Relationships & Friendship

Relationships and Friendships negotiations and maintenance refer to a wide group of abilities that allow us to interact and communicate with others. Children learn how to navigate social interactions and situations by predicting and understanding other’s behaviors. The way in which humans learn to interact successfully with others encompasses a complex interaction between neural, behavioral, and environmental elements. These are important developmentally in peer acceptance, academic achievement, and mental health. All relationship abilities depend on widespread brain networks that are studied by neuroscience.

Some children may need extra support learning Relationships and Friendships negotiations and maintenance and how to create and maintain good friendships and ways of interacting with others. Relationships and Friendships negotiations and maintenance is important in that reflects in all aspects of life and sometimes requires explicit teaching because it is often related to the child’s temperament and neurological development.

It is important to reflect that the child is not forced to practice Relationships and Friendships negotiations and maintenance, however, if they do not know then they are disadvantaged when they want to relate to others and do not know how to do so.

Poor Friendships and Relationships often leads to anxiety and depression and often behavioural difficulites, especially in older children and can have far reaching consequences.

Our Staff

Jutta Dempsey

Bachelor of Education (Uni)
Graduate Diploma of Psychology

Jutta is a Registered Psychologist and Registered Teacher with over 40 years experience. As a teacher and guidance counsellor and child therapist, Jutta established Directions, the first child directed practise in Townsville, over 30 years ago because she became acutely aware of the lack of services available in for children with learning and behavioural difficulties.

Chelsea Corbett

Bachelor of Psychology

Chelsea Corbett is a is a Registered Psychologist, with over 9 years of experience working with challenging young people. From a cattle family, she brings a unique understanding and genuine authenticity to her therapy with children and adolescents, together with a determination to improve their wellbeing within the home, school and community.

Anna Quenault

Bachelor of Science
Graduate Diploma of Psychology

Anna Quenault is a Registered Psychologist with over 5 years experience with Directions having previous experience in various counselling and mentoring roles. Anna is passionate about psychoeducational education for children and adolescents, and parental management.

Shane Davison

is a Psychology Graduate from rural Queensland who has worked in Education and Disability Support roles both in Australia and overseas. He is excited to complete his provisional internship from the experienced staff at Directions. He has a passion for understanding early childhood development and interventions for Oppositional Defiance Disorder and anger management.

Kelly Bell

is a Psychology (Honours) Graduate from James Cook University who has experience working with children, adolescents and adults. She is a thoughtful and empathetic psychologist determined to completed her provisional internship at Directions. Kelly has a passion for helping children and their families achieve their best by providing evidence based strategies to navigate a wide range of neurodevelopmental and mood disorders including Autism, Anxiety, Depression, Specific Learning Disorder & ADHD.

Leena Coutts

Office Manager

Leena Coutts has extensive experience in Reception and Administration and considers her role to make the children, adolescents and families to feel welcome and their wellbeing a priority whilst accessing our Psychological Practice. She is an experienced mother and grandmother in her private life and this enables her to provide a practical and considered approach to organising the daily functioning at Directions.