Renae McDiarmid

Background

About Renae McDiarmid

I began my career at just 21, founding and running a successful tattoo magazine for seven years. This ambitious venture grew into a nationwide multimedia platform with representatives in every Australian state, showcasing my passion for entrepreneurship and creative industries. My career took a meaningful turn when I joined UNICEF, where I worked in call centers and door-to-door fundraising. This experience sparked my deep commitment to children’s rights and the broader field of community services. My journey into holistic psychology began with a personal motivation—understanding the nervous system, the impacts of trauma, and approaches to healing. I learnt how to facilitated yoga and meditation and learnt to treat people from a whole perceptive of mind body and spirt. Following my son’s asd diagnosis, I immersed myself in learning regulation techniques, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, which deepened my appreciation for early intervention and developmental support. This knowledge led me to pursue a Certificate IV in Community Services at CDU and step into a role as a Child and Family Wellbeing Worker. For 18 months, I worked closely with families, supporting them through trauma, facilitating NDIS applications, supporting early intervention and connecting them to local mental health services. Using tools such as cbt and dbt this then Inspired me to begin my undergraduate degree in psychology, furthering my understanding of mental health and its intersection with trauma. My personal connection to mental health stems from my early life experiences, including witnessing my mother’s struggles with schizophrenia, domestic violence, and substance abuse. This fueled my passion for understanding complex challenges and advocating for meaningful solutions. I later joined CAAPS Aboriginal Family Rehab where I held two titles as an AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) Counsellor and a AOD support worker at the same time. I also engaged in cultural advocacy and thrived in the dynamic, culturally rich family environment, that encouraged keeping family’s together or even reuniting families. Currently, I serve as a Therapeutic Children’s Support Worker at Dawn House with in the family domestic violence space. With nearly three years of experience in child and family mental health, domestic violence, and AOD support, I’m dedicated to unpinning the multifaceted issues within our communities. I’m committed to advancing my knowledge and skills to create lasting change through prevention education.