Dr. Simone Collier
Co-Director
Registered Play Therapist
Mental Health Therapist
Parents Under Pressure Therapist
Animal Assisted Play Therapist
Play Therapist using Theraplay principles
Post-Graduate Diploma in Alcohol & Other Drugs and Mental Health
Step-by Step Assessor -Foster & Kinship Carer Assessment
Dr Simone Collier is a Co- Director of Unique Minds Consultancy and a highly regarded specialist in childhood trauma, family reunification and complex Behaviour Support. She brings a rare depth of expertise across education, child protection, mental health and the NDIS, with a career spanning frontline practice, statutory systems and senior leadership roles.
Simone holds a Bachelor of Education (Special Education), a Master of Special Education, a Master in Child Play Therapy and a Doctor of Professional Studies. She also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Alcohol and Other Drugs and Mental Health and is trained in advanced assessment frameworks including Attachment Style Interviews (ASI), Parenting Role Interviews (PRI), Step-by-Step Assessment, Static 99R (Sex -Offender Assessment) and ODARA (DV Recidivism Risk Assessment). She is an accredited Animal Assisted Therapist, a Play Therapist using Theraplay principles, and an assessor in cumulative harm and risk and a trained Parenting Co-ordinator.
Simone’s professional background includes extensive experience in statutory child protection, out-of-home care, residential care and complex family systems. She has worked as a Special Education teacher, Deputy Principal, Guidance Officer and in senior child protection leadership roles including Team Leader, Program Coordinator and Program Manager. Her practice is grounded in a deep understanding of neurodivergence, developmental trauma, FASD, prenatal alcohol exposure and the long-term impacts of cumulative harm.
Simone is the developer of a specialist reunification framework for children involved in the child protection system, due for publication in 2026. Her work in this area has been selected for international presentation in Edinburgh, Scotland and Dublin, Ireland. She has also contributed to research in partnership with the University of Southern Queensland, trialling an evaluative tool to measure cumulative harm in children and young people. Simone has numerous publications, both books nad research articles with the latest book Trauma-Informed and Accumulation-Aware Approaches to Child Protection with Dr India Bryce due early 2026.
In addition to her clinical and systems work, Simone is the author of Jeremy’s Changing Family, a children’s book amplifying the voice of a child growing up in a foster care family. She has also developed a specialist program supporting families experiencing child-to-adult violence, where parents are impacted by violence from their adolescent child.
Simone is a Registered Teacher in Queensland and an affiliate of the Society for the Advancement of Actuarial Risk Need Assessment (SAARNA). She is deeply committed to ethical, trauma-informed practice and works tirelessly to ensure children, young people and families are heard, supported and empowered to achieve safety, stability and improved quality of life.
Dr. India Bryce
Co-Director
PhD, BEd, MGuidCous, MSW(Forensic Studies), MSW (PQ), FHEA
Dr India Bryce is a Co- Director of Unique Minds Consultancy (UMC), an experienced forensic social worker, and Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queensland. India is highly regarded Academic and Researcher with an international reputation in the field of trauma and cumulative adversity and trauma informed practice and her work traverses child protection, family law, criminal justice and education contexts.
Dr Bryce holds a Bachelor of Education, a Master of Guidance and Counselling, Master of Social Work (Forensic Studies), Master of Social Work (Qualifying) and a Doctor of Philosophy. She also holds Postgraduate qualifications in Community Services Practice (Client Assessment and Case Management; Statutory Child Protection) and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. India is also appointed by the Federal Court and Family Court of Australia as Regulation 40 Family Consultant. India is also trained in advanced assessment frameworks including Attachment Style Interviews (ASI), Parenting Role Interviews (PRI) and Static-99R (Sex Offender Risk Assessment) and is trained in ICARE forensic interviewing, Parenting Coordination and Child Inclusive Mediation.
