Welcome! A little about me – I have studied psychology at the macro and micro levels: at the ‘socio-economic-political’ level, ‘organizational’ level and at the ‘individual’ level.  After 10 years in the government sector, by the time I embarked as an independent Psychologist in private clinical practice, I had accrued 7 years of academic education in psychology.¹Qualifications in Psychology
Bachelor of Economics majoring in Psychology and Industrial Relations (Sydney University 1978)
Master of Commerce – Majoring in Organizational Psychology/Behaviour (UNSW, 1982)
Master of Arts – Psychology (Sydney University 1988)

Professional Memberships/Associations
Registered Psychologist with the AHPRA and Psychology Board of Australia (since 1991) Registration No: PSY0001138555
Australian Association of Psychologist Inc. (AAPi)
Australasian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ASTSS)

In the application of psychology, I have had a breadth and depth of experience from organisations, groups to deeply within the individual’s psyche.

For the past 31 years I have been practicing in Sydney’s Inner West, including 20 years in the Shoalhaven region, offering clinical and consultant psychological services as a Psychologist and Psychotherapist.

From 1988 to the present day, through on-going professional development, supervision, training and education, I have and continue to pursue an understanding of trauma. In particular, the neuroscience as well as somatic or body-oriented psychotherapies²Somatic Psychotherapy
Soma means the body, psyche the mind. This modality pays attention to and works with:
The body-mind interface.
The interaction between our body’s systems (such as nervous, respiratory and endocrine systems) and structures (such as muscular-skeletal).
The interaction, connection or dissociation, between sensations, our body’s primary language and feelings, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, actions and behaviours.
The relationship between our physical matter and our energy. We are and do matter.

Somatic Psychotherapy values our physicality as the scaffold and foundational blueprint for our consciousness and essential aliveness. for complex child-onset trauma and PTSD. My initial training was in Somatic Psychotherapy then in the further refined Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and Sensory Experiencing, two of the leading somatic-oriented trauma therapies.³Psychology & Somatic Psychotherapy Training
Somatic Psychotherapy. Australian Association of Somatic Psychotherapists 1989-1991.

Process Oriented Psychotherapy Zurich.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Trauma Recovery. Hakomi Somatics Institute
2001 – 2002 with Dr. Pat Ogden.
Sensory Experiencing Training in Trauma Resolution 2007 Dr. Diane Poole-Heller.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy 2009.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction MBSR Teacher Training July 2010.

Since the mid-1990’s to the present, studied Dr. Judith Herman, Prof. Van der Kolk, Dr. John Briere, Dr. Steven Porges in his cutting edge Polyvagal Theory that reveals the neural substrate and mechanisms of trauma and Dr. Norman Doidge the neuroplasticity of the brain.
Advanced Webinar Program on Trauma 2010- 2013 and on-going study with Dr. Janina Fisher. I have a total of eight years formal training in Yoga Therapy⁴Yoga and Yoga Therapy Training
Svastha Diploma of Teaching the Science and Art of Yoga 2001-2003. Govt. accredited.
Krishnamacharya Healing and Yoga Foundation (KHYF) Yoga Therapy Training 2007-2012. Including – two 1 month internships at Krishnamacharya. Yoga Mandiram (KYM), Chennai, India.
Viniyoga Healing Foundation (VHF) of India and Yoga Therapy Australia – Post Graduate Diploma in Yoga Therapy 2011-2013.

Professional Memberships/Associations
Australasian Association of Yoga Therapists (AAYT)
International Yoga Therapy Association (IYTA)– yoga used therapeutically on an individual basis that does not follow any general set protocols. I have extensively researched and continue to evolve the therapeutic application of yoga in addressing each person’s unique experience and impact of trauma.⁵Yoga Therapy
Yoga Therapy or Yoga ‘Cikitsa’ is a 5-3000 years old branch of yoga. The therapeutic application of yoga or Yoga Therapy is a complementary health system that can be undertaken alongside other treatments and is particularly effective intermingled with somatic-oriented psychotherapies.
It may help cope with symptoms or manage a disease and can be preventative, restorative, curative and palliative.
Yoga Therapy involves the ‘one on one’ collaborative design of a personalized Yoga Therapy sequence, tailored to you for you, to bring out needed therapeutic effect(s) and to take away for independent home practice.
There are follow-up sessions to make any ‘tweaks’ adjustments based on your experience and feedback.

Psychological and Psychotherapy Services

I offer

Psychological services that address matters such as – attachment and relationship issues; somatic/body conditions, symptoms, illness and dis-ease – working with the psychological component of these experiences; grief, bereavement and loss – be that loss of a limb, loved ones, ideals or expectations; anxiety, depression and emotional dysregulation; identity issues; addictions and substance abuse; and, eating disorders.

