Our Team
Meet a few of our team members
All of Instinct Au's practitioners are registered with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as a Behaviour Support Practitioner. However, as we actively and very passionately reject Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) in all it's forms, most will find the way we do things to be different to typical behaviour support.
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Throughout our website we refer to our Behaviour Support Practitioners as Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioners, as this is what we work towards achieveing with our clients.​​​
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Our practitioners have a diverse range of experience and qualifications such as Reframing Autism's certificate in Autistic Wellbeing and multiple bachelor's and/or master's degrees in various fields. Some of our practitioner are also still on their learning journey, and as such, are supervised by a suitably qualified Supervising Practitioner.
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We legislatively have to refer to the plans our practitioners develop as Positive Behaviour Support Plan's and the assessments we conduct as Functional Behaviour Assessments, however, we do not practice ABA in any form and actively reject any practice utilising ABA strategies.
Please see more information about the language we use.
Developmental Educator & Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
Tara Kent has been working in the education, community services and justice sector for over 20 years. Tara is multiply qualified in Education, Human Services, and Law. She has been the Director of Instinct AU (Instinct CBT) since it's commencement in 2001 and has been steadily helping it grow as she advanced her skills in many other roles. Tara is a NON-ABA Practitioner and instead uses sensory-based and brain-based strategies including Dr Ross Greene's Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (DPS), Dr Siegel's 'whole-brain learning' and implements strategies conducive with the bottom-up and top-do approaches endorsed by Mona Delahooke.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
My neurodivergent affirming journey can be summarized by the fact that I spent 2 days straight with little sleep and not a lot of social interaction hyperfocusing on what hyperfocus looks like in woman over 30. Helping people navigate the ‘why’ from a neurodivergent foundation and exploring ways to support growth and build autonomy, is what keeps my passion burning.
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It’s so cliché for a behaviour practitioner to say that my long-term passion is understanding behaviour - but it really is. I like figuring out what makes people tick and why people react in different ways. I’ve always had a knack for seeing patterns. There is a running joke in my house that I can call the plot twist in most movies within the first 5 minutes. I also have a Bachelor of Behavioural Studies.
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Currently my personal hyperfocus is finding the perfect fidget set. Fidgets are a great ice breaker, but also give us an idea of sensory preference. I’m trying to build a collection with enough choices that everyone can pick from - but also that I can play with at my desk to help keep me focused. My biggest strategy for self-regulation is making sure I’m meeting my sensory needs throughout the day. For me that looks like lots of loud baseline music, chewy lollies, peppermint oil in my diffuser and having a sharp or scratchy fidget close by. I also use mindfulness colouring as a form of meditation, and I love Ice therapy when I’m brave enough to do it.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I've always been passionate about supporting others and understanding what people experience that leads them to do things. This passion grew after I began to explore the work of Dr Dan Siegal, Dr Ross Greene, Mona Delahooke, Alfie Kohn, and so many more. My focus then narrowed to the neurodivergent community after discovering my own neurotype as Autistic and ADHD. I love being able to work from a neurodivergent-affirming and trauma informed lens to help families and support people understand a person differently and work towards providing the person with what they truly need to feel safe and live their life the way they want to live it. I have a keen interest in neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology and also love being able to use this in my work.
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​Now, I have completed some of the training available from Dr Ross Greene, have a Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies, and am currently completing my Masters Degree in Autism. I am also one of the two directors of Instinct Au and have an amazingly brilliant autistic 3 year old boy.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I realised my passion for working with neurodivergent people when my own children were diagnosed as Autistic and ADHD. Following the advice of many medical professionals, I went down the path of ABA which I soon realised was not helpful for, and actively rejected by the autistic community. This realisation brought about years of research and learning about neurodivergent-affirming and sensory based practices.
I look forward to continuing this journey and furthering my professional development with the team at Instinct Au and supporting people to be their authentic selves.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
Having worked in the Community Services sector for many years, I am passionate about providing trauma-informed and neurodivergent-affirming services. Working with Instinct Au is amazing, as it allows me to work with awesome humans in a collaborative way to best identify and address their needs.
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I am very excited about expanding my professional development further with Instinct so that I can continue to work with individuals and their families in the most supportive way possible and keep providing education about neurodiversity.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I am a Senior Behaviour Support Practitioner at Instinct AU. Currently I am studying a Masters in Social Work, having previously studied toward a Graduate Diploma in Psychology, and hold a Master of Arts in Communication. Prior to moving into the Disability sector, I spent 20 years in research (having specialised in Qualitative Research) and in communications in very senior corporate roles. My own journey as a member of a multiply neurodivergent family and parent of a multiply neurodivergent child led me to undertake training in ND-affirming practice.
I have attended in-person training with Dr Ross Greene as well as multiple professional training courses in neurobiologically-informed and trauma-informed approaches to support. Like all IAU practitioners, I am against the use of ABA in behaviour support and committed to approaches that prioritise the voices and lived experiences of the neurodivergent community – most importantly, the participant at the centre of the support.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I have always been deeply curious about human experience and what makes us unique. This innate curiosity led me to pursue psychology academically, completing a Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology), a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Psychology) (Honours), and now completing a Master’s in Clinical Psychology.
