About
I am a Psychologist with over 20 years experience, registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA), with practice endorsement in the area of Clinical and Counselling Psychology, and am a Board- Approved Supervisor. I am an Advanced Schema Therapist certified by the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST). I am a Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and a Fellow of the APS College of Counselling Psychologists, and a member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPI). I am a Credentialed Eating Disorder Mental Health Specialist and a member of the Australian & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED) and an associate member of the Australia & New Zealand Metabolic and Obesity Surgery Society (ANZMOSS). I completed my training in South Africa and Australia, and obtained my Master of Psychology in 2004.
I have worked in various settings including school, government and forensic, and began working in private practice in 2007. I provide assistance to high functioning individuals dealing with difficulties that arise in the usual course of living, such as adjustment, bereavement, relationship issues, and work problems. I work with individuals experiencing issues affecting self esteem and body image, and treat anxiety and depressive disorders. I have a special interest in disordered eating, specifically in assisting individuals to understand and work through the emotional issues and traumas underlying their use of food. I am informed in the area of Bariatric Psychology, and provide support to individuals in preparation for bariatric metabolic surgery and throughout their recovery.
I offer primarily Schema Therapy. While this is my primary treatment modality, my eclectic style of counselling is informed by my training in various psychotherapy frameworks. My early training facilitated the development of a strong psychodynamic background, while my later training facilitated an appreciation for Existential Psychotherapy, and I am particularly inspired by the work of Irvin Yalom.
I aim to assist clients to identify and understand their schemas, address their styles of coping or coping modes that get in the way of meeting their emotional needs, change patterns that result from the self perpetuation of schemas, learn to meet their core emotional needs in healthy, adaptive ways, and cope with frustration and distress when certain needs can’t be met. My philosophy is aimed toward optimum psychological development and facilitation of health and well- being.