Deanne is a mother of two beautiful daughters and has been practising as a family lawyer for over 25 years. She is passionate about educating service providers about trauma informed practice and helping those who have experienced trauma.

In 2020 Deanne had the dream to start a not for profit organisation that could raise awareness about trauma. She wanted to help service providers such as the lawyers, judges, psychologists and other health care workers that were regularly involved in her family law matters, better recognise the impacts of trauma; and gain the skills that were necessary to work effectively with trauma survivors.

Deanne realised that despite its high prevalence, trauma was not a significant consideration for many professionals when working with clients or their children, in the area of family law. Further, she was aware few lawyers or university students receive training in how to interact with clients with significant trauma histories, or the impacts of trauma.

Deanne’s aim is that by establishing Tree House Australia, she will encourage collaborative networks to grow between professionals and other stakeholders who provide services to those impacted by trauma. Deanne’s hope is that this will lead to better working relationships with clients and better outcomes for trauma survivors.

Deanne is a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and is a certified functional medicine and trauma specialist through the Arizona Trauma Institute. Deanne’s high level of service and professional practice has seen her rated as a pre-eminent lawyer over a number of years in the Doyle’s Guide of leading family & divorce lawyers – North and Central Queensland. Deanne is a trained mediator and collaborative lawyer, and has previously worked as an Independent Child’s lawyer and sessional member of the Queensland Civil Administrative Tribunal.