Summary
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Languages
Timeline
Overview
Generic

Maria Wassink

Dolphin Heads Mackay,QLD

Summary

Counselor with a strong background helping individual clients overcome personal challenges and cope with triggering situations. Focused on facilitating the exploration of issues, developing individualized plans, and developing essential skills. Registered at the Australia Counseling Association (ACA) membership number 14647.

The approach to clients is to carefully listen to clients' stories to understand the underlying roots of the issues presented and guide clients sensitively toward self-empowering and proven strategies. Adept at responding to emergency situations calmly and respectfully.

Punctual and dedicated to service.

Organized, self-motivated, and flexible offering professional challenges utilizing interpersonal skills.

Outstanding telephone etiquette, social media, and interpersonal skills experienced in office management, and administration in business and not-for-profit organizations.

Working in the above capacities in Australia and insecure and war-torn countries as a humanitarian aid worker, working in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

This led to writing a memoir that is currently under editing to be published and developing a self-empowering course and public speaking engagement.

Interests are in capacity building and giving appropriate support. Enjoying working with people to reach new perspectives in different stages of their life and combining them with the responsibilities of managing a family.

Work History

Writer

Self Employed Writer
08.2018 - Current
  • Writing and editing high-quality memoir and developing visually impactful course material with an exciting, captivating, and authentic approach.
  • Completed thorough research into topics that required correct background information, using geographical targeting and keyword planning.
  • Utilized exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills to produce engaging and error-free content.
  • Coordinated with subject matter experts for interviews and topic generation by attending Omega Writers Conference
  • Composed original written material submitted for approval by editor and planning for possible publishers.
  • Completed accurate and polished formatting in line with publishing standards prior to submission.
  • Consulted with an editor to shape the story and eliminate any errors.
  • Used WORD, Grammarly, PerfectIt, and PDF to write and submit error-free Beta-readers copy.
  • Developed copy while adhering to legal requirements.

Group Leader

Self Employed
01.2020 - Current
  • Managed and led activities promoting growth in mental, emotional, and educational areas.
  • Working with 5 young mothers to improve life choices and maximize benefits to improve life choices and maximize benefits of staying at home- and homeschooling mother.
  • Group study leader – Prepare and teach Biblically-based topics containing practical and applicable life lessons.

Small Business Owner

Self-employeed
03.2020 - 06.2022
  • Cleaning, maintenance, and gardening services to 7 Airbnb and private houses
  • Provided elite customer service by resolving escalated problems and calmly responding to service requests.
  • Determined the best courses of action for house owners based on market trends within the hospitality branch.
  • Maintained up-to-date administrative records to monitor operational conditions.
  • Assessed quality to maintain a high-quality living and maximize business operational performance.
  • Managed purchasing materials promoting customer satisfaction.
  • Drafted invoices for completed work.
  • Maintained cleanliness and organization of Airbnb and houses, working closely with house owners.
  • Interacted well with house owners and customers to build connections and keep positive feedback from customers.
  • Informed Airbnb owners of challenges, as well as suggested resolutions.
  • Promoted positive customer experience through management of theAirbnb facility.

Volunteer

Melaleuca Refugee
01.2019 - 07.2020
  • Housing set up for arriving refugees providing household items for disadvantaged individuals and families.
  • Assisted with special events or programs.
  • Used strong interpersonal communication skills to convey information to others.
  • Supported engaging, fun, and smooth-running events by helping with organization and planning.
  • Met with program leaders to discuss new service opportunities.
  • Worked with other volunteers to help make measurable differences for program recipients in providing sewing classes.

Volunteer

Self Employed Services
01.2019 - 01.2020
  • Hospital chaplaincy – Provide counseling and palliative care support to mother with cancer and family.
  • Used strong interpersonal communication skills to convey information to others.
  • Design and teach a 10-week course - Red Line through the Bible, presenting through zoom, during the Covid lockdown period.
  • Provided immediate responses to questions from participants.

Disability Support Worker

MS Australia, Home Care
01.2016 - 01.2019
  • Transported clients to appointments, shopping venues, and entertainment events according to determine schedules.
  • Kept clients engaged in social networks and communities for personal health and growth.
  • Promoted community integration by providing extensive physical, emotional, and social support.
  • Visited home environment to help clients develop comprehensive life, IT- technical skills.
  • Cooked meals to support healthy nutrition.
  • Providing driver services and accessing the community for social or recreational activities.
  • Assisted clients with daily living need to maintain self-esteem and general wellness.
  • Assisted with daily living activities, running errands, and household chores.
  • Laundered items, changed sheets and made bed to keep patients' bedrooms clean.
  • Provided compassionate and patient-focused care to cultivate well-being.
  • Transported clients to and from medical appointments with safety and efficiency.
  • Provided safe mobility support to help patients move around personal and public spaces.
  • Transported individuals to events and activities, medical appointments, and shopping trips.
  • Entrusted to handle confidential and sensitive situations in aprofessional matter.
  • Applied mobility assistance knowledge to safely ambulate patients in different spaces involving varying elevations and obstacles.

