Mel
Senior Child and Adolescent Psychologist
BHlthSc(Rehab Counselling), MEd, GradDipPsych and GradDipPsych (School Counselling)
About
Mel is a Registered Psychologist with a foundation in education and teaching, and she has worked with families, children and teenagers for over 10 years. She specialises in conducting evidence-based psychological and educational assessments (e.g., intelligence and learning) for individuals with a broad range of developmental and psychological needs. Mel is committed to neurodiversity affirming approaches and, in her practice, integrates Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to help children, adolescents and their parents improve their mental health, develop greater self-compassion and work towards positive change.
Areas of Special Interest
- Learning difficulties (e.g., intellectual disabilities)
- Behavioural challenges (e.g., oppositional defiance disorder)
- Attention difficulties (e.g., ADHD)
- Social difficulties (e.g., Autism)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- School avoidance
- Anger
Therapeutic Approach
As a mother of three teenage boys, Mel wholeheartedly understands the challenges of parenting and is passionate about empowering families. She collaborates with them to develop practical strategies to navigate challenges and foster resilience in both children and parents. Mel has a compassionate child centred approach which helps her build a therapeutic alliance with children while providing parents with tailored, evidence-based strategies to support both their child’s emotional wellbeing and development, and to support their own self-care.