Jan lived her grown up life in Education and Educational Leadership until her daughter Bronte’s eating disorder caused an abrupt change in career.

Now, 30 years on from Bronte’s story, when she should really be put out to pasture, Jan spends her days translating the language of the intersection of neurodivergence and eating disorders to anyone who will listen. 

She has become a powerful voice for people who are excluded and marginalised because of difference, and is passionate about empowering carers and Insiders to advocate for themselves in order to have their needs heard and met.

Jan holds a Masters degree in Education (Leadership, Policy and Change) but uses none of her formal studies in her role within Door 2… other than the teaching bit, stating that “the rest is all crap really”.  What truly qualifies Jan to work within this community is her lived experience and the incredible Insiders and Carers who have trusted her with their stories and have taught her everything she knows.

Jan always wanted to be bilingual and, since learning the language of the Insider and the secret language of of the eating disorder, she might just have achieved this!

Outside of work, Jan spends her time with her 4 amazing ‘grown up’ kids, 9 grandchildren whom she loves with all her heart, and a crazy menagerie of cows, ponies and puppies on her farm in beautiful West Gippsland, Australia.

Lynn never planned on becoming an expert in human suffering, but stumbled across her special healing power when her daughter developed an eating disorder at age 13.

Lynn understands the day-to-day reality of caring for someone in deep distress; the courage it takes, and the uncertainty it can bring.

Upon discovering the abysmal state of available care, Lynn was a founding member of Eating Disorder Families Australia (EDFA) and spent the next 8 years building their Education Program.

Lynn met Jan in 2019 and was inspired by the values and depth of understanding that underpin the work at Door2, as well as the community it offered. She then started her migration to her natural, spiritual home right here at Door 2!

Now, Lynn is a qualified Mental Health Peer Support Worker and uses her expertise to assist Carers in navigating their own loved one’s eating disorder and recovery.

She specialises in supporting Carers navigating the complexities of eating disorders, neurodivergence, and co-occurring mental health challenges. Her peer support is grounded, compassionate, and informed by both personal and professional wisdom. Lynn has supported many through incredibly challenging times, offering hope, practical insight, and a unique peer perspective.

Outside of work, Lynn loves playing tennis and spending time with her family and friends.

Jenny hails from a 30 year background in Veterinary Nursing and Practice Management, and is quite literally the heartbeat of Door2.

When her daughter developed an eating disorder, her search for answers became frustrating and traumatic. She seemed too difficult, complex but this was because no one looked beyond the behaviours to understand what she was trying to communicate.

Early in 2020, Jenny attended a session presented by Jan and knew right away that this is where she wanted and needed to be.

Jenny is the reason that Door2 functions and exists in the way it does. She manages all of the administrative and technical aspects of Door2, working tirelessly to ensure Door2 members can access the resources they need and that the Door2 team are supported and cared for. 

We would be lost without her. Good thing she is low maintenance; a white bread cheese sandwich, can of V, mobile phone and a ‘can do’ attitude are all Jenny needs to make everything work.  We’re  pretty sure she sleeps at her desk.

When she is not at her desk, Jenny enjoys hanging out with her family, walking the family dog and thinking about how she can get back to her desk.

Did we say that we would be lost without her?

Mainstream treatment made Audrey’s suffering immeasurably worse. She thought there was no hope… then she met Jan.

After Jan empowered Audrey to reclaim her voice and get better from her eating disorder, Jan, Audrey, Issy, Ruby and Lynn came up with the crazy idea that ultimately became Door2!

Audrey has always had an interest in subversive ideas as well as a strong sense of justice. Subsequently, she found herself drawn to studying a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) and recently attained her Master Degree in Bioethics.

Audrey draws upon her lived experience, as well as her studies, to help Carers and Insiders advocate for themselves whilst navigating the mainstream system. Audrey also translates the Insider experience and educates Door2 members, alongside the other members of the Door2 team. 

Audrey is looking forward to changing the system, not just here in Australia but anywhere where Insider rights are violated.

Outside of work, Audrey loves puzzling over cryptic crosswords, reading in unusual places, being outside and singing, laughing and dancing with her twin and other favourite people.

Issy is famous for coining the phrase, “I’m thinking about thinking about it” to describe the extent to which meaningful change for an Insider must be a slow and gentle process.

When Issy met Jan, she and her family were stuck inside Family Based Therapy and 10 years of the daily cycle of trauma this lead to.

Everyone, literally everyone had given up and then she found Jan who invited Issy to use her voice and do recovery her way, literally and metaphorically.

As a mentor for Carers and Insiders in Door2, Issy is an expert at helping others understand the inner rhetoric, the narrative and ‘voice’ of the eating disorder, often blowing everyone’s mind in the process.

Issy is creative, spontaneous and since reclaiming her voice, is deeply involved in the practice of speaking up.

Issy holds a Bachelor of Arts (Music), is an Aerial artist, award winning Pole artist, musician, vocal artist.

She is looking forward to creating a life that makes sense for her, not to please others.

Outside of Door2, Issy loves hanging out with her dog Fozzie who is attuned to everything “Issy”.  She also loves teaching Pole, helping others shine and spending time with her enormous Italian family. 

Tabi’s soul radiates kindness and there is no one who is not affected by her special gift. She takes everyone on a journey to understand how being made to feel different can have devastating and long lasting impacts on the human soul. 

Despite the sadness that these experiences created and the impact they had on her emerging sense of self, Tabi exemplifies all that is good and right in humankind. 

Her generosity, willingness to forgive and desire to make the lives of others just that little bit better, is a reflection of who she is. 

Tabi helps Carers and Insiders understand the inner dialogue, the narrative that fuels the eating disorder mind, and how this can be confirmed by the trauma of life and the actions of others. 

Tabi is a K Pop enthusiast and has danced her way around the globe. And her ultimate dream? To be a Disney Princess and sprinkle joy and glitter everywhere she goes - which in our eyes, she has already achieved.  

Outside of Door2, Tabi loves spending time with her mum and brother in a house full of bossy Maine Coon cats, dreaming up and creating the gifts she gives to others while leaving a trail of fairydust behind.

Bronte’s story was captured and told by Ray Martin and the Nine Network in Australia and spanned 10 year period from 1995 to 2005.

When Bronte left Australia and headed to Canada for residential eating disorder treatment, she was separated from her family for almost 5 years. It was a time of trauma for Bronte and her family.

Bronte calls these her ‘missing years’, often reflecting upon how different her life might have been had she not lost her entire adolescence to her illness and the abusive treatment she was subjected to.

Door2 has been transformational for Bronte, helping her heal from the trauma of treatment and find her authentic voice. She is a regular on the podcast and a mentor in the carer program. Bronte’s unique ability to describe her negative mind, the narrative and voice that fuelled her eating disorder, literally blows everyone’s mind.

Bronte has a double degree in Fine Arts and Education, is an Educator and Carer to 2 neurospicy kids who are amazingly insightful because of their amazing mum.

Bronte is an expert in Education and Neurodivergence and brings this unique lens to our Door2 community. 

Outside of her role in Door2, Bronte is a highly respected Educator and enjoys camping, boating, skiing and everything to do with being in the great outdoors with her family and Border Collie Finn.

Tayla found her role at Door2 through her personal connection with Bronte, and after falling in love with the rest of the team she didn’t see how she could ever leave.

Tayla (Tay) graduated from Monash Uni with an honours degree in Occupational Therapy. Her OT journey began as soon as she found out what OT was!

She loved volunteering while at school, supporting children and young adults with disabilities, and helping her friends achieve anything, big or small. After school she worked as an integration aide at a primary school and then a support worker for several years while she completed her studies.

Her passions include animals, dance, art and nature and she values being creative, open-minded and curious. She has always endeavoured to think outside the box, recognise differences, seek perspectives and build trust.

Her favourite part about being an OT is helping others set their world up to be less scary and overwhelming, in order to do the things they want and need to do. Without Tayla, none of us would function! 