Course Leader, Coordinator, Counsellor and Trainer

Elijah House Councillor
01.2009 - 01.2019
  • Scheduled and taught in-class and online courses to increase learning opportunities.
  • Facilitate training sessions and training people in appropriate counseling technics;
  • Administrative support and financial reconciliation after conducting courses;
  • Attending to Individual Client consults.
  • Coordinate and lead Teams in group counseling sessions.
  • Tech support on sound desk and projector management
  • Gathered and organized materials to support operations.
  • Performed continuous evaluations of content and plans in order to enhance delivery and improve effectiveness. Gathered and organized supplementary material to support structured lessons.
  • Managed office activities by maintaining communication between clients, tracking records, and filing all documents.
  • Oversaw technical, operational, clerical, and customer service support activities.
  • Controlled expenditures and working with the accounting department to manage budgets.
  • Aided colleagues, managers, and customers through regular communication and assistance.
  • Developed revisions for systems and procedures by evaluating operational practices and identifying improvement opportunities.
  • Managed filing systems for electronic and hard copy documents to keep organized records.
  • Recorded and edited videos for use in later courses.
  • Received and responded to students' requests via letters, emails, telephone calls and in-person interactions.
  • Met with faculty members regularly to discuss courses and improvement options.
  • Facilitated group study or tutoring sessions for several students at once.
  • Attended assigned class sessions and served as role model for current students.
  • Managed conference scheduling.
  • Tutored students individually in different subjects.

TESOL teacher

Self Employed Services
01.2014 - 11.2014
  • Teacher of English to a group of Karen to 2-8 refugees with zero-beginners English
  • Develop, prepare and deliver English lessons. Created new lesson plans based on course objectives.
  • Educated students on the basics of English grammar and conversational speaking.
  • Gave one-on-one attention to each student while maintaining overall focus on the entire group.
  • Administered and graded tests and assignments to evaluate student progress.
  • Taught ESL curriculum to improve students' conversational abilities.
  • Developed activities and integrated technology to diversify instruction.
  • Documented student attendance and progress against goals.
  • Coordinated communication between students and school administration to create a culturally-sensitive learning environment.
  • Used positive reinforcement and provided clear feedback to help students succeed.
  • Personalized instruction based on the needs, interests, and capabilities of individual students.
  • Provided individual mentoring and special tutoring to struggling students.

Coordinator

Mothers Of Preschoolers, MOPS
01.2006 - 01.2009
  • Public speaking and delivering content to Programs of MOPS International. This program exists to encourage equip and develop every mother of pre-schoolers to realize their potential as women, mother, and leader
  • Leading the Steering Team and acting as liaison between MOPS national and the Chartering Ministry
  • Coordination of the local Steering Team existing of 7 co-leaders.
  • Gathered and organized materials to support operations.
  • Aided co-workers and participants through regular communication and assistance.
  • Managed filing systems for electronic and hard copy documents to keep organized records.
  • Oversaw technical, operational, clerical, and customer service support activities. Controlled expenditures.
  • Developed revisions for systems and procedures by evaluating operational practices and identifying improvement opportunities.
  • Oversaw project logistics.
  • Managed program contents and scheduling curriculum

Office Administrator and Human Resources Officer

International Humanitarian Aid Org Medair,
01.2001 - 01.2002
  • Hospitality Base for Humanitarian Aid programs in Uganda to 80,000 war-displaced people in NE Uganda in the water&sanitation, health, construction, and psychosocial sectors
  • Medair is an international non-governmental organization NGO of humanitarian aid with a stated mission, "to relieve suffering in some of the world’s most remote and devastated places." Based in Switzerland their projects and programs are focused on relief&rehabilitation. This organization is ISO 9001 certified worldwide.
  • Applied advanced administrative and analytical skills in overseeing day-to-day operational activities.
  • HR administration and legislation (30 staff)
  • Coordinated communications, financial processing, registration, recordkeeping, and other administrative functions.
  • Managing all national and expatriates staff regarding HR issues
  • Providing Pastoral Care for field personnel
  • Training of local staff
  • Hospitality and base logistics

Logistics Coordinator

International Humanitarian Aid Org Medair
01.1999 - 01.2000
  • Medair was involved in the Kosovo refugee crisis of 1999, starting an 8 months emergency shelter program for returnees from Albania, aiming to provide 1000 families in urban and rural areas with a roof, one dry room for the winter and household and Hygiene items.
  • Personnel manager, planning of Human resources
  • Administration and data base management for accountability and tracking
  • Processed and entered beneficiaries details into database and provided proactive customer service for accounts.
  • Handled high-volume paperwork and collaborated with administrators to resolve invoicing and shipping problems.
  • Generated documentation and information required for shipments of materials.
  • Management of distribution team of 6 local workers at 3 distribution points in heavily mined and war-torn area
  • Procurement and distribution of building materials for roof reconstruction
  • Planned and supervised shipments from production to beneficiaries.
  • Sourced materials and labor to meet facility construction needs.
  • Liaised between warehouse personnel and beneficiaries to facilitate account and operational needs.
  • Maintained excellent working relationships with beneficiaries by efficiently responding to inquiries and complaints concerning Aid provided.
  • Produced daily status reports detailing logistic operations and problems.
  • Managed loading, unloading, movement and sorting of supplies to keep deliveries on schedule.
  • Completed timely data entry of new materials, shipped and delivered containers and placed in accurate storage locations.
  • Printed tickets, picked supplies and filled packages under tight deadlines.
  • Explained proposed solutions to customers, management and other interested parties through written proposals and oral presentations.

