Sheree Schonian is an award-winning survivor leader, counsellor, and internationally bestselling author who has spent over two decades impacted by family and domestic violence, first as a child witnessing her mother’s abuse, and later surviving her own 16-year relationship marked by physical, emotional, financial, sexual, and psychological violence. Today, she transforms that lived experience into a powerful force for change, driving systemic reform and trauma-informed recovery across Australia.
Sheree is a trusted advisor to government, community, and corporate sectors — known for her strategic insight, authenticity, and fierce advocacy. She played a leading role in Western Australia’s landmark coercive control campaign, collaborating with fellow advocates and key stakeholders, and launching it alongside the Premier of Western Australia.
A long-standing Agent of Change for the Department of Communities, Sheree works at the intersection of policy, practice, and healing. Her work spans survivor-led program design, safety technology, and frontline training and she is regularly engaged by some of Australia’s most influential organisations.
Whether she’s delivering a keynote, consulting on legislation, or walking beside women in crisis, Sheree brings lived wisdom, professional expertise, and unstoppable leadership to every space she enters — turning survival into impact, and story into legacy.