Somatic (body-inclusive) psychotherapy and yoga therapy for the treatment of trauma

I offer

Therapy that involves the whole person in the context of their life; valuing cognitions as much as sensations/senses, not holding the belief/premise in a mind-body split; that values and works with the interrelationships and interconnections that exist within the human as an organism, not focussing on any silo of speciality, not holding a dominant belief in mental illness as solely pathology/sickness/disease to be medicated.

Psychological services that include working with adult survivors of childhood trauma and adult sexual, physical, psychological/emotional abuse, accident, injury, assault and medical intervention. I work with complex (developmental) trauma and PTSD.

The option of collaboratively working and designing a personalized Yoga Therapy Sequence for home practice, that aims to lessen the detrimental impact of symptoms of trauma, as well as physical somatic/body conditions, symptoms, illness and dis-ease and challenging spiritual,⁶As a long-term student of the psycho-spiritual teachings and practices of the Diamond Approach, founded by A. H. Almaas, I have practiced meditation, contemplative and self-reflective practices since 1993.

My work is informed by the ancient wisdom of Indian ‘psychology’ and the Panca Maya framework of levels of human existence or consciousness: from the gross physical/physiological to the subtle, diffuse, transpersonal spiritual levels beyond the ‘small self’. emotional and mental states.

A blending of somatic psychotherapy, conventional psychological interventions such as CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) and yoga therapy determined by and according to each person’s unique needs.

Each session is different, more than just ‘talk-therapy’ it is organic and process-oriented –  working with whatever is brought into and emerges /comes up in the present session. It could for example, include ‘psycho-education’ – information about trauma and its effect on the brain, it could include a short meditation practice or the exploration of a change in breathing, posture or movement patterns, it could be unpacking – the thoughts, beliefs, feelings, emotional states and sensations – of any experience.

The option of using a questionnaire as a subjective ‘tool’ for personal assessment, self-reflection and ‘psycho-education’ about the nature of trauma. The ‘Hyper/Hypo – Arousal Questionnaire’ offers a snapshot or picture (or rather a number of graphs are obtained)⁷
An example of one of the several graphs from the Hyper/Hypo-Arousal Questionnaire: the green band is the ‘zone of optimal ANS arousal’. This person completed the Questionnaire at the start (shown in red) and again near the completion (shown in green) of his therapy. illustrating one’s individual unique cluster of symptoms of trauma. This is done by completing the Questionnaire in and over several sessions and explored in the framework of our current understanding on trauma neurophysiology – Autonomic Nervous System arousal.

Therapy that, as a way of working, incorporates ‘mindfulness-based’ practices of Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Trauma-focussed CBT.

I am a trained MBSR Teacher.

Seminars and Programs

I offer the collaborative development and conduct of training for specific groups

Trauma-Informed Yoga Program for Yoga Therapists and Yoga Teacher Educators/Trainers.

Trauma-Sensitive information sessions for GP’s.

Yoga and Western Psychology/Psychotherapies Seminars/Workshops⁸‘Yoga and Western Psychology/Psychotherapies’ Workshop/Session
Presents an overview and context of a number of different Western psychotherapies from 1900’s to present and their relationship to the ‘mind-body’ split and view of ‘mind’ as consciousness.
The different means of classification or categorization of ‘mind’ and mental ‘disturbances’ will be outlined according to the yogic and the Western (DSM-V) psychiatric/psychological diagnostic framework..

Trauma-Informed Yoga Program (10 weeks individual sessions/small group classes) for the traumatized.

Supervision for Practitioners

I offer competency-based supervision

For allied health professionals, counsellors.

For registered psychologists interested in understanding some of their clients from a somatic/body oriented perspective; using basic yoga principles for therapeutic purposes; and /or bringing into their own work more trauma-informed psychological principles and practices.

For yoga therapists, yoga teacher educators and yoga teachers working with students/clients with trauma histories and other challenging psychological issues.

I am a trained and accredited supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Costs

The cost for these sessions may be part-subsidised by some private health funds and Medicare⁹Eligibility for rebates depends on your level of private health fund coverage.
A referral from a GP/Psychiatrist addressed me and a copy of your Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) is needed in order to claim the Medicare rebate currently $84.80 for 6 + 4 sessions in a calendar year.
At the end of the 6th psychological session your referring GP, with you, will review your progress and can recommend a further 4 sessions and provide another referral to me.Bulk-billing is not offered.
My fees are considerably less than the Australian Psychological Society’s recommended fee (2018) of $251 per session. rebates. NDIS participants who self- or plan-manage their NDIS funding can also access these services. Payment is by cash, cheque or pre-arranged EFT.

Unless alternative appointment times have been or can be made, missed or cancelled sessions reserved for you are charged in full.

Availability

My Sydney clinic hours are between mid-day Tuesdays to mid-day Fridays 8am and last session at 6pm.

The psychological sessions are for the full hour, on a weekly basis, set at a mutually convenient time.

Tele-health sessions may also be available by arrangement on V See or Skype

Contact