Judith Ayre
Sydney,NSW
Summary
A highly experienced academic leader with over 25 years of expertise in counselling, psychotherapy, curriculum design, academic governance, and accreditation. Proven track record in leading academic programs, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and maintaining high academic standards. Current Head of School of Counselling, Psychotherapy & Arts Therapy at Ikon Institute of Australia. Previously held the Chair of Counselling position in an acting capacity at ACAP in 2018 and served as the ACAP Academic Lead (Melbourne) from 2015 to 2018.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of School (Counselling, Psychotherapy & Arts Therapy)
Ikon Institute of Australia
2022.08 - Current
- Led academic governance, curriculum development, and accreditation processes for two faculties and three campuses
- Led the accreditation process for the 3 undergraduate and graduate programs at Ikon, successfully maintaining high standards of excellence in education and praised for authentic assessments in the TEQSA review
- Chaired key governance committees, including the Academic Board and Teaching & Learning Committee
- Fostered collaboration with the School of Education, co-facilitating initiatives such as streamlining Educational services and joint guidelines joint AI in education.
- Guided strategic planning efforts for long-term visioning and goal-setting within the school community.
- Developed a positive school culture by fostering strong relationships among faculty, general staff and students,
- Established effective communication channels between administration, faculty, staff, and students.
- Improved overall school performance by implementing instructional strategies, curriculum adjustments and major materials overhaul, constructive alignment, authentic assessments, nuanced rubrics.
- Improved staff retention rates by fostering a culture of collaboration, support, and ongoing professional development.
- Enhanced lecturer professional development through an annual colloquium, targeted workshops, coaching sessions, and collaborative planning time.
- Successfully managed crises situations on campus while maintaining transparency among stakeholders.
- Strengthened relationships with Host Organisations for placements resulting in increased hands-on experience opportunities for students.
- Held staff accountable for implementing airtight school-wide systems and processes.
- Backed up lecturers in handling disruptive students and implemented fair protocols to resolve situations.
- Successfully managed the Education Services Team, the placement and clinical supervision team and the course coordinators for the School.
Academic Lead
Institute for Emotion-Focused Therapy (IEFT)
2018.03 - 2022.08
- Developed and accredited the Graduate Diploma in Emotion-Focused Therapy, including an unusual 27 sub-units of curriculum design for professional practitioners and registered psychologists
- Led compliance with TEQSA standards, reporting and documentation, ensuring continuous improvement and academic excellence
- Recruited, managed and trained casual staff.
- Streamlined administrative procedures resulting in increased efficiency
- Enhanced academic performance by implementing innovative teaching methods and strategies.
Academic Lead( Melbourne) / Acting Chair of Counselling
ACAP
2015.05 - 2018.08
- Managed academic leadership and governance, including the development of curriculum for counselling programs
- Led the TEQSA-accreditation process for new and existing programs, ensuring alignment with the Higher Education Standards Framework
- Supported staff development and student success through mentorship, resulting in exceptional feedback from colleagues and students
- Chaired accreditation and curriculum development committees, ensuring continuous improvement of academic standards.
Head of Counselling
Phoenix Institute Victoria
2012.01 - 2015.03
- Oversaw all aspects of the establishment and rollout of the Bachelor of Holistic Counselling
- Played a key role in writing the curriculum, materials, and associated documents, including supervised practice subjects
- Member of the Academic Board and worked closely with the TEQSA case manager
- Established key committees, including the Higher Education Review Committee
- Hired, mentored, and supervised 15 sessional academics, the placement manager, and clinical supervisors
- Oversaw the course review process and chaired the Curriculum Committee
- Wrote a substantial ‘changes to courses’ document for TEQSA as the program was revised
- Coordinated the TEQSA accreditation and curriculum development.
