Counselling Men Project Community

We are a community of business owners, executives and workers that have a passion to see people living a life worthy living. Check out the team below.

Growing up in a close-knit Latin family in Brazil, I always dreamed of creating a better life for myself. That dream led me to Australia – a place I believed would offer opportunity, stability, and a fresh start.

Three years after arriving, I found myself with a challenging question: “Why do I feel like a teenager trapped in a 33-year-old man’s body? Why don’t I feel confident in the man I’ve become?” That simple, confronting and empowering question was the start of a deeply personal journey.

I dove into self-discovery through books, men’s groups, retreats, and therapy. Slowly, that inner search reshaped my life. I discovered a passion for helping others through the same process – especially men like me who were silently wrestling with self-doubt, trauma, and a lack of purpose. I pursued professional training, becoming a qualified life coach with a specialisation in Trauma Therapy (TRTP). I wanted to help men live from the inside out, to live a life worthy living.

Along the way, I gained academic and practical tools – a Master’s in Psychotherapy & Counselling, a Journalism degree, an MBA in Marketing of Services, and most importantly, real-world experience in mental fortitude and emotional intelligence.

The idea for the Counselling Men Project came from another question I asked myself one day: “What would I do if I didn’t have to work anymore?”

The answer was clear: I would help men transform their lives.

That’s how CMP was born – a not-for-profit initiative offering men qualified coaching, psychotherapy, and trauma work completely free of charge for them.

We support men in moving from dark, hopeless places into brighter, more vibrant lives.

Anthony is a blue collar worker in his mid 40s. He knows personally how tough it can be to manage mental wellness when challenged with mental health concerns and how these challenges can continue throughout life. Life challenges can come in many forms and from many different things.

Prior to his current work he trained and worked as a counsellor for 10 years specialising in substance misuse treatment. Working in that arena he discovered that there is no one size fits all people.

"Mental health issues and suicide are a societal epidemic demanding more attention and resourcing to improve quality of life. There is no reason for us to be losing our loved ones to suicide and too many are unnecessarily suffering. I want to make a difference and feel compelled to fight for a better quality of life for all."

I am passionate about making sure that you don’t become one of these statistics; showing you how to become an “on the business sort of person” not an “in the business sort of person”. I help you to create your business roadmap and give you strategies to stay on track, so you know that you are doing OK on a daily, weekly, monthly basis.

Vern is a lecturer in a business college and teaches law and governance to undergraduate and MBA students. He has a passion for helping others and endeavouring to improve the world around him.

His doctoral study identified the sources of workplace motivation and what brings satisfaction to people in the workplace. He is enrolled as a barrister with the Queensland Supreme Court.

Prior to his teaching career he was a police officer for 24 years and both these careers have raised his awareness of the increasing importance of mental health and self-esteem for people’s welfare.

As a police officer he was a domestic violence liaison officer and also established a successful program at the academy that is still operating and equipping first nation Australians with the knowledge and skills to become police recruits.

Public Relations Agency Business Owner

Mariana is a chef and a counselling student and loves to see people thrive. She is passionate about breaking down stereotypes and the cultural misconceptions about what a "real man" is.

She has seen how this affects men in her daily work and in other interactions throughout life. Her hope is that all men will open up to the possibilities of their lives and find a place of belonging in their community.

Roger Sawkins worked for many years as a partner in a firm of consulting Actuaries. He has been a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia for over 50 years and holds various voluntary positions in that church. He was a volunteer telephone counsellor for 50 years at various times for Lifeline Counselling service. He has been active in many organisations promoting peace, justice, equality and earthcare. He sees his involvement in CMP as a continuation of those concerns.

Mental Health Advocate

Wayne is passionate about men's wellbeing, in particular having access to therapeutic support. Wayne brings with him over 25 years experience in management and leadership in the construction, mining and engineering industries, coupled with over 20 years volunteer leading community projects through The Salvation Army, and a sincere heart for men to live an authentic life true to themselves and those around them.

Through his own personal experiences in life, in business, in family, in marriage, Wayne has gained a deep appreciation for men dropping the societal expectations of strength and pride, to be vulnerable to exploring within themselves to be more true and authentic.

Wayne also runs a business who provide opportunities for learning and experiencing positive mental health based in nature.

Wayne has qualifications in engineering and management and, while continuing full-time work, he is also studying a Bachelor of Counselling. Wayne takes up the challenge of bringing all his life experiences, skills and knowledge into the Counselling Men Project.

Business Owner - Healthcare Sector

Executive Assistant - Telstra

Counselling Men Project

Values

Restorative Inclusion

Everyone deserves to be listened to with equity, empathy, and without judgement. The major intention is seeking human restoration by including them as a developed or in development human being.

A life that includes conscious examinations based on Solitude, Silence, Contemplation and a strong connection with Nature – the deeper sense of what Being means which we can learn from Indigenous cultures.

Taking personal responsibility according to a person’s own deepest level of consciousness is essential to lead to a life worthy living.

is an optimism that uses the pessimism of life as a starting point of truth transformation into a genuine life.

is choosing to always acting from the heart despite the fear of being vulnerable.

is approaching the truth with kindness, gentleness and holistic understanding, centred in the Heart.

Acting with honesty and consistently with one's own core beliefs and values.

Meet the Team

Leadership Team

Felipe Oliveira

Counselling Men Project

Values