Crossroads is about the journey between points of tension. These points may exist within ourselves, like confusing emotions or key factors in a pending decision. They can also be the competing interests between people that erupts into conflict or withdrawal.
Crossroads Youth and Family Counselling respects this journey and enables movement beyond the tension, ‘stuckness’ or despair.
Values
HOPE – the sense of light and belief in direction toward desired change.
RESILIENCE – the gaining of strength and meaning through overcoming adversity.
CONNECTION – the connections within and the connections with others to actualise our potential.
Vision and Commitment
We provide a safe space for clients to express difficult thoughts and feelings. We provide a place to feel seen, heard and accepted.
We recognise and value difference and diversity.
We engage in conversations in order to remove the veil off shaming experiences, including family violence, separation and mental illness.
We promote optimal well-being and mental health of our clients to enable better connected families and communities.
We empower clients to create meaning from challenging life experiences so that their adversity is transformed into greater knowledge and resilience.
We pursue avenues to advocate for the mental health needs of young people.
We commit to providing best clinical practices, maintaining client privacy and continuing to pursue excellence in professional development.
Alana Tassie
Alana has over 12 years experience working with young people and families facing some of the most challenging and despairing life circumstances: terminal illness, grief, trauma, separation, violence and abuse, mental illness, substance use and incarceration.
Alana was driven to establish Crossroads from her inspiration of family relationships to persevere through adversity and her enthusiasm of adolescent mental health and development.
With her genuine warmth and attentiveness, Alana creates a bridge to connect with people of all ages. Alana encourages humour, creativity and self-expression.
Alana facilitates personal reflection and family reconnection by enabling clients to identify their strengths and find meaning in their experience at a pace that feels comfortable for each person.
As part of her clinical development, Alana has undertaken her own therapeutic process and is therefore familiar with the vulnerability that clients might experience in counselling. It is her appreciation of the client experience, together with and Alana’s empathy and humility, which enable her to walk alongside clients and families as they journey through challenging life transitions.
| Accreditations | Accredited Mental Health Social Worker. Accredited Advanced Social Worker |
| Qualifications | Masters of Social Work in Counselling. UNSW Bachelors of Social Work, UNSW |
| Publication | ‘Vicarious Resilience and Attachment Trauma’ was published with the International A-Class Journal of Social Work Practice in 2014. |
| Employment Contexts | Relationships Australia. Sydney Children’s Hospital. The Come In Youth Resource Centre. University of New South Wales. |
| Continuing Commitments | I continue to work as a Child and Family Therapist at Relationships Australia. I also tutor and mentor Indigenous Social Work students. |
| Favourite Past-times | Anything that involves laughter, chocolate, friends and family – ideally all at once! |
| Downtime activity | Yoga. I cherish it as a gift of giving time and attention back to myself. |