Mark Vicars is a Professor in the College of Arts and Education and Research Fellow in the Institute Sustainable and Liveable Cities of Australia at Victoria University Melbourne. He is Honorary Adjunct Professor, School of Education, Hull University, UK and the Institute Languages and Cultures of Asia (RILCA) Mahidol University, Thailand and Department of English, Arts & Commerce, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India. He is Lead Editor of Qualitative Research Journal and Series Editor of Global Perspectives on Adolescence and Education, Springer.

Kirra Greaves (she/her) is the Education Sector Lead at Orygen, Australia’s National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health. Kirra is a career practitioner and teacher with a decade of experience in the education sector, mostly working in flexible and inclusive education settings.

Tyneele is a Clinical Lead and Occupational Therapist at Eli's Place Allied Health. Tyneele is passionate about working in paediatrics, with children and their families; and has an interest in trauma-informed practice, and neuro-affirming practice. Tyneele has completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, and Masters of Autism Studies at Griffith University.

Ms Christine Armarego is the Director of Operations for The Flourish Movement (partnering with Deakin University) since its inception in 2016. She is a key author in 2025 National research project on Secondary Traumatic Stress in Australian Educators with Dr Adam Fraser and Dr John Molineux (Deakin University). She oversaw the research liaison and reporting, led sections of data analysis and write up. She has a background in both education (Grad Diploma of Education) and in research having completed Masters by thesis and working with Dr Fraser in research driven work for the last 20 years.

Rebecca Moffat is a lecturer and program director in teacher education at Alphacrucis University College and a Doctor of Education candidate at Queensland University of Technology. Her research explores how early-career teachers interpret trauma-aware professional learning and how these experiences shape their developing professional identity, beliefs, and classroom practice. With a particular interest in teacher mindset formation, educator wellbeing, and the relational complexities of contemporary classrooms, Rebecca’s work examines the cognitive, emotional, and professional demands associated with trauma-aware education. Drawing on extensive experience across mainstream and specialist educational contexts, she is passionate about supporting teachers to navigate complexity with confidence and sustainability. Her broader professional interests include teacher development, reflective practice, and fostering learning environments that support safety, belonging, and engagement.

Laura is an occupational therapist with extensive experience working across education, community, and youth settings, supporting children, families, and professionals navigating complexity, trauma, and neurodiversity. She has worked closely with organisations including the YMCA, where her practice focused on supporting educators and teams to better understand behaviour, regulation, and participation within high-demand environments. Alongside her clinical occupational therapy work, Laura is the founder of RISE, a nervous system literacy framework designed to support educators and organisations to move beyond trauma awareness and into sustainable, trauma-aware practice. Her work bridges neuroscience, occupational therapy, and real-world implementation, with a strong emphasis on reducing educator load, preventing escalation, and building systems that support consistency and well-being. Laura’s approach is practical, compassionate, and systems-focused, grounded in the belief that lasting change occurs when adults are supported to accurately read nervous system state before responding.

Dr Bennetts works at the intersection of community engagement, mental health, and systems thinking, with a strong commitment to trauma-informed, inclusive, and sustainable approaches to care. As a Lived Experience Research Fellow, she combines community-based systems thinking with lived experience expertise to improve how healthcare services understand and support people experiencing eating disorders. Her PhD focused on embedding systems thinking and co-design principles in mental health services to better reflect community needs. With more than a decade of experience as a nationally accredited podiatrist, Stephanie brings a grounded clinical perspective to mental health system improvement, trauma-informed practice, and health professional education. She applies an intersectional feminist lens across her work, centring power, identity, and lived experience, and is passionate about supporting future health professionals to practise in equitable, community-responsive, and leadership-oriented ways

Dr Lynette Longaretti is a Senior Lecturer in Education (Pedagogy and Curriculum) in the School of Education at Deakin University, Australia. With over 35 years of experience across primary and higher education, her work is driven by a commitment to educational equity, inclusion, wellbeing, and high-quality teacher preparation. Before entering academia, Lynette spent 13 years teaching and leading in Victorian primary schools, primarily in low socio-economic communities. She has since spent more than two decades contributing to teacher education through teaching, leadership, curriculum renewal, and research. Her research explores how Initial Teacher Education can prepare teachers to create inclusive, supportive, and engaging learning environments for diverse learners. Drawing on strengths-based, relational and trauma informed approaches, her work focuses on teacher and student wellbeing, educational resilience, student voice, and evidence-informed practices that promote belonging, participation, and success.

trevor buckingham is the head of engagement for middle school at balmoral state high school in brisbane and a postgraduate student at queensland university of technology, completing a master of trauma-aware education and an mba. his work focuses on the connection between behaviour and student engagement, with a particular interest in how trauma-aware practice can be embedded in secondary school settings in ways that are practical and sustainable for staff. trevor has led initiatives that strengthen relational practice, improve consistency in responses to behaviour, and support staff wellbeing through structured professional learning. his current work involves designing and implementing a trauma-aware professional learning framework that builds shared language, supports reflective practice, and enhances student engagement across the school.

