About

Associate Professor Dominiek Coates (Dom) is a trauma therapist, researcher, educator, and senior leader with over 20 years of experience in trauma-informed and evidence-based practice. Dom has worked as a therapist, researcher and senior leader in universities, hospitals, and non-government organisations. Her specific areas of expertise include childhood abuse and neglect, complex trauma, self-change, and integrated trauma-informed practice. She developed the first version of the trauma-informed principles of care that have become widely adopted.

She is a published author with almost 100 academic publications in psychology, counselling, mental health, healthcare and psychiatry. Her PhD investigated the life journey of people who joined coercive groups such as cults, and the impact of joining and leaving such groups on identity, mental health and social connectedness. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor with the Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney.

Qualifications

• PhD (Health Sociology) – The University of Newcastle
• Bachelor of Applied Social Science (BASS) (Counselling) – Australian College of Applied Psychology
• Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) – University of Newcastle
• Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training BSZ40198
• People Leadership, Australian Institute of Management (2021)
• Mentoring Skills for Leaders Course (2022), Centre for Continuing Education, University of Sydney

Professional Experience

Outside of her counselling practice, Dominiek’s professional experience includes:

• Project Manager, Adult Survivors Program (of Child Sexual Abuse), Violence, Abuse and Neglect Services, Central Coast Local Health District
• Director, Research, Evidence and Knowledge Generation, National Centre for Action Against Child Sexual Abuse
• Director of Research, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), where she led a large body of research to reduce and respond to violence against women
• Co-Leader of the Maternal, Newborn and Women’s Clinical Academic Group at University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Health, where she led a number of studies to improve evidence based practice in Sydney hospitals
• Senior Researcher, Mental Health Service, Central Coast Local Health District, where she conducted a large scale review of the public mental health service and implemented new models of evidence based mental health care
• Research and Program Manager, Blue Knot Foundation, where she developed programs for survivors of childhood abuse and trauma, training and resources for health professionals, and trauma-informed principles of care that have become widely adopted
• Lecturer at Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP) and the University of Newcastle where she taught a range of counselling and research courses

Membership:

Member of the Australian Counselling Association, Level 3 (member 6347)