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At Instinct Au, I have the privilege of collaborating with incredible individuals to understand and meet their needs. I am passionate about using sensory-based and brain-based integration strategies, informed by leaders like Dr. Ross Greene, to help families and support networks understand the individual experience, collaboratively working towards creating environments where the individual feels safe and empowered to live authentically.
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I have a keen interest in neuroscience and neurobiology, and I love translating these insights into practical strategies in my work. Every day, I am motivated by the incredible people I work with and by my brilliant 4-year-old son, who continually reminds me of the beauty in seeing the world through a neurodivergent lens.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Master's degree in Social Work. I've worked as a clinician, group facilitator, and support worker in the community and disability sector. I'm passionate about working with children and adolescents. At Instinct Au I work as a tecAntz Specialist Behaviour Practitioner. My role is to empower young people to live their best lives and “Find their tribe” through neurodivergent affirming practices, sensory-based and brain-based integration strategies developed by Dr. Ross Greene and others. I feel very privileged to work alongside a dedicated team committed to ensuring our clients and their families are well supported. It's an exciting time to be a part of the Instinct Au team.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
My background is in Psychology and I have experience working both in the Disability and Education sectors. After becoming a parent, my interest in assisting children with meeting their needs grew considerably so I started researching strategies to better support them and their families. I became a huge fan of the work of Dr. Ross Greene, Gregory Santucci and Mona Delahooke, deepening my knowledge in sensory and brain-based strategies. I am excited to be part of the team at Instinct Au and be able to provide trauma-informed and neurodivergent affirming strategies. I’m looking forward to assisting clients throughout their journey and to offer educational support to the wider community.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I have worked in the community sector for over 14 years, driven by a passion for supporting others, understanding the experiences that shape their actions, and empowering people. Throughout my career, I have held various roles, and in the last two years, I have developed a keen interest in neurodiversity-affirming practice.
At Instinct Au, I have found my tribe who have supported my development as a Senior Implementing Practitioner. I specialize in neurodivergent-affirming practices, utilizing sensory-based and brain-based strategies developed by Dr. Ross Greene. My goal is to help your loved ones, participants, families, and support teams to meet their needs effectively.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I'm a Mumma of an ND tribe of three boys. Through this my own ADHD 'self' diagnosis has become so obvious! We all have found our home in the broader ND Community and my youngest son, the Deaf community (he's hearing but Auslan sign language is his first language).
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I have worked as an Educational Interpreter and Teacher Aid supporting deaf, deaf/blind and neurodivergent students.
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My passion is people! I love people and understanding their back story, we all have one and loads of experiences that shape us. I love connecting people to other great people and supporting them to be their best!
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I'm a walker, I love to go walking to steal a little time for me (and the dog)! I also like to lose myself in a drama series, it empties my mind so I'm ready for the next thing. My happy place is near water, river, lake, stream, pool or sea, I find immersing myself in water absolutely regulating.
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I'm located in Brisbane West so tend to have clients from inner city to Ipswich, but also travel north, south and east!
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
When I moved to Brisbane 5 years ago a friend Suggested I should try support work as they thought I would be a good fit for the role, so I did, and then kept further developing my skills to help not only others but, myself and my ND Family.
I have now worked with Instinct Au since 2020 as a Support Worker and Therapy Assistant, and now as a Provisional Practitioner. People say that I am one of the most exceptional Practitioners Instinct AU has for Rejection Sensitive Participants and I'm amazing at helping people feel safe. I have a very calming and loving nature that allows me to make connections and allows others to feel safe and heard.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I believe that people are able to live their full potential, reach their goals and be happy, if quality, appropriate and timely support is provided.
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My friends would describe me as being responsible and approachable. I am honest and willing to provide a supporting hand to those who need it most.
My clients deserve the best possible outcomes, therefore I always make the effort to ensure that they achieve their goals.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I am passionate about empowering individuals and implementing neurodivergent-affirming strategies to help them thrive and embrace their authentic selves. As a member of the team at Instinct Au, I am eager to grow professionally while delivering compassionate, inclusive, and evidence-based support. With a Diploma in Mental Health and currently pursuing a Bachelor of Counselling, I am dedicated to continuous professional development. I am continually inspired by the individuals I work with, whose strength fuels my passion to keep making a difference, and I remain committed to furthering my professional growth to deliver the best service I can.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I have gone through my entire schooling and early adult life undiagnosed. It wasn't until I sat down with an assessment form and chose a "doesn't everyone do this?" response, that was I able to recontextualise my understanding of Neurodivergence and myself. Better understand what was better for me.
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I have a strong desire to create spaces and communities that I never had access to growing up. Spaces where people can express and share their passions and find where they belong.
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My long-time hobby is collecting and painting Warhammer miniatures. Also, gaming or going for a walk with an audiobook can detangle a dysregulating day.
I provide service in the Gold Coast and Logan area.
Acceptance, Autonomy, and Authenticity Practitioner
I have worked in education for the last 20 years, as both a teacher and trainer/assessor, supporting children and adults. My goal has always been to empower individuals to embrace their strengths and be the best version of themselves.
As a proud Mum of four children, and through my teaching experiences, I bring personal insight and empathy to my practice, fostering understanding and connection with the people that I work with. I am excited to be working at Instinct Au, and I look forward to continuing to help individuals reach their potential while learning and growing with an incredible team!