Anne Maree is the daughter of George and Patricia Lister and is the second eldest of their six children. She spent her early life in Roma then, moving with her family to Redcliffe in Year 9. Anne Maree, however, was definitely not a city kid, and she left school at sixteen to return to Roma as a trainee Enrolled Nurse. In search of adventure, she moved to Cloncurry, where she met her husband, and worked as a nurse until just before having her second child. Suffering from depression after the birth of her second child and living in a Main Roads camp with few interests outside of looking after her two young children, she decided to complete Senior Science and Maths subjects to improve her mental health. In high school, the girls of her era were actively discouraged from undertaking a complete Maths/Science course. Anne Maree got a strong sense of satisfaction in completing these subjects with good marks as an adult – and she has not stopped studying since. A favourite saying is, “there is so much to learn and so little time”. 

Anne Maree started studying for a Certificate in Youth Work by Distance Education through James Cook University because, despite having significant knowledge, she found her views were not taken seriously in her role as she did not have a university degree. As she studied and had success, she transferred into higher level courses – firstly, a Bachelor of Community Services and then a Bachelor of Social Work, and then into the Honours program, completing a thesis on the well-being of young people in high school from teachers’ perspectives. Anne Maree presented this thesis to the Suicide Prevention Conference in Cairns.

While working in Cape York as a Case Worker for Youth Justice – she felt out of her depth with the number of young people who had either attempted suicide or had witnessed the suicide of a friend or family member – and so she undertook a Master of Suicidology to ensure her competence. Later in her career, when counselling children at schools, she undertook a Graduate Diploma in Therapeutic Play to meet the needs of the children she was working with. Currently, she is studying for a Diploma in Creative Arts and Health as she sees creative therapies as a gentle approach to healing and something that will gain more acceptance from the medical community in future years.

Anne Maree is particularly interested in the neurobiology of the brain and how we can use this knowledge in our everyday interactions to improve children’s sense of safety, connections to others, and learning. She is fascinated by the wisdom evident in First Nations’ cultural practices and traditions throughout the world, which match with what neuroscience is now discovering. Anne Maree is passionate about preventing developmental trauma and educating about the long-term implications of “Adverse Childhood Experiences” with the dream that one day, we will have a much greater focus on preventing and healing trauma in our Communities.

Anne Maree lives in Normanton and has four adult children and a much-loved grandchild. She provides counselling to children at schools in the local area and strongly believes in the power of unconditional positive regard, which is a constant in her work. Her hope for this book is that it provides teachers with different ways to see and manage emotional storms in their classrooms, resulting in a love of learning for the most vulnerable students and a love of teaching for those entrusted with their education.