Quicklinks
Our Small Beginning
Our program was developed by Dr Sharon Varela from an idea that we could bring the competency of rural and remote supervision to emerging and experienced supervisors. At the time of development, there was no other training programs where the supervision of rural and remote psychologists was seen as a competency. We are proud of our impact on the rural and remote landscape and value our partners who have helped make this happen.
Our trainers are rural and remote competent supervisors who provide a quality learning experience that is practical, engaging, and draws on their personal experience as supervisors.
Meet our Professional Team
Sharyn Jones
Sharyn is our Program Lead. Sharyn comes to us from the rural town of Geraldton from Western Australia. Sharyn has over 18 years of experience as a school psychologist and private practice roles. Sharyn is a very experienced supervisor and trainer who has been with us for over two years. Sharyn also offers supervision on your supervision through her private practice.
Christine Foley
Chris is our Lead Trainer. Chris comes to us with extensive experience working and living in rural and remote locations. Chris is a very experienced psychologist and supervisor who has worked in the forensic field for a significant part of her career. As a trainer Chris is engaging and dynamic, bringing a breadth of practical experience and knowledge to every workshop.
Dr Sharon Varela
Sharon is our Program Developer and Manager. Sharon has more than 18 years clinical and leadership experience, including extensive experience in the areas of training and supervision. Sharon is the founder of our program and continues to lead the research and development of the curriculum.
Anita Tan
Anita enjoys living and working from the Wy-yung region in Gunaikurnai Country (Bairnsdale). Anita has supervised psychology registrars across a range of workplaces including health (acute mental health, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, health counselling), forensics (courts, prisons and detention), and community organisations (e.g., family and relationship counselling). Anita is also an experienced provider of professional reflective practice supervision to therapists and managers who work with survivors of family and interpersonal violence. In her own time, Anita enjoys jazz drumming and fishing.
Meet our Program Supports
Andrew Varela
Andrew is our Program Administrator. Andrew comes to us from a professional writing and finance background. He will be your key contact for anything related to the program. He is friendly and approachable, so please do not hesitate to reach out to him if you have any questions. You can contact him at supervisortraining@jcu.edu.au or 0428 684 655. Email is always the preferred point of contact.
Kim Butterworth
Kim is our Program Support and is a newer member of our team. Kim has over 15 years of experience as a psychologist working in the state and commonwealth public service and private practice. Kim currently works in Glen Innes in rural NSW with NSW Department of Communities and Justice, she has worked her entire career in rural and remote communities of NSW. Kim provides program support to Sharyn and Andrew and is a valued member of our team
Meet Our Collaborators
We have established collaborative relationships with a number of organisations who are supporting our training program and our rural and remote workforce. We would like to thank these organisations for their continued support and would like to acknowledge their contribution to our program.
We also welcome new partnerships or collaborations. If you're a rural & remote organisation who would like to partner with us or discuss collaboration, please reach out to Andrew at supervisortraining@jcu.edu.au or (04) 2868 4655.
Navigation
Social
A Commonwealth funded Department of Rural Health
in collaboration with:
