Magdalen Ser

MSc Family Therapy ( King's College London)

Family Therapist 

 Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (MAASW)

Accredited EMDR Practitioner (EMDRAA)

Neurofeedback Practitioner (EEG, USA)

Deep Brain Reorienting Practitioner (DBR,UK)

Magdalen is a trauma and relational therapist with over 30 years of international clinical practice in the UK, New Zealand, Singapore and Australia across the health, mental health, community and education sectors.

Her clinical work is grounded in a deep and systemic understanding of attachment, intergenerational trauma, nervous system regulation and relational healing.

She is the founder of Illumine Psychotherapy and Counselling, a private practice based in Wheelers Hill, Melbourne, where she works with adults experiencing complex trauma and longstanding relational difficulties.

Stewarding the Legacy of Small Figures Work

In 2008, Magdalen attended her first Small Figures Work training with Dr John Barton — psychotherapist, Balint Group Leader and medical doctor.

 This proved to be a pivotal moment in her clinical development.

The method deeply resonated with her systemic and relational understanding of psychological distress and therapeutic change — offering a practical and creative way of helping clients access insight, emotional movement and new possibilities for change.

For over 18 years, Magdalen has integrated Small Figures Work into her practice across a wide range of presentations including trauma, addiction, attachment difficulties and entrenched relational patterns. She has witnessed the significant impact this approach can have in helping clients move beyond stuckness towards greater agency, healing and more meaningful relationships.

Clinical Lineage

Over many years, Magdalen maintained a close professional relationship with Dr Barton — attending, organising and co-facilitating workshops, while continually refining and integrating the method into her own practice.

Following Dr Barton's retirement at the end of 2024, she is honoured to continue this important legacy by training clinicians to incorporate Small Figures Work into their existing therapeutic practice.  Dr Barton generously continues to offer his mentorship and guidance.

Her teaching combines decades of clinical experience, deep familiarity with the approach and a warm, practical style of learning.

Dr Barton acknowledged Dr Carlos Raimundo, creator of Play of Life, as a foundational influence on the development of this work.