"I strive to create a safe and nonjudgmental space for clients to bring their whole selves to therapy. I also take a collaborative and evidence-based approach to practice. This means working with clients to facilitate a better understanding of what is happening for them in their lives, and deciding together what would be helpful, from a range of researched therapeutic approaches. In aiming to build better awareness with clients, I value curiosity, empathy, and warmth. Feedback is also an important part of my work – creating an honest dialogue with clients about their experience of therapy, as well as about their personal preferences, ensures that our work together continues to focus on what is meaningful to them."

Amy‘s approach is client centered with an emphasis on a collaborative therapy relationship. She is passionate about empowering clients to make meaningful change on outcomes that matter most for them. Much of Amy’s previous experience has been gained through private practice settings. As a Psychologist (Clinical Registrar), she utilises and is experienced in interventions from a range of approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) & Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT). Amy is also developing skills in other therapeutic approaches including Schema interventions. Amy currently practices in Fitzroy.

“I aim to bring curiosity and open-mindedness to each session, to create a non-judgemental space for clients to feel safe exploring their challenges, goals and needs. I'm passionate about infusing my sessions with themes of self-compassion, self-respect and self-empowerment. I tend to use a multidisciplinary approach unless requested otherwise, drawing from several evidence-based therapies including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy and other Mindfulness-based approaches. I like to work collaboratively with clients in understanding their unique needs and goals across time, adapting the treatment approach to suit their natural ways of thinking. I have experience supporting people presenting with various complex mental health challenges, including but not limited to; depression, anxiety, stress, relationship and interpersonal difficulties, low self-esteem, emotional dysregulation and navigating life transitions. Having completed my masters thesis on the topic of eating disorder stigma, I also have a special interest in supporting people with body image concerns and disordered eating. Finally, I have experience working across community, public and private hospital settings as well as private practice, and am sensitive to the challenges people often face when navigating the mental health system. When not in the office, I enjoy laughing over boardgames with friends, going to music events, yoga, and going for walks and connecting with nature. I also love travelling, exploring, trying new things and learning about people and the world.”

My approach to mental health care prioritises openness and honesty, creating a space where clients feel free to explore and express themselves. I aim to help clients develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their experiences, empowering them to live in alignment with their values. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms or diagnoses, I work collaboratively with clients to explore the broader context and emotional patterns shaping their difficulties. I believe that distress often carries deeper meaning and reflects important, though sometimes unconscious, aspects of a person’s experience. Exploring these experiences with curiosity and developing understanding can create lasting, meaningful change. I prioritise the therapeutic relationship, fostering honest and sometimes challenging conversations that support growth. My approach is flexible and tailored, focusing on what’s getting in the way of a client’s ability to flourish. I aim to support clients in embracing themselves more fully, so they can move away from avoidance and step into a more fulfilling, authentic life.

Charlotte was born and raised in Egypt, growing up as a bicultural individual, balancing Egyptian and French cultures. She is passionate about the unique challenges that come with navigating different cultural backgrounds. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in psychology in France and later obtained provisional registration in Australia with AHPRA. Over the years, Charlotte has worked in France, Egypt, and Southeast Africa. She specializes in supporting individuals dealing with trauma, anxiety, neurodivergence, and personality and mood disorders. Rather than focusing on fixing' mental health challenges, she focuses on building resilience and improving cognitive exibility to handle struggles effectively. Her approach is eclectic drawing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Schema Therapy as well as humanistic and psychodynamic approaches.This exibility allows her to tailor her approach to each person’s unique background and needs. In addition to English, Charlotte speaks Arabic and French, which allows her to connect with clients from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Clare is an accredited Mental Health Social Worker and Gestalt Psychotherapist with 10 years’ experience working in the public and private sector of counselling and therapeutic services. Clare completed her bachelors (Hons.) degree in Ireland and four-year advanced training in gestalt psychotherapy in Melbourne, Australia. Clare offers a warm, relational approach to therapy where you can expect to be supported and challenged. She believes that the relational approach to therapy can be transformative, encourage deeper meaning-making and self-acceptance. Clare’s areas of specialty are working with victim/survivors of abuse, sexual violence, reproductive trauma, complex trauma, PTSD, bereavement, and loneliness. Whether or not you have a formal diagnosis or not, her interest is in your lived experiences and how this has shaped you in the present moment. Clare acknowledges that ‘recovering’ from traumatic experience requires trust, safety and a pace that feels right for you. There may not be a quick fix solution to what you bring to therapy, but she will help you to help yourself to cultivate curiosity and self-compassion and will encourage an increase of self-awareness and connection to all parts of you, embracing your whole self. Clare offers a space for all people who want to connect or reconnect back to themselves in creating a sense of home and steadiness within themselves. “The journey of aliveness, engagement in the world, risk taking, and connectedness is the grandest journey of all” – Close & Reese, 2018. Living in Melbourne? Find a mental health social worker near you. Our team is here to help!

