Amanda is a compassionate psychologist who enjoys working with individuals from various diverse backgrounds. She is easy-going and can provide a safe space for you to freely share your experiences and emotional burdens. Amanda can help ground you when things feel chaotic, and she can support you to develop insight and a stronger sense of self. Amanda’s primary interests include working with adults to explore their interpersonal relationships. For example, Amanda has worked with people who have faced feelings of guilt, blame, regret, anger, and uncertainty about relationships and will often use the therapeutic space to build her clients confidence and communication skills. She also enjoys working with individuals to overcome difficulties such as stress, anxiety, depression, grief/loss, and self-esteem issues and has experience working with individuals with trauma and psychotic illnesses. Amanda embraces several approaches in her work and ultimately ensures a client centred approach. Her areas of practice include interpersonal psychotherapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, solution-focused and mindfulness techniques. Amanda has also worked within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) since its beginning stages in 2017. She is a registered Behaviour Support Practitioner who understands the complexities of positive support plans and supporting staff to work with individuals who may present with behaviours of concern. She has also worked within this space to provide intervention and has a thorough understanding of the reporting requirements. The other things you need to know about Amanda! She is a coffee lover and is regularly on the hunt for a good latte! Amanda has many interests and among them is her passion for animals, she has a few fur babies of her own and looks forward to a cuddle with them at the end of the day! Outside of this down time, she likes a good adventure and exploring new places or engaging in something a bit thrilling. She has done the 10 thousand ft sky dive drop and presently learning to rock climb. She believes that having a balance between down time and a bit of adventure is incredibly important. Professional Memberships • Australian Association of Psychologist (AAPI) • Association for positive behaviour support Australia • The Restraint Reduction Network Accreditations • NDIA registered Behaviour Support Practitioner

Based in Collingwood, Anastasia is a welcoming and nurturing psychologist who enjoys being with people. She easily connects with everyone she works with. She provides each person she sees with the space to talk openly and work through any difficulties and issues. She is deeply interested in helping others tell their story and enjoys working with adults from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Anastasia has a keen interest in working with family and relationship dynamics, and looking at the overall working relationships and personal patterns. She likes to explore how the past can affect the future and how we perceive ourselves in the external world. Anastasia further enjoys exploring how our ingrained experiences, traumas and habits manifest and can affect our unmet emotional needs. Anastasia uses an individual-based therapy depending on your needs. She will use a variety of styles and interventions to help you understand how a mental ill health experience or condition has manifested and will work with you to explore these experiences. Some of the techniques she will use include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. Anastasia has previously worked in a NDIS space providing support to adults surrounding issues of identified family trauma and interpersonal conflict. She has also worked with people with Multiple Sclerosis and has an interest in how physical conditions play a part in our mental health. Ana is fluent in Greek.

Ana is a warm and compassionate psychologist who employs a collaborative approach which strives to build strong therapeutic relationships to enable exploration, insight, and growth within the therapeutic space. Ana provides a safe space to explore current life difficulties and will explore your values to work with you to live an engaged and meaningful life. Ana utilizes mindfulness-based approaches and will often use the therapeutic space to enhance emotional regulation, communication and problem-solving skills in accordance with your goals. Ana has a special interest in trauma and has worked with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. Ana firmly believes that individuals should not be limited by their mental health and will work with you to utilize your strengths and provide education to empower you to make decisions that are conducive to well being both in and out of your sessions. Ana draws on a range of therapeutic modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical to Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Ana has worked mental health and disability across New Zealand and Australia since 2010 and is continuously undertaking professional development and referring to current evidence to enhance her knowledge and skills. Ana is an avid yogi in her spare time and prefers to be outdoors hiking or at the beach during the since weekend. Originally from New Zealand, Ana is always on the lookout for a good Hokey Pokey ice cream recommendation.

Chris is passionate about assisting adults with a range of challenges, including mood difficulties, anxiety, trauma, stress management, burn-out prevention and recovery as well as adjustment issues. He uses a range of evidence-based treatment modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Schema Therapy, Mindfulness based therapies, Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Chris takes an upfront yet compassionate person-centred and supportive approach, tailoring therapy to individual needs and empowering his clients to meet their goals. Chris has held a strong 18-year career across public and private mental health and hospital services in Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory on both executive leadership and clinician levels. He has also been involved in research, advisory panels, media, conference presentations and management consultation. For example, he was invited to be an advisory panel member of the Central Queensland University (CQU) and Sunshine Coast University (SCU) Clinical Psychology Master’s Programs. He participated in the development of the Sunshine Coast headspace and as Clinical Director of the Central Queensland Medicare Local had clinical and management oversight of the Rockhampton headspace. Having had a decorated 15-year career in the South African Defence Force, retiring as a Lieutenant-Colonel, Chris is passionate about assisting veterans of all ages with a range of difficulties with high prevalence mental health disorders and adjustment difficulties. Chris additionally has a proven record of specialising in working with men of all ages across all walks of life – including medical professions, practical/trade professions and farming communities. Chris is equipped to support you with addiction difficulties following his experience as CEO of Banyan House, a 35-bed residential dual diagnosis alcohol and other drug recovery centre (Therapeutic Community), during which tenure he was called upon by the Federal Government Ice Taskforce and the NT Government Taskforce to advise on the prevalence, impact and treatment of ice addiction. He was also invited to be a guest lecturer at Charles Darwin University Clinical Master’s Program on co-morbid mental health and alcohol & other drug recovery. Chris has unique experience in being not only a general psychologist, but also having trained as Industrial/Organisational Psychology with many years of experience as manager, Director and CEO level for major companies across Australia and South Africa as well as international consulting experience. Chris is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), Membership of the Australian Fundraising Institute (MFIA) and Affiliate of the Australian Institute of Governance (AAIG). He also holds registration as Trainer for the Situational Leadership Model, Thomas International Systems Training Programme in applying the Personal Profile Analysis and Human Job Analysis in tandem, in respect of Recruitment, Training, Team Building, Promotion and Re-deployment of Personnel in any working environment. Chris is also available for management and organisational consulting.

