Dr Cheryl Holmes OAM
Cheryl is an accomplished leader renowned for her strategic influence and commitment to the health and wellbeing of communities. With a distinguished career spanning several decades, Cheryl has driven significant organisational transformations, particularly within the Spiritual Health Association, where she served as CEO from 2002 until 2024. She also led a pivotal national change process, culminating in the founding of Spiritual Care Australia, thereby shaping the landscape of spiritual care across the nation. Her leadership is marked by a dedication to enhancing quality holistic care services across Australia, earning her an Order of Australia Medal in 2015 for her contributions. Cheryl has presented and published widely in the field of spiritual care. In 2024 she received the Pioneer Medal for Leadership in Healthcare, awarded by the Health Care Chaplaincy Network (New York).
Since stepping down as CEO Cheryl has been providing spiritual care in residential aged care and working as a consultant with Meaningful Ageing Australia.
Dr Hilton Koppe
Hilton Koppe is a writer, educator, podcaster and doctor living on Bundjalung Land on the east coast of Australia. He is a long-standing member of Dementia Training Australia’s GP education team.
Hilton facilitates reflective writing workshops for doctors and other health professionals with the goal of deepening their compassion, overcoming professional isolation and reducing risk of burnout. The workshops have been adapted for people living with chronic and mental illnesses, as well as enthusiastic amateur writers. Hilton has been invited to present his workshops all the way from Byron Writers Festival to Harvard Medical School. Hilton’s book, One Curious Doctor: A Memoir of Medicine, Migration and Mortality explores the personal impact of working as a country doctor. His play, Enduring Witness, is used to facilitate conversations about end-of-life care. Hilton is co-host of Dementia In Practice, a top 100 Great Australian Pod.
Mirna Tarabay
Mirna is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and an Accredited Supervisor with the Psychotherapists and Counsellors Federation of Australia. She is also an Accredited Griefline Counsellor and provides learning and development services to both the community and government sectors.
She specialises in working with survivors of complex trauma, domestic and family violence, addiction and dependency issues, loss and grief, and mental health challenges. Her extensive professional experience includes roles in domestic violence refuges, peak migrant and refugee organisations, and the Domestic Violence Helpline.
With over two decades of experience in delivering professional development programs, Mirna holds a Bachelor of Education, a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE). Her training background includes positions such as Training and Development Coordinator at the Centre for Community Welfare Training, counselling educator at the College of Applied Psychology, and training facilitator with the Blue Knot Foundation.
Mirna is dedicated to working in a way that is inclusive, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed, ensuring these principles underpin both her therapeutic and educational services.
Robyn Swanson and Julie Gissing
Julie has worked with client life stories in a number of settings. With a background in Social Work and Counselling, Julie worked for Local and State Government as well as the not for profit sector and in private practice. After training with Eastern Palliative Care in Melbourne, Julie spent six years as a volunteer biographer in palliative care before becoming a Manager of the Community Palliative Care Biography Service at Sacred Heart in Sydney.
Following a varied career including a degree in editing, Robyn became a biography volunteer at Sacred Heart Hospice in 2009 after training at Eastern Palliative Care in Melbourne. In 2011 she created a business called Story of My Life to help people write their life stories, before becoming a Manager of the Community Palliative Care Biography Service at Sacred Heart in Sydney.
Julie and Robyn developed and managed the biography service at St Vincent’s Hospital for nine years, leaving the service at the end of 2024. During that time they recruited and supported many volunteers to complete over 300 biographies.
Adrina Petrosian
Adrina is a Creative Arts Therapist (AThR) registered with the Australian New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA), and holds a Masters in Creative Arts Therapy.
Her work sits at the intersection of arts and health, where she designs and delivers creative art therapy programs that support individuals across the full spectrum of life from early development to end-of-life care.
Deeply shaped by her experience in palliative care, Adrina brings a grounded, compassionate presence to her practice. Her approach is grounded in evidence-informed practice, creating space for participants to explore creativity as a source of healing, expression, and connection.
Joanne Rogan
Joanne Rogan is a grief and bereavement counsellor in the Paediatric Palliative Care multidisciplinary team at The Children’s Hospital, Westmead. She provides support to both children and adults. Joanne has a background of working in schools as both a counsellor and primary school teacher. She shares the grief counselling role with her colleague Pina Zerafa.
Amy O'Donnell
Amy is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Maitland Community Palliative Care Volunteers, a role she has held and loved for nearly three years. With over 23 years of experience as a registered nurse, she brings compassion, clinical insight, and a strong commitment to holistic care.
In addition to her work in palliative care, Amy is a part-time art facilitator at Singleton Family Support, where she supports young people and adults dealing with anxiety, trauma, and other life challenges.
An artist in her own time and a mother to three young girls, Amy is passionate about the role of creativity in wellbeing. She integrates art into all areas of her life and work, using it as a powerful tool to promote emotional balance and calm.