Zakiya (Zeze) Mitanis is a highly experienced and qualified Social Worker, Counsellor, and Psychotherapist, family therapist, and children counsellor  with extensive expertise across mental health, trauma, alcohol and other drugs (AOD), forensic counselling, and family therapy. She holds a Master of Social Work (Qualifying, 2025), a Graduate Diploma in Psychology from Victoria University, a Master of Counselling, and a Bachelor of Psychology from the University of Jordan. She is also a Clinical Member of the Australian Counselling

With over 20 years of professional experience, Zakiya has worked across diverse sectors including community health, forensic services, family violence, family therapist , children counselling, youth counselling and national helplines. She has held key roles with Medibank Health as a Multilingual Counsellor across Beyond Blue, Quitline, and 1800RESPECT, where she provided crisis intervention, suicide risk assessment, trauma-informed care, and behavioural change support. Her work includes supporting individuals affected by domestic violence, mental health challenges, and addiction, using evidence-based approaches such as CBT, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused therapy.

Zakiya has also worked as a Senior Clinician in AOD and forensic counselling, delivering complex case management, bio-psycho-social assessments, and court-related interventions. Her experience extends to education, where she has taught counselling and community services, and supervised students across multiple institutions.

Worked across various universities and colleges in Victoria as a lecturer and assessor, gaining valuable insight into students’ mental health and psychosocial issues.

During her recent clinical research placement at Victorian Arabic Social Services, she developed culturally responsive tools to support refugees and migrants affected by trauma and displacement, demonstrating strong advocacy for culturally safe and equitable service access.

Fluent in English and Arabic, Zakiya brings a culturally informed, client centred approach to her work, underpinned by strong leadership, communication, and research skills. She is deeply committed to social justice, empowerment, and improving outcomes for vulnerable and diverse communities.