I am a clinical psychologist with a PhD, specialising in chronic pain and mental health management. I have extensive experience supporting people of all ages in hospital and community settings through assessments and tailored support. My approach focuses on empathy, teamwork, and strategies that have been shown to work effectively. It's important to me that everyone feels listened to, understood, and involved in their own growth journey. I use practical methods such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Positive Psychotherapy (PPT), and biofeedback, tailored specifically to each person's needs and goals. Clear communication, everyday examples, and relatable language help make our work together meaningful. My background as a former national-level athlete inspires me to emphasise resilience, strength, and determination - qualities I encourage everyone to discover and strengthen. My goal is to help people build lasting resilience, achieve their goals, and lead fulfilling, meaningful lives.

"People want to feel seen and heard, and there are so few sacred spaces for this in our society. My hope is to deeply meet a client and to understand their suffering. I believe that with the support of another we can accept painful aspects of ourselves and our lives, and so find some ease and growth. I welcome anyone seeking individual gestalt therapy (supporting parts of ourselves we feel are unwelcome in the world) and / or an opportunity to discuss mental health concerns or medications. My particular interests are informed by my professional and personal history, including trauma resurfacing during major life events or transitions; hearing voices or having experience of psychosis; mental health concerns associated with medical conditions or interactions with the health care system; and burnout. Although medically trained (in psychiatry and emergency medicine), I believe that medications are at most only a part of what may help a person’s suffering, and often they are problematic. My orientation is therefore towards understanding a person’s experience, and offering from my preferred approaches of gestalt psychotherapy, de-medicalisation, and rational de-prescribing. Please note that I do not treat autism or ADHD, and am not available to write medico-legal reports (including, but not limited to for court, income protection insurance, Worker’s Compensation, NDIS or DSP). Outside of the clinic I enjoy forest walks with my dog Iggy (who may be with me during appointments), making food with yeasts (salami, ginger beer, panettone…), and being a not-very-accomplished student of the lute."

I believe empathy and honesty are crucial in helping my patients achieve their goals. Person-centred care is my approach to collaborate with my patients and their families to reach the best results. I use my wide experience and knowledge, with sincere effort to help my patients get the best possible version of themselves.

Dr. Ingrid Cranston is a registered Senior Clinical Psychologist with doctoral level training, who works at Clarity Health Care on a part-time basis. Ingrid has a wide range of clinical experience in both public and private practice, predominantly working with adults and young people. The majority of her experience is within forensic domains having worked in the youth justice sector for over 18 years, both within custodial and community settings. Ingrid is currently the Clinical Stream Lead for the Forensic Youth Mental Health Service (FYMHS) at Orygen where she oversees a large multi-disciplinary team. Ingrid has a warm, compassionate and thoughtful style. She works to build collaborative therapeutic relationships with all of her clients based on empathy, respect and trust and is passionate about supporting clients to identify and build on their strengths and values to bring about effective and meaningful change. Ingrid has a particular interest in the mental health and well-being of young people presenting with anxiety, mood disorders, trauma histories, forensic related difficulties and personality disorders. She employs evidence-based techniques including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and encourages individuals to clarify core difficulties, build upon strengths and develop specific life skills to manage their thoughts, feelings and behaviour in a more effective manner. Ingrid currently practices in Fitzroy. Considering her expansive expertise we consider her one of the best Clinical Psychologists in Melbourne.

General Psychiatrist

Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Matthew Warden brings significant experience across public and private mental health services in both Australia and the UK. His previous roles include Director of Acute Inpatient Services, ECT and MHA governance at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne; Consultant Psychiatrist in the Hobart and Southern Districts Community Mental Health Team, Tasmania; and a member of the Mental Health Act Tribunal in Tasmania. Dr Warden has also held academic roles with the University of Melbourne. Matthew obtained his MBBS in 1995, his MRC Psych in 2000 and his Diploma of Mental Health Law at Northumbria University, UK, in 2004.

