About Me:

Jacob has detailed educational study and experience in community services, youth work, leadership, life coaching and more.

He has worked for many years with troubled youth who experienced childhood trauma, before managing the operations of an organisation in this space for many years. After this, he spent a small stint as a Behaviour Support Practitioner before opening Shift and Co.

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Focus Statement:

Jacob is passionate about helping those who struggle to navigate through difficult situations in their lives, lack of personal direction, and those with anxiety or ADHD. He also loves helping people to connect with others when they struggle to socialise.

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Hobbies and Interests:

• Philosophy

• Writing

• Music

• Sport

• Spending time with his two young children

• Adventures​

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About Me:

Benjamin is a caring and approachable male from Canberra. He has a large number of years of experience in people focused customer service. He has been able to use these experiences to build and perfect many skills such as compassion and communication. He strives to find a way to achieve his goals, even if he cannot see the answer immediately and enjoys helping others pursue this as well. Benjmain volunteers for a small country not for profit theatre and has an open-minded approach to life with a LBGTQIA+ background.

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Focus Statement:

Benjamin is a compassionate, caring and kind communicator who values honesty and integrity.

His strengths are guiding people who suffer from anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. He has great attention to detail and organisation skills. In addition to this, he is highly passionate about helping others, self-improvement, being supportive, and helping others to be their best selves.

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Hobbies and Interests:​

• Gym

• Nintendo

• Coffee & Cafes

• Shopping

• Traveling

• Yoga​

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About Me:

Kaitlin is a mother of two with extensive experience in administration support to a number of small and commercial-sized businesses.

With her welcoming attitude and knowledgable background, she is able to assist in all facets of Shift and Co's operations.

Combining her compassion for helping others with her expertise in administration, Kaitlin is an effective part of our team.

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Hobbies and Interests:

• Spending time with her kids

• Crocheting

• Learning new things

• Traveling

• And of course a little bit of Mario Bro'​​

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Making on Ngunnawal, Ngambri Country.

My core belief is that art should be accessible to all, and I've had the great privilege of professionally collaborating with artists with diverse abilities in accessible studios for the past 8 years.

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As an art mentor, I believe there is just as much art in the exchange, process, collaboration, providing access to and noticing art in everyday life as there is in the material evidence of art making.

My personal practice is informed by my studies in visual art, visual culture, art history and reflects my place in the world as a woman.

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My passions are exploring and skill sharing in a wide array of different mediums and holding a space to develop interpersonal skills and personal reflection. 

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Sally is a passionate and wholehearted person fostering a safe and supportive space for healing and personal growth.

Prior to graduating from the College of Complementary Medicine and becoming a creative therapist, Sally worked as a Disability Support Worker, helping clients achieve their goals across a variety of settings.

Sally adopts a Transpersonal approach, which translates to 'moving beyond the mask.' In this way, working transpersonally means venturing beyond the surface and considering the whole person.

Having experienced the value of transpersonal explorations and resources in her own life, Sally now companions others on their journeys.  

 

"Like curious explorers, we rediscover the various layers and parts of self, integrating these together in a process of self-realisation and affirmation."

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About Me:

Shania relocated to Canberra for a change and has managed to make the ACT her home. Her passion is helping others both humans and animals in any way that she can.

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Focus Statement:

Using her varied background and love for gaming/anime, Shania is able to ensure that the experience she is offering is not only fun but suited to the person she is working with. She believes in helping others and to always show kindness and patience to those around her.

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Hobbies and Interests:

• Caring for animals

• Dungeons and Dragons

• Anime

• Gaming

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About Me:

Born and raised in Canberra, Damian spent his childhood playing Pokemon and D&D before developing a keen interest in the arts in high-school. 

He has an Advanced Diploma of Music, teaches guitar and was deeply involved in Canberra's improvised theatre scene until 2020. After lockdown his interest in music, improv and D&D culminated in the Surrealia podcast. An interest in turning D&D into a career brought him to Shift & Co. to pioneer the Dining With Dragons program.

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Focus Statement:

Damian believes that storytelling is an enriching experience and that a lot of great work can be done in fantasy role-play; exploration of identity, facing overwhelming challenges, exploring our definitions of reality. Folklore and myth have always been our way of putting a chaotic and confusing world into a skin that we can relate to. In this way fantasy offers not just an escape, but a way for those who are ready to confront the challenges that face them in a safe environment.

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Hobbies and Interests:

• Pokemon

• Dungeons and Dragons

• The arts

• Music​

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About Me:

Ross has spent almost 15 years practicing as a physiotherapist. Through this time Ross has worked with a hugely diverse range of clients from a wide range of backgrounds.

This, along with his interests and further study in the philosophy of mind has led him to become a strong advocate for understanding the importance of a person’s biopsychosocial situation and how the greater social environment that we all find ourselves in impacts and creates feedback loops both for us as individuals and for the society that we live in.

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Focus Statement:

Ross is committed to helping people explore and address their life experiences with a strong emphasis on understanding the bigger picture, but also with an emphasis on taking responsibility and control of the small everyday actions that form the building blocks of personal and environmental/societal change.

