Joanie Bartolo is the principal consultant at Emotion Wise. She is a qualified social worker and an accredited Tuning in to Kids™ practitioner. She holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology and Sociology, and a Masters in Professional Communication. Joanie has worked with children and families for over 18 years, and has been consulting for 8 years. This includes work with educators, community service staff and professionals across Victoria.
Joanie has a particular interest in and passion for working with children who have experienced trauma, and believes in fostering the relationship between children and their families. Joanie played a key role in developing and coordinating the Catalyst program – now known as Track – which was the first therapeutic foster care program for children who experienced trauma and sexual abuse in Victoria. She has had a number of roles in Out of Home Care, including the training, recruitment and assessment of foster carers. In addition, she was the team leader for an adolescent foster care program. Joanie has also held coordinator roles involving promotions, communications and fundraising for various organisations, including Berry Street, Victoria.
Joanie is a mother and believes that every child deserves to have their feelings heard and understood with empathy and compassion. She thrives on working with families and professionals who have their children’s best interests at heart.