Who I see, and
how sessions work

This page covers the four main groups I work with, the approaches I draw on, and what you can expect from the process of starting therapy.

Part one

Who I work with

I see people at different stages and chapters of life. Some come with a specific diagnosis or presenting concern. Many come with a vague but persistent sense that something is not right. Both are completely valid reasons to start. Here is a little more about each group I work with and what that typically involves.

Perinatal and postnatal

Pregnancy, birth, and the early years of parenthood. Perinatal mental health is one of my core areas of specialisation and something I feel deeply committed to, both personally and professionally.

Postpartum depression Perinatal anxiety Birth trauma Mother-baby attachment Circle of Security Pregnancy and baby loss Parenting support Couples in the perinatal period Adjustment to parenthood
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A personal and professional passion

Perinatal and postnatal mental health is close to my heart, both personally and professionally. As a clinical psychologist and a parent of two teenagers, I have lived the joy, exhaustion, and emotional complexity of the early parenting years firsthand. That personal experience, combined with years of specialised clinical work, shapes the understanding I bring to this area.

What brings people in

Postpartum depression and postnatal anxiety are far more common than the conversation around them suggests. Many women spend months quietly managing symptoms that deserve proper attention, often because they expected to feel differently, or because asking for help feels like admitting they are not coping.

Postpartum depression does not always look like persistent sadness. It can look like numbness, disconnection from your baby, irritability, difficulty sleeping when the baby sleeps, or a persistent sense of dread without a clear cause. Postnatal anxiety can show up as constant worry, hypervigilance, and an inability to let go even when things are objectively fine.

My clinical experience in this area

I have worked at St John of God, both within the Mother Baby Unit and in their outpatient centre, where I facilitated postnatal depression groups and Circle of Security groups. I have also worked at Gidget House, a not-for-profit organisation providing specialised support to expectant and new parents experiencing perinatal anxiety and depression across Australia. I have completed further training through the Centre of Perinatal Excellence and the Centre for Perinatal Psychology.

I am a member of COPE (Centre of Perinatal Excellence) and the Marcé Society for Perinatal Mental Health. I am committed to ongoing learning so that everyone I work with receives care that is current, evidence-based, and genuinely compassionate.

I also work with couples during this season of life. The transition to parenthood can put real pressure on even the strongest relationships, and helping partners navigate this together with better communication, understanding, and connection is something I find genuinely rewarding.

Who I work with in this area

  • Mothers experiencing postnatal depression, anxiety, or birth trauma
  • Fathers and non-birthing partners navigating their own adjustment
  • Women experiencing anxiety or depression during pregnancy
  • Families navigating pregnancy loss or fertility-related grief
  • Parents wanting to understand and strengthen early attachment
  • Couples adjusting to new parenthood together

Adolescents ages 10 to 21

Young people navigating a genuinely complex chapter. As a clinical psychologist and a parent of teenagers myself, I understand this season from both sides.

Anxiety Depression Emotion regulation Identity and self-esteem School pressure Social difficulties Family conflict School refusal
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Understanding this chapter from both sides

The teenage years are some of the most exciting and most challenging of a person's life. As a clinical psychologist and a parent of teenagers myself, I understand this season from both sides, and I bring genuine warmth to every young person I work with.

What I work on with young people

I specialise in helping adolescents manage anxiety and depression, build emotional regulation and stress management skills, and develop greater self-awareness. I also work with teens on communication, particularly assertive communication, helping them find their voice in relationships, at school, and in the world around them.

Navigating friendships, social pressures, and academic stress are all areas where I can offer practical, down-to-earth support. Many teenagers arrive carrying more than they have ever put into words, and having a space where they feel genuinely heard without judgment makes all the difference.

How I work with adolescents

My approach is collaborative and strengths-based. I work alongside young people to problem-solve, build insight, and equip them with coping tools they can actually use day to day. I draw on CBT, DBT skills, and ACT, as well as psychodynamic work where it fits. The approach is always tailored to the individual, never one-size-fits-all.

My experience includes working at the Macquarie University Emotional Health Clinic, as well as in a school counselling capacity early in my career, which gave me a solid understanding of the environments and pressures teenagers move through every day.

Parents are an important part of this work too. For younger adolescents, I involve families in an initial conversation so we all understand the picture together. As young people get older, sessions become more independent. I aim to keep families informed and supported, while making sure the young person always feels the therapeutic space is their own.

Presentations I commonly see

  • Anxiety, including social anxiety and generalised anxiety
  • Depression and low mood
  • Emotion regulation and distress tolerance difficulties
  • Identity, self-esteem, and assertive communication
  • School refusal and academic pressure
  • Friendship difficulties and social isolation
  • Family relationship difficulties

Adults

People carrying a lot, often quietly and for a long time. I work with adults across a broad range of presentations in a way that takes your full life into account.

