Ms Cathy Costa RN; BTh; Grad Cert Counselling; Grad Dip Crisis Counselling; Grad Dip  Marriage & Family Counselling; Cert IV Workplace Training and Assessment MHSt (UQ); MRCNA, CMCAPA Lecturer and Counsellor Email: ccosta@nd.edu.au

As a registered nurse I gained extensive experience in the areas of Palliative Care Nursing and Intensive Care Nursing. Having gained my Theology degree, I then continued Post Graduate studies in Counselling in the United Kingdom. On return to Australia I continued my studies and completed a Masters degree in Health Studies in 2004. For the last ten years I have worked in the field of human services within both community and hospital settings working in the area of loss and grief. In this setting I undertook counselling of patients, and families in areas of illness, family crisis, grief and loss, working with children experiencing loss and grief issues and crisis debriefing.  I have also implemented and run workshops in the area of loss and grief for staff, patients and families.  I have been involved in supporting, counselling, debriefing and mediation of hospital staff as well as providing ongoing professional programs and in-services for both nursing and allied health staff and new graduate nurses.