The Team
All consultants at CEP have extensive experience in their field of expertise, be it as psychotherapist, counsellor, coach or supervisor. Their workshops exemplify their passion for the chosen topic and aim at stimulating learning and facilitating discussion.
- Alison Strasser (Director)
- Trudy Adelstein
- Maria Clark
- Claire Jankelson
- Adam McLean
- Pamela Ray
- Estelle Phillips
- Kerry Spence
- Carlos Webster
- Christopher Wurm
- Jennifer Yang
Alison Strasser DProf (Psychotherapy & Counselling), MA, BA Hons
Director of the Centre for Existential Practice. Alison has been instrumental in creating the existential curriculum for a variety of counselling and psychotherapy trainings in Australia. She is a practising psychotherapist, coach and supervisor and former Director Academic Programs at the Australian College of Applied Psychology. Her doctorate focused on unravelling the process of supervision which, in turn, led to the development of a framework for teaching supervisors. Alison is co-author of Time-Limited Existential Therapy and founder of the Australasian Existential Society – www.existential.asn.au .
Trudy Adelstein MA, App Soc Sci (Couns) RN
Trudy is a practising trauma and bereavement counsellor and for the last eight years has been working with families of homicide. She has incorporated her existential view of the world into the field of trauma and bereavement counselling. Trudy weaves this integrated perspective into the courses she delivers. She has a Masters in Loss and Grief from Queensland University.
Maria Clark MA (Couns), Grad Dip (Couns), Dip Ed
Maria works as an existential psychotherapist and supervisor. For the past decade she has worked mainly with individuals and couples. Her existential approach to psychotherapy is influenced by her background in education. It acknowledges the challenges involved in understanding the uniqueness of learning, meaning and being in the world.
Claire Jankelson PhD
Claire's passion for educating promotes understanding and brings results. She has worked with major tertiary educational institutes and consults to organisations in various research and facilitation capacities. Claire also has a private practice in coaching and leadership. Confluential Leadership, developed during her PhD, is a consciousness model of leadership. It is process based and grounded within existentialist and phenomenological paradigms.
Adam McLean M Counselling,, Grad Dip Psych/Couns, BCHC, BN
Co-ordinator, Group Leadership program.
Adam is a group therapist, a faculty member of the Jansen Newman Institute and co-ordinator of its group therapy internship. He also has a private practice and provides clinical supervision. Adam works from an existential point of view, has experience in training and education as well as facilitating groups in a variety of settings.
Pamela Ray MA (Psychotherapy and Counselling)
Pamela teaches existential counselling at the Australian College of Applied Psychology, Brisbane Campus, and also has her own private practice. She has extensive experience working in a variety clinical and medical settings in both Australia and the UK.
Estelle Phillips
Estelle is an existential counsellor in private practice working with couples and individuals. She is the marketing and PR consultant for CEP.
Kerry Spence MA (Couns), Grad Dip (Couns) Dip Ed
Kerry is an existential psychotherapist and supervisor. She has been in private practice since 1994. Kerry works with couples and individuals on relationships, addiction and family-related issues. Her work includes corporate mediation and conflict resolution. She also lectures in the Masters supervision program at the University of Western Sydney.
Carlos Webster MA (Couns), Grad Dip (Couns), BSW (Hons)
Carlos is a social worker, counsellor, and counsellor educator. He has worked for the past 10 years in a community health setting, providing social work support and counselling to people affected with HIV and AIDS. Carlos’s therapeutic work focuses on integrating the social justice tradition, with a particular focus on the existential challenges of life.
Christopher Wurm M.B, B.S, F.R.A.C..G.P
Christopher studied Medicine in Adelaide, undertook postgraduate training in Family Medicine, and then trained in Existential Analysis and Logotherapy in Vienna, Austria, under Dr Alfried Längle and Professor Viktor Frankl. He now works at the Drug and Alcohol Resource Unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, at the Port Adelaide Community Treatment Team, and in private practice as a GP Psychotherapist. Christopher holds an honorary position as Visiting Fellow, Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Adelaide.
Jennifer Yang
Jen is currently studying psychology and works as a part-time administrator for the Centre for Existential Practice.