Meet Kelly Chen
My name is Kelly Chen. I am a PACFA Registered Counsellor and NDIS Advanced/Specialist Behaviour Support Practitioner with extensive experience supporting children and young people with disability and neurodivergence, in out-of-home care, including foster, kinship and residential care settings.A significant part of my work has involved supporting young people with complex trauma, neurodivergence and behaviours of concern, while working closely with residential care staff, foster and kinship carers, families, educators and multidisciplinary care teams. My previous leadership experience in trauma-focused therapeutic services has strongly shaped my practice and reinforced my belief that meaningful change is most effective when the adults and systems around a young person are supported alongside the young person themselves. My practice is trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming and relational, with a strong focus on practical, sustainable support that can be carried into everyday environments.
Qualifications
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Master of Counselling
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Master of Business Administration
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Master of Marketing
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PACFA Registered Counsellor
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NDIS Advanced/Specialist Behaviour Support Practitioner
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Approved Service Provider – Victim Support ACT
Professional Training & Certifications
My ongoing professional development includes training in areas relevant to trauma, neurodivergence, relationships and Positive Behaviour Support, including:
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Intensive Trauma Treatment and foundational EMDR skills training
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Gottman Method Couples Therapy – Level 2
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SoSAFE! Program
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Behaviour Technician training
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Training in oppositional, defiant and disruptive behaviours
Outside of my professional role, I’m a parent of neurodivergent children, which has given me a strong appreciation of the realities families face beyond what is written in textbooks or support plans. Therefore, I value practical, realistic strategies that can be carried into everyday life, and this perspective continues to shape the way I work with children, young people, families and support teams. Outside work, I enjoy being active, spending time in nature, travelling, dancing and going to the gym.
Therapeutic Approach
My therapeutic approach is trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming, relational and person-centred. I recognise that each person's experiences, relationships, communication style, environment and nervous system can influence how they feel, cope and respond to the world around them.
Rather than using a one-size-fits-all model, I take an integrative approach, drawing on different therapeutic frameworks according to the person's age, developmental needs, strengths, preferences and goals. These may include attachment and emotion-focused approaches, CBT, ACT, DBT-informed strategies, play-based approaches, psychoeducation, developmental theory, and an understanding of regulation and co-regulation.
When working with children and young people, I also take a systemic perspective. Children do not develop or experience difficulties in isolation, and meaningful change is often supported by the relationships and environments around them. Where appropriate, therapeutic support may therefore include dedicated sessions with parents or carers, joint work, and collaboration with other important people in the child's support network.
For younger children in particular, supporting parents and carers to better understand the child's emotional, developmental and regulation needs is an important part of the therapeutic process. With older children and young people, the balance between individual therapy and carer involvement is tailored to their age, needs, preferences, privacy and growing autonomy.
My aim is to create a safe and respectful therapeutic space while also helping translate what is learned in sessions into practical, sustainable changes in everyday life.