Anxiety Depression Burnout Work stress Grief and loss Life transitions Trauma and PTSD Personality disorders Substance use Self-esteem and assertiveness Relationship difficulties
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What brings adults in

Life gets hard sometimes, and deciding to seek support is often the first and most important step. Some people come because something specific has happened, a loss, a relationship breakdown, a career change that did not go as hoped. Others come because they have been carrying something quietly for a long time and have finally reached the point where they do not want to do that anymore. Both are completely valid reasons to start.

I work with adults across a broad range of mental health concerns, offering a warm, non-judgmental space where you can feel genuinely heard and understood.

Areas I work in

My areas of focus include anxiety and depression, stress management, emotion regulation, relationship difficulties, confidence and self-esteem, assertive communication, and establishing healthy boundaries. I also have specialist experience working with personality disorders and substance use disorders, bringing the same collaborative, compassionate approach to some of life's more complex challenges.

I support adults working through trauma and PTSD, grief and loss, and workplace stress and burnout, experiences that can take a real toll on your sense of self, sometimes in ways that creep up gradually over time.

I have a particular affinity for high-functioning people who are performing well on the outside and struggling on the inside. My decade at Deloitte working with executives and teams under pressure gives me a genuine understanding of that world and what it costs. I do not need it explained to me.

How the work tends to unfold

I draw on a range of evidence-based approaches, tailored to what works best for you. Therapy, in my view, is most effective when it combines genuine self-reflection with practical tools, so you leave sessions not just with greater insight, but with strategies you can actually use. The first few sessions are mostly about understanding your history, your patterns, and what you are hoping might shift. From there, we build the approach around you.

Presentations I commonly see

  • Anxiety and depression
  • Burnout and workplace stress
  • Trauma and PTSD
  • Grief and loss, including complicated grief
  • Personality disorders
  • Substance use difficulties
  • Life transitions: career, relationships, identity
  • Low self-worth, self-criticism, and assertiveness
  • Interpersonal difficulties and relationship patterns

Couples

Two people who want to feel closer, or who need to. I work with couples at all stages of life and relationship, from the pressures of new parenthood to reconnecting after drifting apart.

Communication Conflict repair Intimacy Gottman method New parents Trust and repair Emotional disconnection
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When couples come in

Relationships go through hard patches, and reaching out for support at those times is one of the best things a couple can do. I work with couples at all stages of life and relationship, from the pressures of new parenthood to communication breakdown, conflict, and reconnecting after drifting apart.

Couples therapy is not only for relationships in crisis, though I certainly work with couples at that point. Many come in earlier, when communication has become consistently difficult, when the same arguments keep recurring without resolution, or when a significant life transition has created distance that neither person knows how to bridge.

How I work with couples

I have completed Gottman Method Couples Therapy training, an evidence-based approach built on decades of research into what actually makes relationships work. My style is practical and collaborative, focused on building skills you can use outside the session, not just processing in the room.

I take real pride in ensuring both people feel equally safe, heard, and respected. That balance matters enormously in couples work. Staying objective and even-handed is something I am genuinely committed to, so neither person ever feels like they are the problem.

The perinatal connection

Much of my couples work has grown out of my perinatal and postnatal specialisation, where I have seen firsthand how a new baby can shift the dynamic between partners in ways that feel unexpected and at times really hard. The shift in identity, the loss of sleep, the change in roles, and the sheer relentlessness of early parenthood can strain even strong relationships. But I work with couples at all stages, not just new parents.

What we often work on

  • Communication patterns and active listening
  • Recurring conflict and gridlock
  • Emotional disconnection and intimacy
  • Navigating a new baby together
  • Relationship transitions and major life changes
  • Rebuilding trust and connection after rupture

What a session actually looks like

A lot of people have never been to therapy before, and the uncertainty about what to expect can be part of what puts them off starting. Here is an honest picture of what the process typically looks like.

01

The free 15-minute call

Before any booking, I offer a free 15-minute phone call. No forms, no pressure. It is a chance to get a feel for whether the way I work sounds right for you, and to ask anything you want to know. There is no obligation at the end of it.

02

The first session

The first session is mostly me listening. I want to understand what has brought you in, what things have been like, and what you are hoping might shift. You do not need to have it all worked out. Many people come with a vague sense that something is not right, and we work out the shape of it together.

03

Building the approach

By the end of the first session or two, we will have a clearer sense of what we are working with and what the approach might look like. I will always explain what I am suggesting and why. Nothing happens without your understanding and agreement.

