Gayle Cullinan

For over 14 years, Gayle Cullinan has been involved in pioneering counselling programmes which focus on occupational and traumatic stress issues experienced by emergency service personnel, such as fire, ambulance, disaster rescue volunteers and helicopter rescue services, throughout Queensland.

Since 1992, Gayle has been State Coordinator of support services for the Queensland Department Emergency Services. This role has coincided with international experience with the New York Fire Department and Emergency Medical Service, Boston Police Support Unit and other American agencies.She has also participated in International professional traumatic stress delegations to South Africa, Vietnam, the Middle East and Russia.

Gayle's successful Social Work career is the realisation of a long held dream: "Social Work was something that I just knew I had wanted to do since about grade 10. I had an embryonic sense of social justice and wanted to contribute in some meaningful way to helping people with their lives (whatever I thought that meant back then )," she said.

Gayle said her role as State Coordinator of staff support services involved development and implementation of plans, policies and procedures for comprehensive and confidential staff counselling services, development and delivery of a variety of training courses, development of programme materials including manuals, promotional material addressing the unique needs of rural and remote workers and the development of a team of counsellors statewide."

For the past 4 years Gayle has also had a part-time psychotherapy practice. " Now my role as a private practitioner and corporate consultant involves servicing the needs of a diverse clientele. I conduct many training workshops, and supervise a number of other practitioners." Gayle said the most gratifying part of her job was that: " I have been able to positively influence the lives of many people in a balanced and professional way.

I am proud of my part in pioneering the emergency services programme, a service which people now can't imagine being without." Gayle is now concentrating on her private psychotherapy and consultancy practice which provides employee assistance, training and counselling.
 

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