About Us

Naomi has been a psychologist for over twenty years and has focused on working with children and young people. Naomi has a broad range of experience in working with children’s emotional, social, behavioural and learning needs. She has a strong interest in Autism Spectrum Disorders, both in assessment and treatment and in working with children experiencing anxiety and behaviour difficulties.

Naomi will draw from Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness Therapy in her work with children and their families.

While Naomi works predominantly with primary school aged children, she has a passion for working with adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Naomi also provides clinical supervision to the other psychologists in the Centre.

Please note Naomi is not currently available to take on new therapy clients.

Sharon is a Registered Psychologist with a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology. She has considerable experience in working with both children and teenagers as a School Psychologist, a Drug and Alcohol Counsellor, and as a Psychologist in private practice. Sharon is also a qualified Primary School Teacher and Art Therapist. Her professional experience is enriched in being the mother of two gorgeous and at times challenging sons.

Whether it be difficulties at home or school, with family or friends, with playing or learning, Sharon describes her work with children as “just helping to make things better”. When necessary she takes on the role of child/teenager translator, mediator and advocate, to improve communication with the child’s network.

She is skilled in assisting with issues arising from

separation anxiety and school refusal
depression, suicidal ideation and self harm
family conflict from parenting a strong-willed child/teenager
adjustments to family separation or divorce
building resilience and self-esteem
bullying and study and social difficulties
learning difficulties (SLD: Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Sharon’s primary intervention with her clients is based on Interpersonal Therapy.  Her focus is on developing a positive rapport with clients. Sharon then employs evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) that addresses her clients thinking, behaviour, and feelings.

Sharon often works with all her clients’ families and other stakeholder’s including teachers, paediatricians, and allied health professionals, towards improving her client’s over-all well-being.

Candice is a Psychologist with a passion for working with children, adolescents and their families. She has experience working with young people of all ages and backgrounds and seeks to provide a safe, accepting and growth-promoting counselling environment.

Acknowledging the uniqueness of every client, Candice draws from a range of therapeutic approaches to assist children and their families to work through difficulties such as depression, anxiety, life changes, school issues and trauma responses. Approaches include Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Trauma Informed care, Mindfulness Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Simone is a registered psychologist with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. She has experience working with children, adolescents and their families in a variety of settings.

Simone is passionate about working with children and their families to support emotional well being, optimise overall functioning and work towards their therapeutic goals. She has a particular interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder and has experience working in early intervention for children with autism, utilising ABA therapy. She is also specially interested in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and panic as well as social, behavioural and learning difficulties.

Her therapeutic approach draws from evidence based therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Applied Behavioural Analysis, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness; as appropriate for each individual. When working with children, Simone recognises the benefit of family involvement in the therapeutic process and embraces systemic family therapy whenever possible.

Carl has experience providing counselling to children, adolescents, and families.  Carl acknowledges that all children and adolescents are unique and require an individualised approach to support their needs.  He also recognises that starting counselling can be often anxiety-provoking, and has a warm, soothing, and energetic approach for all clients.

Carl has a Masters in Psychology (Professional) and utilises a number of evidence-based approaches to support children and their families with difficulties in learning, mental health, and behaviour.  These approaches include solution focussed brief therapy (SFBT), cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), and positive behaviour support.

Carl has a keen interest in developing children for life in the digital age, anxiety disorders, and gender identity.

Laura is a Registered Psychologist with a background in Psychology and Disability Studies.

As a psychologist she is passionate about creating a down to earth, safe and nurturing therapeutic environment in which her clients will be supported to explore their strengths, overcome their challenges and realise their full potential. She has a special interest in supporting young people and their families, as well as supporting individuals living with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Laura’s approach is grounded in developing an individualised plan for each client, and then drawing on a range of evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Positive Behaviour Support, Applied Behaviour Analysis, and Solution-Focused Therapy as appropriate to the individual and their family’s unique needs and goals.

Christina is a Registered Psychologist with a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. She has worked in the mental health sector across a variety of settings including public and private hospitals, government mental health services, secondary and tertiary education settings, and non-government organisations. She feels passionate about working with children and young people to create meaningful change in their lives.

She is particularly interested in supporting children and adolescents with depression and anxiety, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and those who identify as LGBTI+. She utilises a variety of therapeutic approaches when working with young people and their families, and tailors her treatment approaches to the individual needs of each client. In her everyday life Christina loves to play music, and she will bring music into the therapy room if she feels it will add value to your sessions!

Toni has a dual role at the Centre as she works as a Behaviour Therapist in the ABACAS team two days a week. On her other day, Toni will also have caseload of clients as a provisional psychologist in the Centre.

Toni has completed her Masters in Psychology (Professional) and a Graduate Diploma of Education (School Psychology) which have provided her with the skills to implement a variety of evidence-based counselling techniques and therapeutic solutions for children, adolescents and families. She can support young people with difficulties in learning, mental health, and behaviour using approaches like Solution Focussed Brief Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Positive Behaviour Support, and Applied Behaviour Analysis.

Toni has a keen interest in working with young people on the Autism Spectrum, anxiety and depression, as well as helping young people navigate LGBTI+ identity.

Katrina is a provisional psychologist who is a strong advocate for creating positive change. Katrina completed her Master of Psychology (Professional) and has worked alongside clients across the lifespan. However, she holds a particular passion for working with children, young people, and their families.

In her practice, Katrina conveys a warm, empathetic, and non-judgemental stance, creating a space for clients to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences without fear of judgement.

Approaching each session with an openness, Katrina values the importance of working side by side with each client as they journey towards their therapy goals. Katrina believes that recognising the uniqueness of each client is pivotal to positive outcomes. Her approach to intervention is therefore highly collaborative, drawing on both clients’ needs and preferences as well as from a range of evidence-based interventions.

Melanie is a registered psychologist with over 20 years of experience working with children and adolescents and their families.

She has a holistic approach to well-being, and her areas of interest include prevention and early intervention of mental health problems and challenging behaviours in children.  She draws from a range of evidence-based interventions to achieve collaboratively defined goals.

Simone is a Behaviour Therapist and Provisional Psychologist at the Child Wellbeing Centre. She has been working at the Centre over 5 years now. Simone enjoys using ABA to teach clients skills to help them become more independent. When she is not working with children she is working towards completing her registration as a psychologist.  Simone also enjoys rowing and volunteering as part of the State Emergency Services.

Penny is a warm and joyful behaviour therapist with over 15 years of experience in working with ABA programs, with clients with ASD, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia, incurred brain damage, processing issues, academic issues, ‘challenging behaviours’, and other developmental delay.

She has a great interest in working with children and adolescents with their families, as she believes families have a significant role in the growth and healthy development of children. Penny believes the consistent application of strategic interventions and strategies is how positive progress is achieved. In her years as a Behaviour Therapist, she has especially enjoyed seeing the growth and fruition of the unique talents and capacities of each unique child.

She holds a bachelor degree in Psychology and is a master facilitator for The Virtues Project workshops. She also has experience as an early childhood musical educator and enjoys incorporating the arts and creativity into her therapy when appropriate and possible.