Mental Health Referral Network
Support for high performance athletes and eligible individuals within the sports system who have mental health or wellbeing concerns
AIS Mental Health Team
During your initial contact with the AIS Mental Health Team, one of our qualified mental health clinicians will discuss your current concerns and circumstances, and provide you with information on the MHRN. From there, they will connect you [or the person you are referring] to the most suitable psychologist or mental health clinician on the network.
Matt Butterworth
Psychologist
AIS Clinician and Mental Health Manager
Matt has a passion for helping people to live their best lives and has worked as a Clinical Psychologist since 2004. Matt values the different perspectives and experiences that people bring having grown up in an environment that encapsulated both his NZ Maori and NZ European ancestry and cultures. He has worked in New Zealand, the UK and Australia. Matt is experienced in assisting people with their mental health and wellbeing needs in sports, child and adolescent, adult mental health, and forensic settings. He’s continued to play sports throughout his life from social to representative levels and continues to value all of the great things that sports involvement can bring to people and communities: including better health, social connection, working and achieving together.
We need to tackle the day to day wellness of athletes rather than wait to intervene in critical situations. The AIS MHRN enables athletes to check-in, to talk to someone outside the athlete's sporting environment in order to help them understand and manage any issue they may be facing.
Nicole Burattin
Psychologist
Clinical Psychologist
Nicole Burattin is a clinical psychologist and member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). Nicole has worked with children and adults in various settings including employment services, schools, hospitals and private practice. She has experience working with anxiety, depression, workplace stress, perfectionism, personality disorders, physical health problems and stress management and has a particular interest in anxiety disorders and animal assisted therapy.
Nicole is interested in using her knowledge and expertise as a psychologist to develop mental health resources and educate individuals about wellbeing and mental health related matters on a wider context. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys spending time with her dog, Clifford, drinking coffee and watching 90’s sitcoms.
Josh Ranger
Psychologist
Josh is a Clinical Psychologist who has worked primarily with adolescence and young adults. He has worked in private practice and schools and has experience working with depression, anxiety, sports performance and burnout. Josh has a keen interest in solution focussed therapy as well as cognitive behavioural therapy. He has also worked with local sporting clubs around Victoria to help promote and build mental health education.
Josh is interested in educating and developing the mental health knowledge and skills of athletes, and as a result enjoys running workshops with athletes and high-performance staff. Outside of work, Josh loves all things sport, with a strong passion for Hawthorn (AFL) and the Winnipeg Jets (NHL). He also enjoys going to the movies and is obsessed with all things Batman.
David Johnson
Psychologist
David is registered psychologist and a member of AAPi with over 10 years of experience supporting people through a wide range of mental health challenges. He has worked across a variety of sectors including Disability, Education, Youth and Family Services and Community Mental Health.
Concurrent to his role as a Mental Health Advisor with the AIS, David works in private practice, where his main areas of interest are working with depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, addiction, grief/loss, ADHD and Men’s, Adolescent and LGBT2SQIA+ health. He also works as a Psychologist Facilitator for Tackle Your Feelings.
David is intent on compassionately connecting with people and ensuring that they are linked with the right support as well as delivering initiatives that build the capacity of the Australian Sports System to deliver sustained cultures of mental wellbeing, psychosocial safety and diversity, equality and inclusion which enhance both personal and sport performance outcomes.
In his spare time, he loves connecting with family and friends, fitness, being in nature, music and learning about different cultures!
MHRN External Clinicians
These highly skilled clinicians — selected because of their success at helping high performance people in managing life’s pressures — can deliver services ranging from improving your mental wellbeing to comprehensive clinical treatment plans
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Guy Little
Psychologist
Guy is an experienced psychologist who has worked across a range of settings including community mental health and high performance sport.
Guy runs a private practice in Barton, Canberra. Here he works with the general population, as well as those in high performance contexts including business executives, medical practitioners, performing artists, military personnel, and elite athletes and coaches.
Guy works with people to develop and grow in their performances as well as assisting them with mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and life struggles (e.g., relationship difficulties, grief and loss). He is also experienced in working with athlete specific presentations such as injury rehabilitation, career transitions, managing coach-athlete
relationships, managing motivation and confidence, and developing performance routines.
He is passionate about assisting people to build high quality relationships and working with people to thrive in life. He is experienced in treatments including, but not exclusive to: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, EMDR, Schema Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy.
Guy understands sport. He gets the pressures and stresses associated with sport through his work in mental health and performance psychology with professional, Olympic and Paralympic athletes. These roles include currently working as the performance psychologist for Brumbies Rugby and previously working in the mental health team for the AFL Players Association and as the Athlete Psychologist at the AIS.