India’s research profile is extensive, with over 40 publications including high quality journal articles, book chapters and edited books in the field of child abuse, trauma and as it relates to welfare, crime, law, education, protection and intervention. India’s current research explores cumulative adversity across the lifespan, trauma informed practice and pedagogy, and trauma narratives as they intersect with career, vocational behaviour, heath and systemic marginalisation. India has co-edited several reference books; Child Abuse and Neglect: Forensic Issues in Evidence, Impact and Management, Child Sexual Abuse: Forensic Issues in Evidence, Impact and Management, as well as forthcoming publication, Trauma-Informed and Accumulation-Aware Approaches to Child Protection with Dr Simone Collier. India led national research in her role Associate Professor at UniSQ, partnership with the Australian Catholic University and Act for Kids, successfully developing and validating an evaluative tool to measure cumulative harm in children and young people.
India’s 20 year career spans includes roles in education, school counselling, statutory child protection, emergency departments, non-government agencies and higher education. Her practice is informed by her experience across these diverse but interconnected systems and her firsthand experience working with survivors of childhood trauma, and cumulative adversity. At UMC, India specialises in the assessment of children and families for child proection and family law contexts, providing expert family and social reports, sexual offender risk assessments, parenting and attachment assessments and personal injury expert reports.
India is a Level 4 Member of Australian Counselling Association, and a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers. India is an affiliate of the Society for the Advancement of Actuarial Risk Need Assessment (SAARNA), and serves on the steering committee for the Southwest Region Family Law Pathways Network. India is also a member of the Therapeutic Family Law Professionals Network, Parenting Coordination Australia, Child Protection Practitioners Assoc Queensland, Family Law Practitioners Association and Family Report Writers Network. She is deeply committed to evidence and research-based, trauma-informed practice and works to ensure children and their families are empowered and supported as they navigate challenging systems.
Fiona Hibbins
Regional Manager
Bachelor of Nursing – Registered Nurse
NDIS Specialist Support Coordination
Safe and Together Institute – Safe and Together Core Training – Domestic Violence Informed Practice
QLD Police Service Interviewing Children and recording Evidence (ICARE)
Fiona Hibbins brings a rare combination of clinical insight, statutory systems expertise and operational leadership to her role as Regional Manager within the NDIS Specialist Support Coordination Program at Unique Minds Consultancy. With a professional background spanning registered nursing, frontline child protection and complex human services, Fiona is exceptionally well positioned to oversee supporting participants with high-risk, multi-system and safeguarding needs.
Fiona has extensive experience working with individuals and families impacted by psychosocial disability, domestic and family violence, mental health complexity, trauma and substance use. Her deep understanding of risk dynamics, crisis response and statutory interfaces enables her to navigate challenging environments with clarity, authority and compassion. She demonstrates strong capability in coordinating complex service systems, managing risk escalation, and advocating effectively across health, justice, housing and child protection sectors.
Her knowledge of childhood development, neurodivergence and trauma-informed practice underpins a strengths-based, participant-centred approach that aligns closely with NDIS Quality and Safeguards expectations. Fiona is highly skilled in managing high-risk and high-complexity cases, supporting decision-making where capacity, safety and competing priorities must be carefully balanced.
In addition to her clinical and coordination expertise, Fiona brings strong leadership capability, with experience in operational oversight, staff supervision, mentoring and workforce development. She provides clear guidance to teams, supports reflective practice and ensures compliance, quality and consistency across service delivery.
Fiona holds a Bachelor of Nursing and has completed advanced training through the Safe and Together Institute in Domestic Violence–Informed Practice, as well as specialist training in evidentiary interviewing through the Queensland Police Service ICARE program. Her leadership is grounded in integrity, accountability and a strong commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and improved outcomes for NDIS participants and their families.
Lisa Vandenberg
Consistent, Integrated Assessments, Services & Resources
Our main focus is to provide professionals and families with the tools to facilitate change in a safe and trauma-qualified way.
Assessments
Unique Minds conducts comprehensive assessments which combine a broad scope of validated therapeutic & assessment tools to provide detailed reports.
Therapeutic Interventions
Our therapy animals at our Kingaroy location assist with attachment based Play Therapy, Counselling Narrative Therapy, Story Book Work, Parental Education and counselling support.
Training & Consultancy
A range of evidence-based, multimodal social & family services to support individuals and families who have experienced trauma.