Dr Osenk is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and lecturer at Flinders University, holding appointments in the College of Medicine and Public Health and the College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work. She is responsible for the coordination, teaching, and clinical supervision of postgraduate counselling students, with her current research focused on the development and evaluation of trauma-informed frameworks in youth populations. Her work in trauma-informed education is exemplified by collaborating on the Trauma Aware School Village — a co-designed, whole-of-school program supporting students, educators, and caregivers in South Australian primary schools. With extensive experience delivering psychological interventions across public, private, and NGO settings, she brings both clinical and research expertise to her work with young people. She has published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at domestic and international conferences, and contributed to book chapters and media. She also maintains a private practice specialising in eating disorder treatment.

Rebecca De Laine is the Head of Wellbeing Counselling at St. Joseph’s Institution International in Singapore, leading a team of mental health practitioners in a culturally diverse international setting. With over fifteen years’ experience as a school counsellor and more than eighteen years in education, she has worked across varied educational and safeguarding landscapes, from remote Indigenous communities in Australia to metropolitan, government, Catholic, independent, and international schools both in Australia and overseas. Rebecca has held roles including Classroom Teacher, Head of Department, Guidance Officer, School Counsellor, and Designated Safeguarding Lead, supporting multidisciplinary teams to strengthen trauma-informed safeguarding systems across complex cultural and socio-economic contexts. She holds a Bachelor of Education (Secondary), a Master of Education (Guidance and Counselling), and a Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Management. Rebecca is committed to culturally responsive, attachment-informed practice that recognises both visible and hidden forms of relational trauma. Cara Lucas is the Lead Counsellor at the German European School Singapore, with over fifteen years of clinical experience across educational settings in Singapore and Australia. She has held key roles including School Psychologist, Designated Safeguarding Lead, and Consulting Psychologist in private practice, bringing extensive expertise in safeguarding from prevention through to complex response and case management. Cara works at both strategic and operational levels, leading the development and implementation of whole-school wellbeing and safeguarding frameworks spanning early years to senior school. Her experience includes policy development, staff training, risk assessment, crisis response, and multidisciplinary coordination to ensure safe, responsive systems of care. A strong advocate for students with diverse and complex needs, Cara prioritises collaborative, evidence-informed practice. She holds professional memberships with the Australian Psychological Society, the American Psychological Association, and is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

Jacqueline Dossetor; Early Childhood Educator at the Dalwood Spilstead Therapeutic Preschool. Previous research assistant and clinical assessor at the Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney. Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours. Currently completing phase 1 NM certification. Tania Husi; Early Childhood Teacher at the Dalwood Spilstead Therapeutic Preschool. Previous director of Only About Children, Mosman. Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood. Marte Meo Practitioner in professional work as early childhood teacher. Currently completing phase 1 NM certification. Alison Newman; Senior Teacher at the Dalwood Spilstead Therapeutic Preschool, registered Psychologist. Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood, Bachelor of Arts - Psychology with Honours, Post Graduate Certificate in Social Health, Certified Canine Assisted Therapist, Phase 1 NMT certification.

Narelle Drinkall is a Senior Occupational Therapist within the Department of Education Queensland, with over 25 years working across primary, secondary and special school settings. As part of a Student Support Engagement Team, they specialise in trauma-aware, relational approaches to student engagement, wellbeing, and inclusion. Kit Weeden is a Principal within the Department of Education Queensland. He has led his current school, Deception Bay State School since July 2023. His experience has involved consistently supporting students with complex needs and gifted learners within diverse communities. Kit’s leadership is deeply shaped by his personal and professional experiences. Growing up in a low socio-economic community in Tasmania, and now as a foster carer alongside his wife—welcoming 17 children through their home—he brings a strong relational and trauma-aware lens to his work. Kit is passionate about translating trauma-aware principles into practical, everyday school practices.

Toma is a Senior Social Worker & Ed-LinQ Coordinator with the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service. She has spent much of her career working at the intersection of child and youth mental health, education, and community, with a strong interest in prevention, early intervention, and supporting the adults around young people to notice concerns early. Toma has worked across Far North Queensland in a range of roles, including with Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS), and brings a grounded understanding of the realities schools and families face in regional and rural communities. In her current role, Toma focuses on strengthening relationships and shared understanding between schools, health, and community services, helping create clearer, more connected pathways of support for children and young people. Ayu is a senior speech pathologist who now works as an Ed‑LinQ Coordinator with the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service. With a Master of Public Health, she brings a passion for supporting child and adolescent mental health and helping identify concerns early and proactively so young people can thrive. She has spent several years working across Far North Queensland in roles with Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS) and the Queensland Department of Education, giving her a deep understanding of the communities she serves. In her current role, Ayu draws on her combined experience in education and mental health to strengthen the connections between schools and mental health services, making it easier for students to access the support they need.