Outside Door2 Tay loves trying to walk Pumpkin her cat on a lead and pretend he is a dog. She literally wishes he could live in a see-through bubble back pack and go everywhere with her. Sadly he doesn’t agree, yet.  Compliance is not his thing.

Rachael is Door2’s favourite dietitian, not just because she has worked with Jan for the past 20 years but becuase she naturally embodies the values of Door2 in her life and her practice.

Rachael listens to the voice of the individual, accepting where they are at and focuses on building connection and trust in the therapeutic relationship to facilitate meaningful and lasting change.

Rachael has the amazing ability to establish trust and hold a safe space for Insiders to grow capacity to trust food again and make the changes involved in recovery.

She educates, gently encourages, dispels myths and reframes, without breaching consent or pushing too harshly.

Rachael gifts people the opportunity and support to find food freedom, and understands that with food freedom comes freedom within all areas of life.

Rachael lives in the beautiful Sunshine State in Australia and spends her free time chasing after her two sons and being the hostess with the mostess.

Even though she swore she would never be a dog parent, she has embraced this role as she does everything that comes her way; looking glamorous and secretly whispering her love language to Kiki the Labradoodle, when others are not in earshot.

Ruby is currently on her own healing journey, reclaiming her voice, her truth and returning home to herself. She met Audrey at a time when hope felt lost. Audrey introduced her to Jan, and in doing so, gifted her voice back, one she thought she'd lost.

Ruby aspires to offer that same gift to everyone she crosses paths with; a space to land, feel safe and heard.

Art is her sanctuary; a place to feel, process, and connect - to herself, to others, and to all that is.

Ruby is exploring the pathway to becoming an Art Therapist, driven by her deep desire to support others to navigate their inner world through creativity and connection.

She believes in the power of gentleness, the importance of presence, and living authentically.

Outside Door2 you will find Ruby painting, writing, practising yoga, or immersed in nature and surrounded by the people she loves including Frank, the Cavoodle (who thinks he is human) and in the service of Esme, her feline master.

Kirsty first crossed paths with the Door2 in search of the truth, a kind and compassionate space to learn and grow and further her on her path as truth teller and advocate for those seeking to find their voice.

This quest started much earlier in the academic world and she completed undergraduate and post graduate degrees in Anthropology and became an international ethnographer, a keeper and sharer of stories, at times a story teller and translator, only ever working with the most vulnerable, the unseen, the pained, and the often ignored.

With a passion that all who walk this earth have exactly equal worth, having repeatedly navigated her own stuckness in the terror spaces as a carer, Kirsty is ready to advocate, support storytelling, use her trauma informed personal and professional learnings to advocate tirelessly for people who are being ignored, unseen and unheard.

Her heart is the megaphone for change, her brain is command central and her spirit is the eternal guide. She feels absolute gratitude to be with you in what she calls ‘Hope's waiting room’. Peace.  

Terri is a proud mum to an incredibly brave, creative, and wise daughter who continues to inspire her every day. With a background in customer service, she has spent many years connecting with people across a wide range of industries.

In 2021, after four years of FBT that had left both Terri and her daughter traumatised and completely stuck, they were at a loss for how to move forward. It was during this time that Terri connected with what was then a pilot program – an early version of what would later become Door2. 

She joined eight other families in a six-week journey of connection, education, and support. By the end of the program, Terri – along with the other families – felt so deeply connected to one another and to the extraordinary Insider Mentors that the idea for a permanent program was born.

What followed was a journey she never could have imagined – one filled with compassion, learning, and genuine hope. Today, with her daughter now engaged in life, caring for wildlife, and completing undergraduate studies – something neither of them ever imagined possible – Terri is honoured to be giving back by supporting Jan, Lynn, Jenny, and the team behind the scenes. She works closely with the Door2 admin team to ensure that every member of the program experiences the inclusion, flexibility, and safe space that Door2 is known for.

Outside of Door2, Terri shares her home with her daughter and her ever-growing wildlife care, wrangling these new relationships alongside a rather large black lab and a cat who’s fairly certain she’s human.