Sumeet has worked in psychiatry for over 10 years in a variety of different roles, including leadership roles in the public and private sector. He is currently working at St Vincent’s Hospital and in private practice. Sumeet is a general adult psychiatrist with a skill set and interest in a number of areas within psychiatry and is generally happy to see people with a range of issues. His philosophy is to use an empathy based approach to patients with a focus on holistic care, encompassing the bio psychosocial, recovery-based model of care.

I am a compassionate social worker with over 8 years of experience providing high-quality interventions and therapeutic responses to individuals and families facing diverse challenges. With strong skills in evidence-based assessments, risks assessments, safety planning and direct counselling, I am committed to a person-centred, trauma informed approach to practice and provide specialised support and interventions to individuals experiencing acute mental health crisis, particularly those at high risk, within a dynamic and demanding setting. I work with diverse populations, including those with complex mental health issues, suicidal ideation and self-harm, vulnerable youth, family violence, trauma, grief and loss, substance misuse, homelessness, Aboriginal/Torres Strait-Islander communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and refugees. Overall, I am empathetic and dedicated to helping others.

"I try to practise from a position of shared humanity, humour, and humility. I’ve a healthy respect for using modern, evidence based psychological practices. I love nothing more than simple language in my sessions and practical improvement goals that will make a meaningful difference in the lives of my clients as soon as possible. I believe psychology needn’t be mystifying and want my clients to leave each session with a firm idea of what they are achieving by attending. I love working with people who are at the coalface of difficult and unwelcome change, anyone who needs structured support to pick themselves up and keep going, as well as those lucky enough to have the opportunity to lean back, give themselves some space and ask, “What the hell is all of this about?”. The lived experience I bring to bear draws upon a lifetime of wonder, questions, and interest in why people do the things they do. I am the kid who never grew out of asking “But Why?”, one more time. I am an avid gamer, reader, and movie goer. I enjoy life as a middle-aged, kinda-scene facing gay guy with connections to the kink and queer community. I come from a background studying religion and psychology, hoping that science can tell us what is going on within and around us, but understanding that the strength to keep it going on often relies on finding meaning in life that is more than facts and figures. Meaning and purpose are at the centre of my practise as a psychologist, but then they are at the centre of being a person, I suppose. My career has offered me the opportunity to work in everything from clinical service delivery, to governance, to national business management. Workplace health, corporate responsibility, and ethical leadership were central to me in those roles. These days I’m more interested in walking a healthy journey one on one with the community and people around me."

Jean is a registered psychologist and clinical registrar with experience delivering individual and family therapy across private practice and educational settings. She adopts a warm, compassionate, and trauma-informed approach with her clients, aimed at creating a non-judgemental and safe therapeutic space. She believes that individuals are the experts of their own experiences and seeks to empower her clients from all walks of life to promote their own healing. Jean enjoys working collaboratively with children, adolescents, and adults experiencing a range of mental health difficulties. Drawing from evidence-based frameworks including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Jean tailors treatment to meet the unique needs and goals of each client. She is also trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Enhanced (CBTE) to provide specialised support for individuals experiencing some eating disorders and disordered eating patterns.

Kara is a Psychologist with a warm, compassionate, down-to-earth approach to therapy. She is non-judgemental, thoughtful and supports individuals in navigating life’s challenges in ways that are both practical and meaningful. Kara has extensive experience working for community mental organisations and private practice across both Melbourne and Cairns. She also spent 3 years living in the UK and working in both Child Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and acute mental health services. Kara tailors her care for her clients to best suit their needs. In doing so she draws on a number of different evidence-based modalities. These include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and also some elements of Schema Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.

