Michelle Payne brings a wealth of experience and dedication to her role as Team Leader at Holistic Recovery. Before having children, Michelle worked as a Mental Health Worker. After returning to the workforce, she served as an Educator at a Preschool, transitioned to a School Learning Support Officer for older children, and later worked as a Supervised Contact Worker in Foster Care. Now, she has the privilege of leading the team at Holistic Recovery. Michelle has completed a Certificate III in Children’s Services, a Diploma in Children’s Services, and an Indigenous Counselling Course (Binang Goonj). She is currently pursuing a Certificate IV in Mental Health.

Michelle is an effective communicator with a passion for helping people. She believes in treating others how she would like to be treated and has worked hard through her life experiences to grow and offer assistance to those less fortunate or in need. Living in Quirindi, Michelle enjoys the country lifestyle. She is 50 years old, married, and has three children aged 17, 19, and 21. Originally from Perth, she likes to visit her hometown as often as possible. Michelle is Indigenous and passionate about assisting and empowering her people to achieve their best.

In her downtime, Michelle enjoys watching movies and spending time with her family and animals, particularly her cat. She has a unique fondness for anything pickled, including pickled onions, gherkins, and olives. Michelle loves that every day is different at Holistic Recovery. She values her fantastic team’s strength-based approach to engaging with and supporting participants, helping them achieve their goals. Michelle’s dedication to her work and her team makes her an invaluable asset to Holistic Recovery.