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, I am a strong advocate of nurse-psychotherapists working to their full scope of practice.

To discuss your needs, please call Claire on 0408 509 110, or email info@the-growing-heart.com.