Jacquie Davies
Psychologist
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better” by Maya Angelou. I am passionate about assisting you in your journey and creating a range of tools for life.
Jacqueline is a registered Psychologist who has experience working with Adolescents and Adults in both public and private health settings. She is trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Advanced Interpersonal Therapy and Trauma Therapy. She takes a very practical approach to educating and teaching individuals to address concerns with anxiety, phobias, grief and loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, pain, and adult attachment issues.
Jacqueline has experience in drug and alcohol use, couples counselling, self-harming, anger and mental health issues, stress and work related factors, such as time management, bullying, critical incidents and mediation.
Jacqueline has a passion for assisting adults to recognise the mechanics of their relationship/s, their physical and emotional responses and develop effective communication and resilience building skills.
It is an enormous commitment to enter to world of the sporting elite, to test your limits, expand and adapt and arrive at places you never felt possible! It is a great privilege to support both the athletes and the coaches.
Lisa Olive
Psychologist
Experienced clinical psychologist working with athletes and national sporting organisations across a variety of sports.
Lisa completed her Masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology at the Australian National University, where she specialised in stress-related mental disorders. Lisa has significant experience in the area of elite sports mental health over the last 15 years, first through her role as a live in Residential Athlete Welfare Supervisor at the AIS and then as a Clinical Psychologist with the ACT Academy of Sport.
Lisa has further clinical experience working in community mental health, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and hospital settings. Lisa now runs a private practice, where she is committed to providing a non-judgmental, nurturing and inclusive service for all clients. She strives to be an industry benchmark for innovation, client outcomes and delivery of service.
Lisa acts on the core values of safety, trustworthiness, collaboration, growth and empowerment. She works with athletes of all levels ranging from Paralympian/Olympian and professional through to junior development pathways. In addition to her clinical practice, Lisa is actively engaged in research and training in her role as Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University and as part of the Elite Sports and Mental Health Unit at Orygen, University of Melbourne. In this role, Lisa contributes to developing new interventions, therapist training and undertakes research and training consultancies, including to the Australian Institute of Sport, the Australian Football League, Cricket Australia, Gymnastic Australia, and Tennis Australia. Lisa currently co-leads the AFL Mental Health and Wellbeing Study, a flagship project seeking to maximise the mental health and wellbeing of young athletes.
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“Responding to mental health in sport - like other areas of health – should be based on the best-available evidence, to maximise the efficient use of limited resources. The MHRN is an innovative system to support mental health and enhance wellbeing across high performance sport by providing access to quality psychological care as its needed”
Rachelle Dawson
Psychologist
Rachelle is a clinical psychologist who has predominately worked with adults, in university and private practice settings. Rachelle completed her clinical training and PhD at the Australian National University.
Rachelle works with adults from many backgrounds who are experiencing a wide range of difficulties. She has particular strengths and interest in: trauma (including PTSD, complex trauma, dissociation), depression, anxiety-related difficulties (worry, stress, panic, OCD), relationship difficulties, psychosis, and eating and body image challenges.
Rachelle draws from a range of therapeutic approaches depending on a person’s goals and current challenges. Her primary approach to therapy is through the lens of psychodynamic psychotherapy, which is a depth-oriented and relational-focussed psychotherapy.
Rachelle has also been trained in, and draws from, cognitive behavioural therapies and EMDR.
Rohan Schlesinger
Psychologist
Clinical Psychologist and member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), and APS College of Clinical Psychologists. Rohan holds a Master of Clinical Psychology degree.
Rohan has worked with people of all ages and all life stages. He has experience working within both the public mental health sector and private practice settings.
Rohan works in a warm, genuine and compassionate manner. He uses a range of therapeutic approaches including (not limited to) the following:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
- Interpersonal Neurobiology
Rohan has a keen interest working with young people aged 15 years – 30 years, with special interests in athlete mental health and wellbeing, and ADHD.
He is passionate about working across a range of difficulties, including depression, anxiety, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, attention and focus skills, adjustment and transition issues, resilience building, and identity development.
Rohan is motivated to support the development of resilience, mental health and wellbeing in youth and adult athletes, recognises the unique challenges of those balancing their sport, with school, work, and family commitments.
Ross Calear
Psychologist
Using respectful curiosity to encourage recovery and growth
Ross is a Registered Psychologist brings over ten years’ experience working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
His work experience includes working with victims of crime, perpetrators of crime, people with major mental illness, and in crisis support situations. Ross is interested in working with adults who are having difficulty with; anxiety, depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), relationship issues, workplace stress and coping, hallucinations, delusions, and Bipolar Disorder. He uses evidence-based therapies including; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Schema therapy.
