Trena Buncle 

Three decades of hands-on experience with dark personalities and their targets in community, health and other settings has provided Trena with exceptionally deep insight into the complex behavioural patterns of human predators and their devastating impact on victims.  

Trena has worked in a wide range of settings and circumstances with coercive controllers, malignant narcissists, predators and other toxic individuals in both forensic and non-forensic contexts.   

She has also worked extensively with those who have been targeted by dark personalities which has included highly specialized trauma-informed, one-on-one counselling work. It has also included, where required, negotiation and advocacy work with abusers/perpetrators, law enforcement, legal representatives in the justice system, educational institutions, government bodies, and others.  

Trena has also worked for thirty years in the academic sector as an educator, supervisor and assessor of social work students in both undergraduate and post graduate programs as well as professional supervision of those in practice placements.   

In academia, Trena has contributed to curriculum development, teaching, and assessment in social work programs with a focus on ethical practice, cultural safety, and trauma-informed care. Her role as a mentor to students has been invaluable.  

Trena’s unique ability to straddle both professional practice and academia has contributed to her work in the integration of theory and practice for future social workers and has led to her management of partnerships between academia and industry bodies.  

Trena has worked directly with key political leaders, the Council of Social Services and other bodies on policy development, advice, research and service recommendations. 

Trena has decades of experience working directly on case management and client advocacy, including trauma-informed responses to individual cases. In one role, this included providing frontline support and advocacy to those historically abused as children while in institutional care.  

Trena is a passionate and active advocate for the promotion of social justice, human rights, and positive social change. She has volunteered extensively in the family court in paralegal advocacy roles where she has also had deep exposure to human predators. Trena has lived experience in her personal life with dark personalities which she also draws on in her work with victim survivors. She has a Bachelor of Social Work from Curtin University and is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers. 

At the Kalmor Institute, Trena delivers: 

  • Our tailored training programs on coercive control for law enforcement, social workers, mental health professionals, lawyers/attorneys and advocates. 

  • Our coaching programs for target-survivors. 

  • Our Masterclass programs.  

Trena has decades of experience working directly on case management and client advocacy, including trauma-informed responses to individual cases.