The Leadership Team

​At The Wellness Initiative, our leadership and services are deeply rooted in lived experience. Being a lived experience provider means we understand mental health challenges on a personal level, not just theoretically. This unique perspective fosters empathy, authenticity, and trust, creating a safe and relatable space for those we support. With lived experience guiding us from the top down, we ensure that every aspect of our work is driven by real understanding and a genuine commitment to empowering others on their journey.

Kirstie & Marie

Founders / Directors

(She/her & She/her)
Hi! We’re Marie and Kirstie, the proud Founders of The Wellness Initiative, launched in 2018—a true passion project that continues to inspire us every day.

 With backgrounds in psychology, mental health support work, peer supervision, and coordination, we believed that there was a type of service missing in the Western Australian landscape - Lived Experience Work!

When the opportunity arose to step out of our comfort zones and start an organisation together, it felt simultaneously terrifying and absolutely right. Through connecting with others, learning from their experiences, and discovering wellness strategies along the way, we’ve both grown—finding our courage, our purpose, and ourselves.

​At its core, The Wellness Initiative is about fostering peer connection. It’s built on the belief that nothing beats the power of sharing, understanding, and inspiring one another to thrive.

Did you know that Kirstie can also provide Peer Supervision and/or Consultation to anyone interested in developing Peer Programs?

Milly 

Peer Program Manager

(She/her)
Hi, I'm Milly, the Program Manager at The Wellness Initiative.

I'm here to help you connect with our exceptional services and staff. I also oversee our student program and am passionate about creating workforce opportunities for lived experience professionals.

The peer movement is close to my heart, and I'm dedicated to seeing us all thrive together. I bring my own lived experience of post-traumatic growth to this role. I'm passionate about the wellness tools that have supported my own mental health journey over many years.

Creative expression, through poetry, art, music, and writing, is deeply important to me, as is spending time in nature with my dog, Bean. With over a decade of experience in the community services sector, I've worked across a range of areas, including mental health, disability services, housing and homelessness, safety and assessment, family services, peer support, and recreation for wellness.

I specialize in traumatology and trauma recovery, and I find the Peer Program at The Wellness Initiative supports empowerment, trauma-informed practice, authentic connections, and unconditional positive regard as people lean into vulnerability and explore recovery together. I hope your experience with us is empowering and supportive, and I look forward to welcoming you into the Peer Program at TWI.

Did you know that Milly also facilitates our Trauma Aware Care training and can provide Peer Supervision to workers in the industry?

Our Background Support Team

​Our leadership team believes in the strength of collaboration, and we couldn't do what we do without every member of our team. Each individual is a vital part of our organisation, bringing their own lived experiences and unique perspectives to make The Wellness Initiative truly impactful. The following people provide support in the background to make this all possible!

Jayde

Book Keeping & Admin Extraordinaire! 
​(She/Her)
​I've been working at The Wellness Initiative since December last year 2021. TWI is unlike anywhere I've worked before and I'm so excited to be working with an organisation who is so passionate about wellness and recovery. ​

Through my own wellness journey, I understand that everyone's path is unique and I'm naturally interested and empathetic to others and listen with open mind and heart. 

​Work aside, I really enjoy trying new things and exploring new places to visit. I'm trying to up my fitness recently and enjoy all outdoor activities, especially anything to do with the water. I'm naturally a social person and I'm my happiest when feeling connected to others.

Carol 

Feedback Facilitator
(She/Her)
Hello, my name is Carol  and being the Feedback Facilitator at The Wellness Initiative is one of the roles I enjoy here. This work brings me so much joy as I love to help people in any way I can. 

When not working for TWI, I enjoy being a mum to my two beautiful grown up daughters. My hobbies are walking, cooking, reading and meditating. I have been facilitating meditation and self help workshops for around 20 years . I found many years ago that learning to breathe and meditate helped me to balance my mental health and wellbeing.

These tools have become a very big part of who I am and are part of my every day wellbeing plan. Being introduced to WRAP through The Wellness Initiative, has made a significant difference in my life, and I now realise what triggers me to recluse into myself.

For the past two years I feel more calm and relaxed and I am enjoying every aspect of my life. I love being a student at the school of life. The journey has led to me being much wiser and so grateful to learn more each day.

​Other than providing Feedback Facilitation, I also provide Peer Support Work.

Did you know that Carol also provides Peer Support Work and facilitates our mindfulness sessions?

Our Team of Frontline Lived Experience Professionals

Our direct support team is at the heart of what we do, building meaningful connections with every client they work with. With their own lived experiences as a foundation, they offer empathetic, hands-on guidance to help clients navigate their mental health journey.

Mental Health Peer Support Specialists 
​Perth and surrounds | WA

Community.   Growth.   Heart.   Kindness.   Personal Choice.   Sincerity.   The Lived Experience.

We hope you find your people here.

Email
​info@wellnessinitiative.com.au
​Phone
​0478 511 825
thewellnessinitiativeAU
@thewellnessinitiativeau
We are a proud West Australian Association of Mental Health member