Daniela Gonzalez-Bea
About my work experience:
I am a registered Social Worker and a registered Clinical Arts Therapist. I have completed all of my training in Aotearoa, my practice is strongly underpinned by Te Tiriti O Waitangi and bicultural practice.
My professional journey started with Youthline as a telephone counsellor, this led me into youth work, and programme facilitation supporting youth in disability & migrant groups . I had the opportunity to facilitate programmes and delivered workshops, preventing eating disorders and enhancing a positive body image.
Later I hopped over to community mental health, where I became really close to rawness, reality and playfulness of Mental Health. I was also privileged to support older adult clients experiencing ill mental health and clients recovering from Traumatic Brain injuries.
My need to keep learning and discovering the vast world of social services soon found me working with youth again, this time supporting the NEETS team and youth transitioning to Independence from state care. It was during the last year of my pregnancy and this wonderful role when I completed my Bachelor in Social Work.
As a new graduate , with my steel cap boots and cape on, I took the leap and jumped in the Care and Protection world for 3 years. But it was on my last year working for O.T, where I realised that my journey as a Social Worker was coming to a halt, since I wanted to do more for those children and their whānau than my role allowed me to.
I was accepted into the Post Graduate in Arts Therapy, which then became the Masters in Clinical Arts Therapy.
On my first year of studies I joined the Auckland City Mission as a Social worker and journeyed with the ACM Whānau until the end of my studies where I also had the privilege of pioneering a free drop in Arts Therapy clinic.
Ever since 2019, my life has taken the most amazing professional turn, and I feel deeply rooted in the Expressive & Creative Arts Therapy field and Creative Supervision.
I now work as an independent contractor and with agencies, such as Waiheke –Living Without Violence Inc.; Benestar (EAP), Oranga Tamariki, primary schools, DTNZ and ACC –as a registered therapist for sensitive claims.
I am also passionate about the powerful folding of the Expressive Creative arts and Applied Theatre. I have been particularly interested in using Improvisation & Theatre of the Oppressed techniques as tools to help deconstruct social biases that impact negatively on our community members and supports social and political activism, conflict resolution, therapy and government legislation.