Ross is passionate about his work and highly respects people who are working towards positive psychological change, as he remains mindful of the tremendous commitment people make to achieve this goal. He works toward bringing energy and respectful curiosity into each session. Being an outsider to the sports world, Ross provides a fresh perspective to people living and working within this environment.
Ross can work with anyone in Australia, as he is available for both face to face and Telehealth consultations on a number of teleconference platforms.
“People within in elite level sports work incredibly hard. Out of respect of that work ethic, I will work to provide a safe and comfortable space for people to recover and grow into a life of thriving, not just surviving”
New South Wales (NSW)
Adam Martin
Psychiatrist
Dr Adam Martin has worked as a consultant psychiatrist in Sydney since 2006.
He graduated as a doctor in London in 1994 and moved to Sydney in 1999, where he trained in psychiatry at Prince of Wales Hospital Randwick, and at Long Bay Hospital, Malabar.
He has a particular interest in sports psychiatry, and consults to professional sports teams and athletes at The Stadium Clinic, Moore park (next to SCG).
Through the Australian Institute of Sport, he is providing an on-call service for the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams. He works closely with sports physicians and psychologists, seeing athletes for management of mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, problem behaviours and relationship issues.
Amy Joscelyne
Psychologist
Dr Amy Joscelyne is a clinical psychologist who believes that warmth and empathy are essential to developing a good therapeutic relationship. She works with a wide range of issues including anxiety, low mood, trauma, grief, drug and alcohol and relationship issues. She uses several therapeutic approaches including schema therapy, CBT, acceptance and commitment therapy and attachment informed approaches. Amy discovered a passion for working with athletes through working with the NRL and understands the unique pressures of high-performance environments, and challenges related to injuries and career transitions. When she’s not working, Amy loves reading thrillers and walking her dog, Hudson, who frequently makes an appearance at her office, too.
Amy Talbot
Psychologist
Director of The Talbot Centre, a large multidisciplinary service in Northwest Sydney, and in 2018, she was awarded Australian Psychologist of the Year.
Dr Amy Talbot has worked across a wide range of settings including inpatient and day patient hospital programs; and specialist outpatient services.
She has also held multiple research, teaching and supervisory positions in the area of clinical psychology. She has a particular interest in working with eating, feeding and body image concerns; anxiety disorders; obsessive compulsive and related disorders; academic, mindset and performance issues; and child and family concerns.
Andrew Gardner
Neuropsychologist
A world-leading neuropsychologist with over a decade’s worth of experience working with elite athletes in both a clinical and research setting
Andrew is a clinical neuropsychologist, and an Associate Professor with the School of Medicine & Public Health at The University of Newcastle. He is also a Co-Director of the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNE LHD)'s Sport Concussion Clinic, an Executive Committee Member of the Priority Research Centre for Stroke and Brain Injury and has served as the concussion consultant to Rugby Australia.
He is a member World Rugby's concussion working. Andrew received first class honours in Psychology (University of New England) in 2005 and subsequently completed a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology) degree at Macquarie University, Sydney, where he conducted research examining the acute and cumulative neuropsychological consequences of sports concussion in semi-professional rugby union players.
His thesis received the prestigious award for the Most Outstanding Dissertation for 2011 from the National Academy of Neuropsychology (USA); the first, and still the only, time this award has been bestowed upon a student who studied outside of North America. Following this, Andrew completed his PhD in the School of Medicine and Public Health, at the University of Newcastle, studying the potential long-term consequences of participation in collision sports.
In 2015 Andrew was awarded the Discovery Award from Research Australia as the national early career researcher of the year for 2015. He was made a 2017 AMP Tomorrow Maker to support the clinical and research work within the HNE LHD Sports Concussion Clinic. In 2018 Andrew received a Fulbright Postdoctoral Award and travelled to Harvard Medical School.
Edel Langan
Psychologist
Performance and General Psychologist supporting individuals to live a rich, full and meaningful life
Dr Edel Langan is a psychologist with experience across both Olympic and professional sport settings.
Edel currently works as a psychologist with the Australian Sailing Team, Cricket NSW and Table Tennis. In private practice, Edel supports individuals from the general public, sport and performance arts industry, with a range of life matters.
Edel previously worked at the New South Wales Institute of Sport, providing psychological support to scholarship athletes across a variety of sports.
Edel has also worked in community mental health. Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom – Victor Frankl The MHRN is a fantastic initiative to support athletes in their choice making of how to navigate the highs and lows of high-performance sport.