Education
Doctor of Clinical Science (Counselling & Psychotherapy) - Counselling & Psycotherapy
La Trobe University
Melbourne2012
Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Higher Education Teaching & Learning) - Higher Education
University of Sydney
Sydney2023
Graduate Diploma in Counselling - Counselling
La Trobe University
Melbourne1997
Graduate Diploma in Conflict Resolution - Conflict Resolution & Mediation
La Trobe University
Melbourne1996
Graduate Diploma in Education (secondary) - English Language And Literature And Sociology
Monash University
Melbourne1981
Bachelor of Arts - Education
Monash University
Melbourne1980
Skills
- Leadership in academic governance and accreditation
- Expertise in scaffolding clinical skills development from beginner to advanced levels
- Proven track record in curriculum development and authentic assessment design
- Strong mentorship and team-building abilities
- Extensive experience in Emotion-Focused Therapy Nationally and Internationally known
- Interdisciplinary collaboration and academic networking
- Student Engagement
Accomplishments
- Developed and led the successful accreditation of three bachelor's degrees, one graduate diploma, and one master's degree, ensuring constructive alignment across course content, learning outcomes, and authentic assessments.
- Created over 100 nuanced rubrics, praised for maintaining clarity and fairness in assessment.
- Led multiple accreditation processes for Bachelor and Master programs, ensuring compliance with the Higher Education Standards Framework.
- Built and maintained extensive academic networks and interdisciplinary collaborations across counselling and Emotion-Focused Therapy, ensuring the recruitment of high-quality staff and fostering positive, enthusiastic, and hard-working teams.
- Demonstrated success in mentoring and developing staff, establishing an environment of loyalty, teamwork, and high morale, reflected in exceptional student and colleague feedback.
- Played a pivotal role in consultancy and governance, including chairing accreditation panels and contributing to national accreditation standards through PACFA and other professional bodies.
Affiliations
- PACFA (Clinical Member)
- Australian Counselling Association (Level 4 Member)
- Australian College of Counselling And Psychotherapy Educators (Leadership Group)
- WAPCEPC (World Association of Person-Centred and Experiential Counsellors)
Academic Course Consultancy
- 2022, TEQSA Reviewer for Diploma of Counselling (Korean), Iona Columba College (through Wells Advisory)
- 2019-2021, QA Higher Education Consultancy: Reviewed and evaluated proposed new courses seeking TEQSA accreditation, in particular Metavision Master of Holistic Counselling. Wrote constructive alignment documents and contributed to TEQSA accreditation submissions.
Awards/Recognition
- Fellow, Higher Education Academy
- Recognized for curriculum innovation and high-quality authentic assessments by TEQSA and Ikon Academic Board.
Academic Governance
- Chair, PACFA Accreditation Panels, Institutions including Monash University, Deakin University, and many others.
- Member, PACFA Program Accreditation Standards Reference Group, Working to set new national standards for counselling programs.
- Member, Academic Board, Ikon Institute of Australia
- Member, Teaching & Learning Committee, Ikon Institute of Australia
- Chair, Course Advisory Committee, Ikon Institute of Australia
- Chair, Teaching & Learning Committee, Metavision Institute, 2019-2024
- Member, Academic Board, Metavision Institute, 2019-2024
- Member, Course Advisory Committee, Metavision Institute, 2019-2024
- Member, Leadership Group, Education Programs Accreditation Committee, PACFA, 2019-2024
- Member, Leadership Group, ACCAPE, 2015-current
- Member, National Heads of Counselling, 2015-current
Timeline
Head of School (Counselling, Psychotherapy & Arts Therapy)
Ikon Institute of Australia
2022.08 - Current
Academic Lead
Institute for Emotion-Focused Therapy (IEFT)
2018.03 - 2022.08
Academic Lead( Melbourne) / Acting Chair of Counselling
ACAP
2015.05 - 2018.08
Head of Counselling
Phoenix Institute Victoria
2012.01 - 2015.03
Doctor of Clinical Science (Counselling & Psychotherapy) - Counselling & Psycotherapy
La Trobe University
Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Higher Education Teaching & Learning) - Higher Education
University of Sydney
Graduate Diploma in Counselling - Counselling
La Trobe University
Graduate Diploma in Conflict Resolution - Conflict Resolution & Mediation
La Trobe University
Graduate Diploma in Education (secondary) - English Language And Literature And Sociology
Monash University
Bachelor of Arts - Education
Monash University
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