Lisa is an experienced registered psychologist who believes that therapy can help individuals gain a sense of direction and possibility in their lives. Her approach is compassionate, client-centered, and grounded in evidence-based practices. She adopts a holistic perspective, integrating a wide variety of evidence-informed techniques to suit each client’s unique needs. Lisa is particularly drawn to therapies that promote an exploration and acceptance of emotions, believing that understanding one's emotional patterns and reactions is the gateway to self-awareness and relational growth. This understanding helps clients navigate the worry, confusion, conflict, or loss that we all experience at times. Known for her warm and interactive personal style, Lisa brings respect and genuine curiosity to her work. She has extensive experience across a range of settings, including child and adolescent mental health services, and has worked with individuals managing chronic pain as part of her broader clinical expertise. Lisa works with individuals, couples, and parents facing life transitions, relational difficulties, mood and anxiety issues, chronic pain, and trauma. Her goal is to empower clients with the tools and insights to foster resilience and meaningful change. “I work with individuals navigating life transitions, personality and interpersonal challenges, survivors of trauma and abuse, those experiencing mood and anxiety concerns, individuals managing the impact of chronic pain, and clients addressing parenting or family dynamic concerns.”

Megan is a registered psychologist with specific interests in trauma processing, connection and relational dynamics. Megan developed her therapeutic practice while working in community health and private practice over the past 7 years. With a belief in the power of storytelling, Megan has witnessed healing that comes from co-regulation, compassionate relationships and strong communities. Megan was born and raised on Biripi country and currently lives on Wurundjeri country. She enjoys playing tennis, climbing and discovering new sandwich spots. Megan is an avid reader and cinema goer, and enjoys regularly connecting with the natural environment. Some of the modalities that Megan works with include ACT, CBT, DBT, Schema therapy, EMDR, Solution focused therapy, Interpersonal psychotherapy.

Enzo is a psychologist and clinical registrar who has experience providing crisis support and recovery-oriented mental outreach. His therapeutic approach integrates a range of practices, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). Enzo has also completed Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and is particularly interested in working with LGBTQ+ and ethically non-monogamous relationships. Enzo currently practices in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

Practising in Fitzroy, Ernie is a provisional psychologist with experience in mental health, specialising in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). With a deep commitment to fostering positive change and empowering individuals, Ernie has dedicated his career to helping clients overcome challenges and achieve meaningful transformations. Ernie has earned a master’s in professional psychology from Melbourne University, where he developed a strong foundation in psychological theory, research, and clinical practice. Ernie has extensive experience working in various healthcare environments. In a previous career, Ernie has worked in settings including hospitals, medical clinics and resource-poor environments. He has experience working with people of diverse cultural backgrounds and is passionate about collaboratively developing culturally appropriate practices. Ernie believes in the transformative power of combining evidence-based practices with a client-centred, empathetic approach. He is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive therapeutic environment where individuals can collaboratively explore, grow, and ultimately achieve their personal and psychological goals. Additionally, Ernie has a passion for preventative mental health. He will strive to create and maintain sustainable changes and ways to holistically improve the well-being of the client, explore values, and cultivate psychological flexibility to navigate life’s complexities with resilience.

Negin is passionate about exploring how traumatic experiences, attachment patterns and our cultural identity impact on our mental health, sense of well-being and life decisions. She has a strong interest in mindbody connection and integrating cognitive, emotional, somatic, and creative techniques to facilitate healing and growth. She believes our areas of concern are largely influenced by an individual’s inner system as well as external ones such as political, social, and environmental structures. Negin immensely enjoys her work as a therapist, a profession that is well aligned with her personal values: justice, creativity, peace, learning and courage. She sees herself as a warm and empathic guide here to assist you in reaching your goals & rebuilding a sense of power, resiliency, and safety. Her practice embraces diversity and welcomes differences brought by cultural background, age, ability and religion. Her practice is sex positive and GSRD-aware (Gender, sexuality and relationship diversity). She is eager to explore the impacts of immigration on sociocultural identity and experience of cultural bereavement.

Professor David Castle is currently the Professor of Psychiatry at the Centre for Mental Health Services Innovation at the University of Tasmania. Previous positions include inaugural Scientific Director of the Centre for Complex Interventions at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, University of Toronto and Professor of Psychiatry St Vincent’s Health and The University of Melbourne. His wide clinical and research interests include schizophrenia and related disorders, bipolar disorder, cannabis abuse, OCD spectrum disorders and disorders of body image, includinv Body dysmorphic disorder. He has published nearly 900 papers and chapters; and over 25 books. David has received a number of awards for his work including the Ian Simpson Award, awarded in 2015 by the RANZCP in recognition of outstanding contributions to clinical psychiatry as assessed through service to patients and the community.