Speakers' Biographies

Speakers' Biographies
Vincent Tan

Vincent Tan is a lawyer, mediator, and family dispute resolution practitioner (“FDRP”). Vincent has been a lawyer since 2008, mediator since 2015, a FDRP since 2016 and specialises in collaborative financial and parenting matters. Vincent has been a partner of Clairs Keeley since 2019 and graduated from the Oxford University Executive Leadership Program in 2021.

Vincent has a Masters in Law, as well as a Bachelor of Commerce specialising in International Finance. Vincent lectures in mediation and family dispute resolution at The University of Western Australia, Anglicare WA and Centrecare. He was rated by Doyles Guide as one of Western Australia’s Leading Family Law Mediators for 2023. 

Vincent has gained great satisfaction in helping clients navigate the difficulties of separation. His ability to understand the needs of a client quickly and compassionately, and work out practical, collaborative solutions has helped thousands of families across Australia in his career.   

Samantha Craig

Samantha Craig is a Senior Family Law Solicitor at Legal Aid WA. Samantha is most frequently appointed an Independent Children’s Lawyer for matters in the Family Court of WA. Samantha is also a Registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and enjoys chairing conferences at Legal Aid WA. 

Ella Hickman

Ella Hickman is the owner and Principal of Hickman Family Lawyers, a mid-size Family Law firm in Perth.  In the last 6 years, Ella has gone from being a sole practitioner, to running an incredibly busy team of 16 staff. 

Ella practices almost exclusively in family law and has a particular interest in parenting and children’s issues, matters arising from family violence in relationships, and property settlement cases. Ella has represented countless clients in the Family Court of Western Australia, together with the Magistrates Court jurisdiction for Restraining Orders. 

Ella is results driven, and her practice has a real emphasis on mediation and alternative dispute resolution, to assist clients to resolve their matters as quickly and cost effectively as possible. 

Dr Julia K. Moore

Dr Julia K. Moore (who uses she/her pronouns) is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and has worked with the CAHS Gender Diversity Service, Perth Children's Hospital, since this specialist multidisciplinary statewide service was funded and established in 2015. Julie is proud to work with the team of nurses, psychologists, endocrinologists, fertility specialist, speech pathologist, research staff and administration team who make up the Gender Diversity Service or GDS.  Together with Professor Ashleigh Lin and colleagues from the Telethon Kids Institute, Julie has helped to develop the GENTLE cohort, of young people who have attended GDS who consent to participation in follow-up research, to help us understand more about the health and quality of life of trans young people, and over 260 young people have so far consented to participate. Julie is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and The Australian Professional Association for Trans Health, and tries hard to keep up with the research news from around the world. She also teaches psychiatry to medical students from the University of Western Australia and coordinates medical student placements in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Aarti Gupta

Aarti Gupta is the coordinator for the Respecting Boundaries and Parole in reach Program with Communicare. I am passionate about men’s behaviour change and the ability to implement change in people who choose to use violence. Together, we can help keep women and children safe.

Justice Gail Sutherland, Chief Judge, Family Court of Western Australia

Gail Sutherland attended the University of Western Australia and was admitted to practice in 1982. She practiced predominantly in family law, becoming an accredited family lawyer in 1994. In 2008 Gail joined the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia as a senior lecturer in its Articles Training Program.  

Gail joined the Family Court of Western Australia in 2009 as a Registrar. She was appointed as a Family Law Magistrate in 2010, as Principal Registrar/Senior Magistrate in 2017 and as a Judge in 2018. Gail was appointed as the Chief Judge of the Family Court of Western Australia in January 2019.

