Jon Bankes has over twenty-five years’ experience working in the community services sector in the Cairns region, including in Cape York and the Torres Straits.  Jon holds and Masters of Social Work and has worked in a wide range of areas and roles including family support, child protection, homelessness, youth, mental health, alcohol and other drugs, disability support, domestic and family violence service coordination, capacity and capability building service provision and specialises in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.  Jon has experience working with a wide range of people, upholding strong values, social justice principles a commitment to provide culturally safe and responsive social work practice to our most vulnerable members of the community

Jon has many years of experience as an individual and group counsellor, employing a person centred, strengths based, trauma informed lens to support the healing journey.  Jon draws on therapeutic modalities of Acceptance and Commitment Therapies, Narrative Practice, Cognitive Behaviour Therapies, Motivational Interviewing and Mindfulness.