meet PORTIA

Portia Kambasha (She/Her)

BNurse, MNurse (Mental Health), MFamTherapy (Clinical)

Clinical Family Therapist and Credentialed Mental Health Nurse

I have an immense passion for family therapy. From a young age, I have always been curious about families. Whenever I met people, my mind would wander and think about who is in that family. A brother, a pet, a grandma? Noone exists as an individual entity, but rather we are all part of a family or other system. Each person in a family, is impacted by other family members they grew up with, in such a profound way, even if we sometimes do not realise this. Parts of who we are, and how we do things now all trace back to our family in some way.

I am incredibly privileged to listen to people talk about their family. For people to be able to trust me with their story, and to walk alongside them in those moments as they are telling a story, is an honour. I love to get to really know people, to listen to them, talk to them, and hold space for their story in a safe, therapeutic way. I am there with them, in their family, and I seek to understand each person's unique experience within that family, as told by them, all in a non-judgemental, non-blaming manner. I am always curious, non-assuming, and each family member is a teacher to me, of that family. I am there for the whole family, even those who are not there. 

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I'm AHPRA registered, a Member of ACMHN (Australian College of Mental  Health Nurses) and Member of AAFT (Australian association of Family Therapy.) I have worked in many settings, in mental health over the past 20 years, with complex mental health issues across the age spectrum, gaining my experience initially as a mental health nurse in the UK, working in areas such as eating disorders and a vast array of complex mental health conditions. Within that, I was drawn to working with families, away from diagnoses, as often this focuses solely on the individual and not the family, and so I pursued that passion. Currently, I enjoy working with families that represent marginalised and diverse communities, utilising therapy and interventions that are inclusive, anti-racist, and affirming to those who have lived their lives as "other" or "different", either in family systems or in any current systems of belonging.  

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If I'm not drinking coffee somewhere, I'm either spending time with my family, tending to a ridiculous number of indoor plants, or chasing sunshine and/or adrenalin outdoors.