Katia Nadalin

Katia Nadalin is currently A/Managing Registrar of Registrar Services at Perth Magistrates Court. Katia completed her articles with Legal Aid WA, was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 2007 and continued working at Legal Aid WA for over a decade. Having worked in most areas across the organisation, including a 2-year stint in the Kalgoorlie regional office, Katia found her passion was working with victims of family and domestic violence in the Domestic Violence Legal Unit. Katia moved to the Women’s Resource and Engagement Network, working as a solicitor with female victims of FDV, and was the inaugural Health Justice Partnership Coordinator, laying the foundations for WREN’s affiliation with Joondalup Health Campus. Katia then commenced working at the Ombudsman of Western Australia as a senior investigating officer, conducting family and domestic violence fatality reviews. Following 5 years of fatality reviews, she returned to her roots at the courts in July 2021, as one of the first Family Violence Conciliation Registrars brought on board to conduct shuttle conferences in disputed Family Violence Restraining Order matters. 

Chimpo Bulawayo, Solicitor in Charge, Domestic Violence Legal Unit, Legal Aid WA

Chimpo started his legal profession at a generalist community legal centre in 2012 after his admission. He has worked in various legal areas of law, including criminal law, family law and family violence. In 2017 he joined Legal Aid WA’s specialist FDV legal team, the Domestic Violence Legal Unit. Chimpo has worked exclusively in this team, assisting clients with legal issues associated with family violence. Chimpo regularly appears in court for clients at all stages in the legal FDV journey, from seeking orders to representation at contested hearings. In addition to his legal work and managing DVLU, Chimpo undertakes law reform projects and assists in the drafting of legal FDV resources that are published on Legal Aid WA’s website.

Sue Nickisson

Sue Nickisson is the Family Safety Services lead with Communicare, and I oversee many of the behaviour change programs, including Respecting Boundaries. 

Whilst behaviour change is a relatively new field for me, keeping women and children safe is a long-standing passion and an area I have worked in for several years. Providing opportunities for people who chose to violence to change and to implement alternative strategies, is vital in ensuring everyone’s safety is prioritised. 

Cindy Cranswick - (M.Phil, B.Couns, MCOS, MACA)

Cindy is a registered Clinical Supervisor, Counsellor, Group Facilitator, Educator and Author. She is the founder and director of Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, a private practice offering supervision, professional development training, and counselling for individuals, couples, and families - https://www.changesforlife.com.au.  Cindy has dedicated her practice to improving the mental health and wellbeing of individuals and families in our community by supporting not only the clients, but also those in our community who offer family support services.  As a Clinical Supervisor, Cindy offers individual and group supervision to allied health professionals with a specific focus on the FDV sector.  She is trained in the Rise-Up, Reflective Practice and Safe and Together (FDV) models of supervision.  In her counselling practice Cindy draws on several theories including EFT (Emotion Focused Therapy), ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy), IFS (Internal Family Systems) and Compassion Focused Therapies.  Cindy’s academic research in Perinatal Mental Health and Self-compassion resulted in the publication of her book for mothers and caregivers called “Self-compassionate Motherhood” http://selfcompassionatemotherhood.com.au.  Cindy is also a founding board member of the newly established Emotional Intelligence Society of Australia, and she is actively promoting the importance of Emotional Intelligence in all aspects of people’s personal and professional lives - https://eisa.org.au.

Hunter Gurevich

Hunter is originally from Melbourne and has lived in London, Bangkok and Hobart before settling in Perth. He holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts, Majoring in Cultural Theory, a Master of Communications, and is currently in final year of Medicine. He has worked in communications in various capacities, including board member roles. Hunter is the chairperson of TransFolk of WA and would like to help the organisation grow to offer more quality support services and facilitate more communication and community for trans and non-binary people. Hunter is also passionate about ongoing education of clinicians and health professions in LGBTQIA+ healthcare. He would like to work towards a world where any LGBTQIA+ person can see any health professional and receive the care they need without fear of judgment or bigotry.

Ms Deanne Lightfoot

Ms Deanne Lightfoot is from Wongatha country outside of Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie) and the CEO for Aboriginal Interpreting WA(AIWA), a not-for-profit Aboriginal led and determined corporation established in 2000 to ensure Aboriginal language speakers have equal access to services and information. AIWA is governed by senior Aboriginal translators and interpreters, operates state wide, 24/7 servicing all departments and community organisations. Ms Lightfoot has 18 years’ experience supporting Aboriginal interpreting in the Kimberley and across Western Australia, encouraging the engagement of trained interpreters as the norm and not the exception. 