He loves exploring ideas with his clients, helping them discover their values and strengths, and assisting them in putting in place small, actionable habits that build towards their value-driven goals.

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Hobbies and Interests:

• Reading too much (especially philosophy, physiology, and science-fiction)

• Running (too little!)

• Hiking and camping

• Meditation and Mindfulness

• Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer 40K

• Drinking too much coffee

• Being run ragged playing with his son (see coffee above)

About Me:

Oskar’s explorative nature has led to a wide range of experience in economy, education and healthcare. He has felt the impact of mental health issues on some of his dearest friends and himself. Having made substantial progress, he recently took a leap and left the comfort zone of his job, social network, and home in Germany to move in with his fiancée in Canberra and pursue his passion for working in mental healthcare by doing his Masters in Clinical Psychology, and helping people make a shift in their own lives as a Mentor.

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Focus Statement:

Oskar believes in the power of individuality and is passionate about helping people become the main characters of their own lives. By attaining awareness of how we’re shaped by our own sociocultural environment, we gain intrinsic perspective on our strengths and develop the courage to be who we are.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

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Hobbies and Interests:

• Reading and writing about philosophy, Sci-Fi and fantasy

• Outdoor sports like running, hiking and snowboarding

• Building, painting and playing all Warhammer settings

• Playing guitar and making music with Ableton

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About Me:

Phillip is warm and enthusiastic, with an honest and keen interest in the lives and endeavours of the people he meets. Having spent the last decade as a music teacher, he has now moved to Canberra to further his love for helping people through a Masters of Professional Psychology. When he is not studying, he can be found enjoying outdoor adventures with his dog (Maggie), painting, cooking, or staring at the surf forecast in hopes of decent swell along the south coast. 

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Focus Statement:

Phillip believes that people are brilliant, and that taking time to learn about someone is time well spent. Advocating for the individual's strengths, celebrating progress, and being a source of steadfast support is the pedagogy of Phillip's mentoring - all while leaning on his long career as a teacher to shape useful, scalable, and approachable goals. He aims to be a consistent force of encouragement to those around him, and wouldn't have it any other way.

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Hobbies and Interests:

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• Playing sports (any and all!)

• Surfing, camping, and hiking

• D.I.Y

• Warhammer Fantasy

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About Me:

Michael is creative and thoughtful, with a passion for helping others grow through connection and imagination. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Canberra and has over twelve years of karate experience, having earned his black belt and taught classes that focus on discipline, confidence, and respect. As a Support Worker, he helps clients build independence, confidence, and meaningful life skills. As a Dungeon Master, he designs original adventures and game mechanics that allow players to engage as a team and feel truly invested in the story whether through collaborative problem-solving or cinematic combat moments.

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Focus Statement:

Michael believes that creativity is one of the most powerful ways to build confidence and connection. Through fantasy role-play, he helps players explore teamwork, imagination, and self-expression in a fun and supportive environment. His goal is to make every game an opportunity for growth whether that’s through laughter, shared discovery, or uncovering new strengths.

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Hobbies and Interests:

• Video Games

• Karate/boxing

• Dungeons and Dragons

• Running

• Watching or reading anything Marvel​

About Me:

Lachlan is a local Canberra man offering support mentoring in our group programs. Lachlan has dealt with various mental health issues throughout his life, and uses those experiences to better understand other people's own challenges and motivations.

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Focus Statement:

Lachlan tries to view people in a positive light and encourage them to achieve things in their own life, even if they are just small accomplishments. Failure is better than not having tried at all.

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Hobbies and Interests:

• Ancient history, Hellenistic sucessor states

• Miniatures and painting

• Table top games

• Video games

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About Me:

Robin is a creative and passionate young person who has a wealth of experience in a wide range of areas. Working in education and support as well as within drama teaching, Robin has worked with people from all walks of life.

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Focus Statement:

Robin prides herself on creating a safe place where people can express themselves and build confidence. She use their experience as a mentor, student social worker, and game designer to connect with a wide diversity of people and assist them with growing their sense of self. 

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Hobbies and Interests:

• Learning to play guitar

• Gymnastics

• Astronomy

• Reading​

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About Me:

Patrick is a young male living in the Canberra region.
Using his own experiences in mental health and neurodivergence, Patrick has expanded on his passion for helping others with formal education.
Pat has a warm personality and is easy to build and maintain relationships with.

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Focus Statement:

Patrick’s interest is being able to help others in any way that he can. His passion is around mental health, assisting people in developing the skills needed around their own mental health and also recovering from various mental health statuses.

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Hobbies and Interests:

• Video games

• Reading

• Learning new things​​​

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Matilda is a multidisciplinary artist, story teller, fashionista, advocate, living on Ngunnawal,
Ngambri Land.

 

Matilda is extraordinarily passionate about access and inclusion in the arts.

Coming from a place of lived experience, Matilda leads by example and is endlessly devoted to
empowering her peers.​

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