Dr Athena Hammond

BMid(Hons), RM, M.Psychother&Couns., PhD.

My professional bio

I am a registered midwife and a qualified counsellor & psychotherapist. I have worked in and around the maternity care sector for more than two decades; as a doula, midwife, researcher, university lecturer, group facilitator and educator. I have been in private psychotherapy practice for four years and am trained as a person-centred therapist with extra training around trauma, polyvagal theory, Internal Family Systems theory and interpersonal neurobiology. I teach counselling skills at university, have acted as a consultant on the topic of birth trauma, and most recently was invited to brief the Select Committee of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma. I am known for my warm, collaborative and very human approach to my work and my people.

My human being bio

I am a super curious, optimistic and engaging human. I live in the beautiful Northern Rivers town of Murwillumbah, and have a grown-up son who was born in hospital after a homebirth transfer. I have always been driven by a burning desire to understand the experiences of others, and to drill down into the values, beliefs and feelings that shape us. As a midwifery student I was often in trouble for sitting on the end of the bed, talking with women about their feelings instead of taking their blood pressure. I think The Birth Counsel is where I was always going to end up, there’s just been a lot of fascinating diversions along the way.

My Quals

Master of Psychotherapy & Counselling with Distinction

Western Sydney University, 2022

Grad. Cert. Counselling

Western Sydney University 2020

Ph.D (Midwifery)

University of Technology Sydney 2017

Bachelor of Midwifery Honours

University of Technology Sydney 2010

Bachelor of Midwifery with Distinction

University of Technology Sydney 2008

Certified doula & antenatal educator

Birthing Rites Australia 2001