Our Team
Founder
Penny Wilkinson
B. Bus, M.Couns, PACFA Reg Clinical Counsellor #24365, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP)
PACFA Registered Clinical Supervisor
Penny founded The Overcomers Place in 2020 to address the need for an accessible and effective all-addictions day program. Her trauma-informed model focuses on abstinence through relational group therapy, skills development, and peer support—built on the principles of care, connection, and community. Penny has been able to volunteer her time over the last seven years to have established the service of The Overcomers Place. Today, Penny volunteers as our Clinical Supervisor for The Overcomers Place and also Fundraising Patron.
The program fosters neurobiological safety, enabling participants to expand their Window of Tolerance and engage their Prefrontal Cortex, essential for learning skills to build human connections and supportive communities. With over 75 years of combined lived experience, the Specialist Addiction Counsellors at The Overcomers Place deliver intensive group sessions that support the development of lasting neural pathways for long-term recovery.
Penny has worked as an Addiction and Trauma Recovery Specialist in Private Practice since 2005. A Registered Clinical Counsellor and Accredited Supervisor with PACFA, she is also a globally recognized Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP). With over 22 years of personal experience with addiction in her family, Penny is dedicated to supporting others with compassion and expertise.
Our Therapists
The Overcomers Place team of Specialist Addiction Counsellors brings extensive experience in the addictions sector, with many team members having lived experience in recovery. Our compassionate therapists have worked with a variety of support services, including Lifeline, Wesley Mission, Glebe House, Anglicare, and other public and private rehabilitation and hospital settings.
We proudly support a tradition of employing former clients as staff members. After completing treatment and obtaining the necessary qualifications, these individuals bring invaluable lived experience and empathy to their roles, enhancing our commitment to trauma-informed care
Grounded in our core values of care, connection, and community, our team is dedicated to supporting clients in their recovery journey. We prioritize neurobiological safety through a foundation of care, teaching safe attachment and connection skills, and fostering a supportive community through group therapy. Our goal is to help individuals return to their families and communities free from the grip of addiction—physically, mentally, and spiritually.
With expertise in recovery, nervous system regulation, and attachment theory, our counsellors are skilled in approaches such as 12-Step Recovery, interpersonal neurobiology, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), internal family systems, and narrative therapy. All are grounded in trauma-informed practice.
Our team of qualified psychotherapists and counsellors is regulated by professional bodies like PACFA (Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation Australia) and ACA (Australian Counselling Association). We are committed to walking alongside our clients, providing the support they need for long-term, sustainable recovery.
Our CEO
Dawna Leung
MEd., Master of Psychotherapy & Counselling, Certified Practicing Counsellor-
PACFA# 33123, Youth Justice Convenor
At The Overcomers Place, we are guided by lived experience- grounded in the belief
that healing happens through community, not just as an idea, but as a practice we
embody every day.
As CEO, this ethos shapes how I lead. It is informed by my own journey through
addiction and recovery, my clinical training as a psychotherapist and counsellor
(Master of Psychotherapy and Counselling, Western Sydney University), and over
sixteen years of building and growing a purpose-driven language school for children.
I understand, both personally and professionally, that recovery is not a solitary path.
It unfolds through connection, in spaces where people feel safe enough to be
vulnerable, and where that vulnerability is met with compassion, care, and respect.
I step into this role with deep respect for the foundation laid by our founder, Penny
Wilkinson, whose courage and lived experience shaped The Overcomers Place. It is
a privilege to carry her vision forward, while thoughtfully supporting the organisation
to expand its reach and deepen its impact.
Our approach is trauma-informed and centred on safety. Through abstinence-based
support, relational group therapy, skills development, and peer connection, we create
environments where the nervous system can begin to settle. From this place, healing
can unfold. We support individuals to widen their window of tolerance, build secure
and meaningful relationships, and find a recovery community that walks alongside
them.
Before this chapter, I founded and led an international language school for sixteen
years. What began as a personal desire to connect my children to their cultural
heritage grew into a thriving and diverse community. That experience shaped my
leadership and reinforced my belief in the importance of connection, identity, and
belonging.
Today, I bring together lived experience, clinical insight, and an entrepreneurial
mindset to serve a mission that matters deeply to me: ensuring The Overcomers
Place remains a safe, inclusive, and supportive space where anyone in recover from
addiction can find courage, connection, and lasting recovery.
Recovery is possible and no one has to walk this path alone.