Team Leader

International Humanitarian Aid Org Medair
01.1998 - 01.1999
  • Medair was involved in food relief in the 1998 famine in South Sudan
  • This phase of the project focused on maintaining operation of therapeutic feeding, an immunization program, school support program, seed distribution and construction of a leprosy clinic:
  • Set up, run and monitor a women literacy course of 6 weeks
  • Set up, run and monitor school distribution for 20 rural schools
  • Report writing; Field finances;
  • Logistics, Teacher, Administrator
  • HR Manager for a team of 10 people in the field,
  • Safety focus point of the team in heavily mined and war-torn area
  • Demonstrated knowledge of company mission and goals and mentored employees in reaching objectives aligned with Organisation core values.
  • Established open and professional relationships with team members to achieve quick resolutions for various issues.
  • Hospitality of the team of 7 expatriate members, improved team living conditions
  • Coordination with other NGO’s in the same location;
  • Implementing Children Immunization Programs for children in remote cattle camps
  • Volunteered in overseas locations and in various roles.
  • Taught local peoples skills to improve living conditions.
  • De-escalated and resolved conflicts between local peoples and missionary representatives.
  • Led groups volunteers on community service missions through areas to preach, educate on Bible teachings and promote Hygienic living
  • Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
  • Carried out day-day-day duties accurately and efficiently.
  • Quickly learned new skills and applied them to daily tasks, improving efficiency and productivity.

Radio Programmer and Prison counsellor

Radio Semiya, Trans World Radio, Adullam
02.1994 - 01.1997
  • Production of 22 radio programs for 3 Radio Stations on Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba
  • Creating informative-, educative-, children- youth- programs and be in charge of live broadcasts
  • Giving counselling and initiating reintegration program for women prisoners.
  • Administration, Correspondence, creating library system, accountancy for small missionary organization

Education

Attendence Certificates - Counselling

PeaceWise Ltd
New Sout Wales, Parramatta
2019

Diploma in Counseling - Counseling

Aifc Australian Institute For Family Counseling
Perth, WA
2018

Certificate IV - Teaching English As A Second Language

TESOL
Perth, WA
2014

Certificate III - Counseling And Ministry

Elijah House Ministries
Perth, WA
2014

Certificate IV - Biblical Ministry

Perth Bible COllege
Perth, WA
2006

Skills

  • Therapist Assistance; Providing Guidance
  • Root Cause Analysis Participation
  • Behavior Management Techniques
  • Recordkeeping and Confidentiality
  • Adaptability and Dependability; Special assignments
  • Social Justice; Community Service, Volunteer
  • Clerical Support; Telephone Etiquette
  • Teamwork and Collaboration; Logistics: Material Handling
  • Verbal and Written Communication; Computer Skills; MS Office
  • Youth Ministry; Positive Reinforcement Methods
  • Adult Education; Communication

OTHER:

Driver License: Class C

Blue Card Working with Children 2093262/1

Affiliations

Australia Counselling Association (ACA) membership number 14647

Languages

English
Full Professional
Dutch
Native or Bilingual
German
Elementary

Timeline

Small Business Owner

Self-employeed
03.2020 - 06.2022

Group Leader

Self Employed
01.2020 - Current

Volunteer

Melaleuca Refugee
01.2019 - 07.2020

Volunteer

Self Employed Services
01.2019 - 01.2020

Writer

Self Employed Writer
08.2018 - Current

Disability Support Worker

MS Australia, Home Care
01.2016 - 01.2019

TESOL teacher

Self Employed Services
01.2014 - 11.2014

Course Leader, Coordinator, Counsellor and Trainer

Elijah House Councillor
01.2009 - 01.2019

Coordinator

Mothers Of Preschoolers, MOPS
01.2006 - 01.2009

Office Administrator and Human Resources Officer

International Humanitarian Aid Org Medair,
01.2001 - 01.2002

Logistics Coordinator

International Humanitarian Aid Org Medair
01.1999 - 01.2000

Team Leader

International Humanitarian Aid Org Medair
01.1998 - 01.1999

Radio Programmer and Prison counsellor

Radio Semiya, Trans World Radio, Adullam
02.1994 - 01.1997

Attendence Certificates - Counselling

PeaceWise Ltd

Diploma in Counseling - Counseling

Aifc Australian Institute For Family Counseling

Certificate IV - Teaching English As A Second Language

TESOL

Certificate III - Counseling And Ministry

Elijah House Ministries

Certificate IV - Biblical Ministry

Perth Bible COllege

Overview

35
35
years of professional experience

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Maria Wassink