Our Management Team

At LifeWorks we are proud of the culture of collaboration, commitment to service and professional expertise our people bring to the organisation. Most importantly though, we are proud of the passion, dedication and care that each member of the LifeWorks team offers every client who comes into our ten branches.

It is with great pleasure that we introduce the LifeWorks management team, who are dedicated to ensuring that every facet of the organisation, from IT systems to counselling, is operating to provide you with high quality professional relationship services that make a difference to the community.

• Kaye Swanton, Chief Executive Officer
• Meredith Brown, Manager, Counselling Services
• Cheryl Dakis, Manager, Education Services
• Cynthia Logan, Principal Consultant, LifeWorks in the Workplace
• Susan Laird, Manager, FDR Services
• Glenys McInnes, Team Leader, Administration
• Sue Pratt, Branch Manager
• Denyse McKay, Branch Manager
• Nick Valentine, Branch Manager

As CEO of LifeWorks Relationship Counselling and Education Services, Kaye Swanton has a particular interest in the development of the capacities of individuals, groups and organisations and the challenges (and rewards) this can bring to the individual themselves and to modern workplaces.

Kaye has studied in the areas of psychodynamic psychotherapy, organisational consulting from a system psychodynamic perspective and holds a Masters in Applied Science (Organisational Dynamics). She has completed a specialist course in relationship and couple counselling and is a qualified facilitator and mediator having trained in Alternative Dispute Resolution with the Trillium Group in collaboration with the Law Faculty of Melbourne University, and Advanced Negotiation and Mediation with the Trillium Group in collaboration with the Faculty of Law and Management, La Trobe University.

Kaye has a 25 year history in governance, strategic management, business development, financial management and senior executive positions.

Kaye has previously been a city councillor and has served on numerous community boards and committees, including the board of Family Services Australia, the national peak membership body for the family services sector. She is a current member of the committee of management of No To Violence, is also a founding director of the Family Violence Prevention Foundation of Australia and is the chairperson of the National Institute of Organisation Dynamics Australia.

Kaye also holds a passionate concern for the prevention of family violence and in particular the safety of women and children who experience or witness violence and abuse. She understands the profound dislocation that can be suffered as a consequence of violence and abuse, particularly its impact on the lives of young children, their hopes and dreams. She believes that when young lives have been interrupted that psychotherapy and education can offer true healing and the hope that life can be rich and rewarding in spite of those difficult beginnings.

Meredith Brown is LifeWorks’ Manager of Counselling Services and Manager of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Services. With over twenty years experience in counselling and psychology, Meredith is a registered psychologist and an Accredited Supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia. 

Meredith has worked as a counsellor, supervisor, organisational consultant and senior manager in a variety of settings and industries including state and local government, secondary and tertiary education, child and family services, not-for-profit organisations and in private practice. She is also an experienced trainer and facilitator and has worked at both Monash Mt Eliza Business School as a consultant and the University of Melbourne as a guest lecturer, sessional tutor and Fellow in the Department of Criminology.

Meredith recognises that relationships offer life’s greatest joys, but potentially, difficulties, conflict, anxiety and sadness. When the complexities of our own needs and expectations meet those of the person we care about, it can be hard to know how to navigate toward sustained intimacy and to create trust. Counselling offers not only a way to achieve clarity and a pathway to enhance our connection with others, and our lives together, but provides evidenced-based knowledge to help us reach our emotional goals and fulfilling relationships.

Cheryl Dakis is the Manager of LifeWorks Education and Training Services and has over fifteen years experience in the field of relationship education. Cheryl’s training places particular emphasis on the psychological aspects inherent in the program content being delivered. She believes that when early beginnings have been interrupted, that education and training can offer a real means of personal development and fulfilment.

