Meet Amy McGinn from Breath Mediation and Counselling

One of my favourite things to do is to showcase amazing people who are on this journey with me. I am passionate about creating a team and working collaboratively to help separated families. Amy McGinn at Breath Mediation and Counselling is one of these people. So that you can get to know her better too, I asked her a couple of questions:

Tell me a little about yourself?

I often shy away from this question as the work I do is about others.  Talking about self does not come naturally. What I can share  with you is that I absolutely detest washing salad leaves, ironing and unstacking the dishwasher.  I love swimming in the ocean, embarrassing my son and generally I just love the company of others. My family are my world, my everything. Lock down during COVID has been tough for me.  I have felt anxiety of the unknown as I worry about all those I love and care about.  During this time I have fallen on my own words to create calm in self by simply being present, listening and continuing to spread kindness each day.

What do you do at Breath Mediation?

BREATH is all about reducing the weight and pressure on families as they work through the issues that often sit alongside of separation. Children are often caught in the crossfire despite parents not wanting this to occur.  Conducting mediations for separating families and children is at the core of my business and it is where my expertise shines.  Separation rarely stands alone as one issue.  It is important to recognise that grief, trauma, and the surfacing of other issues can often present during this time.  We as humans are often in a rush to get to X even if we don’t know what X will look like.  Combining my skills in the therapeutic space and the mediation space creates a gentle calm and confidence for families.  Every family at BREATH matters, as every family is travelling its own journey.  To be honest, no one wants to walk around feeling the way they do when they first make contact.  Seeing clients leave feeling a little lighter, with direction and a plan that can be reviewed as often as they choose creates an open and honest pathway ahead. 

 Can you tell me in a few sentences what “Child Informed Practice” is and how you think this will benefit my families?

Also known as CIP, this is a practice designed to support children and assist parents in how they can listen to what it is like for their child/ren at this current time.  Change can be tricky for anyone to manage however for children it is particularly difficult as they will never understand the complexity of adult relationships; nor do we want them to, as it is optimal for children to simply enjoy life without worry or concern.  As adults we can sometimes forget that it is hard work growing, we can also forget to sensor conversations or simply not have them when children are present. CIP provides an opportunity for child who is five years and older to have a voice.

I spend time drawing, playing, and talking with the child/ren. The child/ren are never put in a position where they feel pressured to answer any given question or to answer a question in a particular way. They are not asked to make decisions or to experience the feeling of having to choose between their parents. They are simply given the opportunity to talk about and/or show ‘what it is like to be me, in my life, at this point in time’.

On a separate day I will talk with the parents and solicitors (if involved in the matter) about how the child/ren are doing and what their needs are at this point in their development by presenting my observations and recommendations to assist in how they are to reach parenting agreements.  This process is far more effective that the 11F short form report as the parents are present and are part of the feedback session, unlike the 11F when they are simply sent a report.

 If you had one message for newly separated parents, what would that be?

How you feel now, is not how you are always going to feel.  Allow yourself to have those thoughts of unease, to feel the loss, to feel the concern and worry, however it is about how you manage those thoughts in a way that is healthy. And how I support you with this to keep you and your children safe and most importantly empower you to make the decisions ahead.

If you want to get in contact with Amy you can contact her on amy@breathmediation.com or 0410481802.