Working under the strong guidance of AIWA Directors, with the industry across service delivery, education, advocacy and policy, the organisation has helped bring the need for Aboriginal language Interpreters to the forefront of public policy. 

AIWA maintains the position that it is a basic human right for people to understand and be understood in their preferred language, whether that is a version of English, or a traditional mother tongue. Additionally, the organisation seeks to ensure all government messages and health and safety messaging available for English speakers, is available for Aboriginal language speakers e.g., Uluru Statement, Covid, Emergency Services and more recently The Voice. 

Ms Lightfoot is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and for the past 7 years since its inception, the WA representative on the National Indigenous Languages Interpreting Advisory Committee for the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. 

Meg Sanderson

Meg Sanderson, founder of Sonder & Co is a qualified Counsellor (Bsc. Counselling) and Mental Wellbeing Consultant.

With an ability to listen to and understand that each and every single one of us is living a life filled with our own chaos, Meg’s passion is to help others to own their story, re-author their story and continue to create a story that they want to live. Meg has extensive experience in dealing with individuals and their daily challenges and hopes to continue to empower others to connect to the core of who they really are. 

Offering counselling, wellbeing consults, and wellness workshops to those who may be seeking some extra support and guidance in life. Meg also teaches meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, and yoga classes at various studios in Perth, Western Australia.

Caroline Watt

Caroline is the Chief Executive Officer of Nulsen Disability Services, which includes the accommodation program supporting people with complex disability in more than 50 homes across the Perth metropolitan area, as well as Nursing, Nulsen Therapy, Participant Engagement and Rostering. Caroline also holds a committee position on the National Disability Services Western Australian Divisional State Committee.

Caroline is a dedicated human services professional with a long history in the human service sector. She has the ability to lead and manage multiple operational departments with a thorough understanding of the NDIA framework. Caroline holds an Advanced Certificate in Disability Studies, Associate Diploma Frontline Management, Diploma of Project Manager and is currently studying a Masters of Leadership. 

Caroline is skilled in coaching and mentoring, project management, budget management, strategic planning, consulting (including regional), customer service and clinical governance. 

Lauded achievements include winner of the WA Governance and Leadership Award 2013 for establishment of accommodation for YPIRAC residents in regional WA, winner of the 2017 BCD Scholarship for Not-for-Profit women in Leadership and member of The Executive Connection (CEO) 2020.

Nathaniel Taylor

Nathaniel Taylor (they/them) is a person with disabilities who works at one of Perth’s major hospitals in the work health safety and wellbeing department.  They previously co-ordinated a youth drop-in centre, and managed disability services for a university. 

Nathaniel holds a degree in behavioural science and has wide training experience across the health, NGO and education sectors.

 

Emma Gierschick OAM

Emma Gierschick OAM is tenacious & resilient. She speaks from the heart with confidence, raw honesty, insight & humour.

A recognised leader in the field of Natural Medicine, Emma switched focus lobbying State & Federal MP’s, Ministers & Commissioners to highlight the vulnerabilities of children with a disability facing family violence & the legal system. Her work led to being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2021. 

Emma has been the mum or step mum to six children, three of which have a permanent disability along with a case management background caring for children in out of home care. 

A survivor of extreme family violence & legal abuse, Emma successfully navigated 10 years of litigation, in the FCC, & Magistrates courts, granted sole custody & parental responsibility, VOCAT recognition for herself & her daughter & a 40yr IVO, all while simultaneously fighting breast cancer.

Emma has been appointed to multiple Government panels as an expert advisor regarding family violence, diversity & inclusion, mental health issues or Government health reviews & has featured across all streams of media. She has been extensively published in multiple National & International magazines, Journals, Government reports, books or publications & has presented at numerous conferences & events around Australia & Internationally.

Emma welcomes connections via Linked in or can be contacted direct on 0407 217 027, or via email Emma@7keys2freedom.com