A psychologist (provisional), Cheryl has worked in private practice as a pre-marriage educator, is registered with the Federal Attorney-General’s Department as a relationship educator provider and group facilitator and is a certified educator of several specialist relationship programs including John Gottman’s Bringing Baby Home, Prepare-Enrich, and Ready Steady Baby. Cheryl has been a sessional tutor, guest lecturer and research assistant at Deakin University and is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society and a past National Vice-President of the Marriage and Relationship Educators’ Association of Australia. 

The recipient of several awards including the Alfred Deakin Medal for Outstanding Scholarship and Service to the Community, the Australian Unity Award for the Honours Thesis Most Relevant to Human Wellbeing, and the King and Amy O’Malley Scholarship, Cheryl embraces the notion that education is a right and that specialised resources should be shared in order for everyone to benefit. 

Cynthia Logan is Manager of Business Services and Principal Consultant with LifeWorks in the Workplaceas. Cynthia has worked extensively both training and consulting in the areas of equal opportunity, human resources and employment law within the public and private sector. 

Cynthia joined LifeWorks in 2008 after eleven years as Principal Consultant with the Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) and ten years working for the Federal and State Governments in the labour market arena at policy, operational and management levels. An experienced counsellor, Cynthia has also operated in the drug and alcohol field and even established and ran her own successful casting agency.

Cynthia holds a Graduate Diploma in Equal Opportunity Administration from Swinburne University, has trained in Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution through Melbourne University and is a member of the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI). She is also a certified Level IV Workplace Assessor and Trainer.

Working with small, medium and large organisations across a range of industries and sectors Cynthia provides expert strategic advice, management guidance and practical solutions for organisations to manage workplace behavioural, performance and cultural issues.

Susan Laird is the Manager, Family Dispute Resolution Services, and leads a team of professional mediators providing service to areas covering Melbourne, Geelong and Hoppers Crossing.  Susan has spent over 10 years supporting Victorian families and children through various stages of their lives.  With a background of working in social welfare settings and family therapy, Susan is an experienced practitioner, and together with her team provides dispute resolution services to families with regard to children ‘s matters, and property settlement. Susan is also an experienced Child Consultant as part of the Child Inclusive Practice work that is available to suitable families within the mediation process.

Susan is dedicated to supporting families during the separation phase, and believes mediation can provide an opportunity for parents to decide together the arrangements for their children – after all the parents know the children the best.

As Executive Assistant and Team Leader of Administrative Services Glenys McInnes is dedicated to providing only the best in customer service. Glenys understands that clients coming to LifeWorks for counselling, dispute resolution or an education program, particularly for the first time, may be nervous or apprehensive. She understands that a significant part of service provision is in guiding clients through our services with dignity and care. Her customer service understanding extends to external clients and internal customers alike.

In her role as Team Leader-Administration, Glenys is responsible for administration, reception and customer service across all LifeWorks’ branches throughout Victoria, ensuring that everyone who comes to LifeWorks receives seamless service and assistance specific to their individual needs and requirements. Glenys has over thirty years’ experience in administration, office management and customer systems. 

SUE PRATT

Sue Pratt is LifeWorks' City Branch Manager.  Sue has is a registered counselling psychologist with twenty five years of experience in providing counselling and group psycho-education services. A key feature of this work has been the provision of relationship and individual counselling in public, private and organisational contexts.

Following the completion of a Masters in Creative Arts and Experiential Therapies in 2002, Sue has taught and supervised students in the development of their counselling and group process skills. This experience has refined Sue’s commitment to best practice and to the qualities of the counselling processes which supports insight and change. 

Denyse McKay is the Branch Manager of LifeWorks’ Frankston branch and also oversees the counselling staff at Chadstone. Denyse has many years experience in couple and relationship counselling and supporting clients around step-parenting, pre-marriage, workplace relations, disability and family violence prevention matters. Denyse has also provided specific psycho-educational training programs such as Post Separation Parenting, recovering from family violence, Men’s Behaviour Change Programs including, most recently, “Storming Against Violence” a project with the Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club.

Denyse is committed to working to enhance the joy that can be derived from positive interactions with others whether that be with partners, family or the extended community. 

^Return to Top