STAFF

Executive Officer:
Tirrania Suhood

Tirrania has a passion for community, for addressing complex social challenges, and for the development of trusting, cooperative and collaborative relationships. She has a strong commitment to small community organisations  which is demonstrated in her role as Founding Convenor of the Voice for SONG (small organisations non-government) network, and in her role as Executive Officer at one such organisation – Bridges since 1993. She was a counsellor at Bridges for one year prior to this appointment. Her commitment to Bridges is both to its direct services as well as to the organisation as a vehicle for changing systems, ideas and networks at bigger picture levels. This has culminated into the development of the Bridges Network Approach. 

Tirrania holds a Masters degree in Community Management, and qualifications and experience in the mental health, family, youth and drug and alcohol fields. She originally gained a Batchelor in Applied Science in Computing Science.  She has completed the Sydney Leadership Program with the Benevolent Society. She was a delegate at the Australian Government’s 2020 Summit.  She has been a Board Director at the Council of Social Services of NSW.

Family and AOD Counsellor/Community Development Worker:
Ralph Holwerda

Ralph has worked at Bridges since 2003 in counselling and community development.  He has a Master  in Counselling and has further undertaken specific training in Narrative therapy, Art and Play therapy, EMDR (trauma therapy) and Couple counselling, as well as continuing more generic professional development.  Ralph originally qualified as an Electrical Engineer and worked in the Electronics Industry.  He has used these skills to progress Bridges IT infrastructure. Ralph speaks English and Dutch fluently and has worked in several countries overseas.  He works from non-blame, strength-based, systems and harm minimization perspectives. Besides working with Bridges, Ralph also works in his own practice.  He is a member of CAPA and is registered with PACFA.

Ralph has been the President on the Management Committee at Holroyd Parramatta Multicultural Service (HPMS).

Ralph has a heart for people and their struggles.  His desire is for people to develop their full potential and find freedom and abundance in life, while being connected in their families and communities.

Family and AOD Counsellor:
Paulene Takchi

Paulene has been at Bridges since 2009 as a Counsellor and Group Facilitator.  She holds a Bachelor Degree in Counselling and Human Change and did specialised training in 'Sand Play Therapy" and Counselling "Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse".  

Paulene works from a strength based, non-judgmental and respectful approach focusing on strengths and resilience, working from an eclectic approach. Her past employment includes Probation and Parole, Relationships Australia and South Pacific Private.  She finds it a privilege 'to work with people on such a therapeutic level'.

Paulene is a mother of four children, she had been involved with her children's schools as 'fundraising co-ordinator' and, as well as her regular volunteering for canteen duty, and wherever else she could lend a hand in her children's schooling years.  Her background is Lebanese with Arabic as her second language.

More recently Paulene has become involved in working closely with the Indigenous community facilitating group work in the Mt Druitt area on an ongoing basis. This has led into further training in the Narrative Approach at the Dulwich Centre in Adelaide.

Child and Family AOD Counsellor/Community Development Worker:
Viviane de Oliveira

Viviane has worked with Bridges since 2008 as a counsellor and community development worker.  She holds a degree in Psychology from Brazil and a Postgraduate Diploma in Narrative Therapy and Community Work. She prefers to work with Strength Based Approaches, especially Narrative Therapy. She works in a respectful and non-judgmental way. She believes that together individuals, families and communities can influence positive changes in society. 

She is passionate about Indigenous and CALD groups. She has been working closely with Aboriginal communities from the Mt Druitt area for the last 3½ years. While working alongside with the Mt Druitt Indigenous Church, she has learnt a lot from them about their culture, beliefs, values and the ways their culture has survived colonization. In this way she helped to develop, implement and run programs that are culturally appropriate to them and the challenges they face. 

She has also worked extensively with disadvantaged groups in Brazil and has done short term volunteer work around the world, including work with Indigenous people in the Amazon Forest in Ecuador and women, men and young people in Uganda. 

Intake Officer/Administrator:
Bev Wilkes

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