04

Ongoing sessions

Most people start with weekly or fortnightly sessions. The frequency is something we work out together based on what makes sense. Sessions are 50 minutes. As things shift, so does the work. The goal is always to get you to a point where you do not need me.

Questions about the process

These are the things people most often want to know before they decide to reach out. If something is missing, just ask.

How do I know which approach is right for me?

You probably do not, and that is completely fine. Most people who come to therapy have not spent time studying the different approaches, and they should not have to. My job is to understand what you are dealing with and suggest what I think will be most helpful, and then explain my reasoning so you can decide whether it makes sense to you. Most people's work ends up drawing on more than one approach at different stages anyway.

What is the difference between CBT and other therapies?

CBT is structured, skills-focused, and relatively short-term. It works well for specific problems where the patterns between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are fairly clear. Other approaches like Schema Therapy or psychodynamic work are longer-term and more exploratory, and they tend to suit people dealing with more longstanding or complex patterns. ACT and DBT sit somewhere in between. There is no single best approach. The research shows that the relationship between therapist and client is consistently the strongest predictor of good outcomes, regardless of the specific modality.

How long will I need to come for?

It depends enormously on what you are working with. Some people do focused short-term work over six to twelve sessions and achieve what they came for. Others are working on deeper, more longstanding patterns and benefit from longer-term engagement. I will always be honest with you about my sense of how long things might take, and that conversation is ongoing throughout the work. You are never locked in, and the goal is always to work toward you not needing therapy rather than to keep you in it indefinitely.

Do you treat anxiety and depression?

Yes, both are among the most common presentations I work with. Anxiety and depression rarely look exactly the same from one person to the next, and the approach I take is always tailored to the individual rather than the diagnosis. I work with people across the full range of severity, from mild to moderate symptoms that are disrupting daily life through to more significant presentations that require careful, sustained work.

Do you work with trauma?

Yes. Trauma shows up in many forms. It can be a single significant event, or it can be the accumulated weight of many smaller experiences over time. I am trained in EMDR, which is one of the most evidence-based approaches for trauma, and I also draw on trauma-informed principles across all of my work. If you are coming in specifically for trauma or PTSD, I would recommend mentioning that when you book so I can make sure the sessions are structured appropriately from the start.

Can I see you if I am already on medication?

Absolutely. Many people benefit from a combination of medication and psychological therapy, and research consistently shows that the two together often produce better outcomes than either alone. If you are seeing a psychiatrist or GP for medication management, I am happy to work collaboratively with them where you consent to that. I cannot prescribe medication myself, but I can work alongside the person who does.

What is postpartum depression, and how do I know if I have it?

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that affects roughly one in five mothers in Australia, though many cases go undiagnosed or untreated. It typically begins within the first few months after birth but can emerge at any point in the first year. Unlike the baby blues, which usually lift within two weeks, postpartum depression persists and tends to worsen without support. It can look like persistent sadness, but it can also look like numbness, irritability, inability to sleep even when the baby sleeps, feeling disconnected from your baby, intrusive thoughts, or a sense that you are not the mother you expected to be. If any of this resonates, please reach out. It is far more common than the conversation suggests, and it responds well to the right support.

My teenager does not want to come to therapy. What should I do?

This is very common, and worth sitting with rather than pushing through. Forcing a reluctant teenager into therapy rarely works, because the relationship between the young person and the psychologist has to be built willingly. One option is to start with a conversation between the two of us, the parent, without the young person present, to help you think through how to approach it. Another is to frame the first session as simply a chat with no pressure to return. Sometimes it also helps to let the young person have more say in choosing who they see. If you would like to talk through the situation before any booking, the free 15-minute call is a good place to start.

What is EMDR and does it actually work?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. It uses bilateral stimulation, usually guided eye movements, while you briefly hold a distressing memory in mind. The process helps the brain reprocess the memory so it becomes less charged. It sounds unusual but it is one of the most well-researched approaches we have for trauma, endorsed by the World Health Organisation and recommended in Australian clinical guidelines for PTSD. Many people find it produces meaningful shifts more quickly than traditional talk therapy for trauma, though it is not right for every person or every situation. I will always explain in detail how it works and what to expect before we try it.

Do you offer bulk billing or a reduced rate?

I do not bulk bill. My full fee information, including the Medicare rebate available with a Mental Health Treatment Plan, is on the Fees page. If cost is a concern, please do reach out and we can have an honest conversation about it. I would rather find a way to make it work than have cost be the reason someone does not get the support they need.

Not sure if this is
the right fit? Just ask.

The free 15-minute call exists precisely for this. No obligation, no pressure. Just a conversation to see if working together makes sense.