Donna enjoys working with both adolescents and adults to help people manage some of life’s challenges. She is passionate about helping people to see themselves as they truly are, understand what makes them unique, uncover unconscious conditioned patterns and explore new ways of being. She offers a warm, compassionate, trauma informed and person-centred approach to therapy and her friendly nature helps clients feel at ease. She knows that engaging in therapy can be daunting, and therefore works to create a safe space of acceptance and trust. Therapy also doesn’t have to be serious all the time and Donna takes a relaxed approach to her sessions, sometimes using humour to share in the lighter side of life. Donna supports her clients to understand and set therapy goals, provide psycho-education, psychological strategies and insights as well as evaluating progress. Donna practices cognitive therapies including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Schema Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Solutions Focused Therapy, as well as weaving in an Interpersonal Therapy focus to utilise the therapeutic relationship as a vehicle for reflection and change. Donna has experience working with adolescents and adults impacted by mental ill health in a community mental health setting supporting individuals and their families on their recovery journeys. She also has experience working with victims of crime, survivors of family violence and abuse, and the return to work space, assisting clients to re-enter the workforce The other things you need to know about Donna! She is a tea enthusiast! Sitting down with a cup of tea and a good book or listening to music whilst cooking a new recipe are some ways, she enjoys spending her time. She also enjoys being outdoors, running and is currently learning yoga. All of which are mindful and great for stress relief. Donna also enjoys creative pursuits, dreams of designing her own house one day and loves watching renovation and design shows (Grand Designs a clear favourite!).

Gary is passionate about helping people who are struggling, to manage and overcome their challenges and supporting individuals in their personal growth and to achieve their potential, so they can live the life that they want, as their true and best self. He has experience working with people from diverse backgrounds, with his main focus working with adults. He aims to help deepen self-awareness, encourage the development of flexibility in thinking, assist in the development of healthy coping and living, to feel empowered and to take positive action and ultimately improve wellbeing and life satisfaction. Gary is passionate about working with individuals experiencing difficulties with anxiety, stress, depression, self-esteem, sleep, relationship difficulties, university student challenges (including the specific challenges faced by international students), workplace challenges, emotional abuse/ bullying (including what is referred to by some people as “narcissistic abuse”, manipulation and the associated enabling behaviours of others), injustice, anger and challenging life situations. Gary is also passionate about exploring identity, life and career direction, adjustment to life changes and supporting progress towards goals. Gary takes a calm, relaxed, empathetic and person-centered approach to meet individual needs. He adapts to the individual person’s needs from a combination of various evidence-based treatment interventions, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness and Self-compassion, Schema Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and Psychotherapy. Gary enjoys conscious and compassionate living, practicing mindfulness, keeping fit and healthy eating. He enjoys spending time in his garden, nature walks, running, reading, meditation, listening to music and watching football. Gary consults at the Collingwood clinic, Thu-Fri (03 9416 4994). Professional Memberships: • Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPI)

Based in our new Hawthorn clinic, Sam is an empathetic psychologist who strives to create a comfortable and judgement free environment for her clients. She enjoys working with adolescents, young adults and adults, and strongly believes in a collaborative approach. Sam offers a calm, supportive and sometimes humorous environment as she understands the importance of feeling comfortable and safe when sharing what sometimes can be very vulnerable moments. Sam has experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and understands that therapy is a deeply personal experience. She aims to help people better understand their relationships with others and themselves so to allow for the facilitation of empowerment, healthy coping strategies and positive self-regard. Sam takes a client-centered approach and adapts the therapeutic space to that of the client’s needs. She practices evidence-based interventions such as Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Solution Focused Therapy. Included in these practices, Sam values a strength-based underpinning within therapy. Sam has experience working with people of all ages and backgrounds. She is passionate about working with those who are experiencing anxiety, depression, stress (personal, work, school), adjustment problems and mood disorders. Sam has also previously worked with those experiencing emotional abuse and domestic violence. The other things you need to know about Sam! Sam is a plant fanatic and is always perusing the bargain bin for plants that she can rehabilitate and then send to a new home which often, funnily enough, ends up being her own. Sam also enjoys listening to true crime podcasts whilst cooking. When she is not on the hunt for new plants Sam can be found planning her next trip and has a passion for all things Roman history related.