Harris Anasson
Psychologist
Harris Anasson is a registered psychologist with AHPRA and a full member of the Australian Association of Psychologists. She has a breadth and depth of experience spanning 20 years, assisting individuals and groups in clinical, forensic and private practice settings.
Harris currently operates her own private practice in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, treating individuals with a variety of presentations including adjustment, anxiety, depression, substance misuse disorders and post-traumatic stress. She has a special interest in emotional dysregulation, deliberate self-injury and suicidal risk. Harris can also assist in the management of stress, grief/loss, interpersonal difficulties and can provide specific skills training in areas such as healthy communication, assertiveness and effective problem solving.
Harris is educated and trained in a number of evidence based therapeutic modalities, however, considers herself eclectic in her approach, applying the modalities that are best suited to an individual’s unique needs and preferences. Her practise philosophy is focused on the importance of an authentic therapeutic relationship and genuine compassion for individuals.
With her own background in sport and experience working with representative athletes in private practice, Harris has an awareness of the multifaceted challenges that can impact both health and performance. Harris is passionate about working collaboratively with athletes, assisting them to optimise their wellbeing and achieve their personal goals.
Jessica Cunningham
Dietitian
Jessica is an Accredited Practising Dietitian currently working in private practice at The Talbot Centre. Jessica is committed to helping her clients in an empathetic manner and provides individualised support through a Non-Diet/Health at Every Size (HAES) approach. With kindness and compassion always front of mind, guiding individuals to feel as comfortable as they can is at the forefront of Jessica’s practice.
Jessica has a special interest in eating disorders, disordered eating (emotional and compulsive eating), and body image concerns. She has experience working with people in private outpatient care, medical centre settings and has also been involved in NDIS related dietetics work. Jessica is a member of Dietitians Australia and enjoys keeping up to date with the latest nutrition research.
Kristy Atwool
Psychologist
Kristy is a warm, intuitive, and empathic Clinical Psychologist. She is dedicated to supporting her clients as they better their mental health, pursue their full potential, and live more satisfying lives. She has over 20 years of experience working as a psychologist and her clients tend to find her gentle, sensitive demeanour both reassuring and encouraging.
Kristy's qualifications are a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Bachelor of Psychology with Honours both from the University of New South Wales.
Kristy has experience working with a range of individuals with diverse psychological difficulties such as, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, personality difficulties, poor self-esteem, post-traumatic stress, depersonalisation and derealisation symptoms, eating disorders, relationship issues, grief and loss, psychosis, self-harm and difficulties coping with emotions. She enjoys working both with individuals and couples and has a special interest in helping clients with challenging childhoods develop their self-worth and establish more healthy relationships with others.
She has extensive training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Schema Informed therapy approaches and Mindfulness-based therapies. She also has an appreciation and fondness for Psychodynamic treatment models.
Kristy has consulted in community health settings and both public and private hospitals. For the last 17 years has been the Director and Principal Psychologist of her psychology private practice based in St Leonards on Sydney’s North Shore.
Kristy is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA) and a SIRA WorkCover provider. She is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, and an ANZAED Accredited Eating Disorder Clinician. Kristy is a Board Approved Supervisor and enjoys supervising psychologists completing the Clinical Psychology Registrar Program.
She offers in person and telehealth appointments Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Kim Cardile
Psychologist
Kim has extensive business management and sport experiences with high performance teams at the state and national level.
She has been instrumental in driving national change in learning and development frameworks and career management programs. Kim has a diverse background; inclusive of sport, coaching and clinical psychology, tertiary and secondary education, career counselling and in business and services management.
Kim has experience working in the Australian Institute and Academies of Sport, in University Sport and Education, in government and private enterprise and at the Australian Sports Commission
Dr Lyndel Abbott
Psychologist
Lead psychologist with the Australian Olympic Team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the Australian Paralympic Team for Tokyo 2020
Lyndel completed her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sydney in 2005. Since then she has had extensive experience in both the sporting and clinical domains.
Clinically Lyndel has worked in university settings as well as community mental health, inpatient units, drug and alcohol facilities, and is now in her own private practice in St Leonards, Sydney.
Lyndel has been able to apply her clinical training and experience to the world of sports first through her role as Residential Athlete Counsellor at the AIS, and as a Psychologist with the Australian Olympic Team at the London 2012 Games, and as the Lead Psychologist at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the 2020/1 Tokyo Paralympics. Lyndel also consults to a range of sporting organisations.
Michael Magee
Psychologist
Michael is an experienced clinical psychologist with over a decade of counselling and psychology experience in various settings, including public hospitals, universities, and private practices. Currently most of his work involves providing clinical and performance psychology support to high-performance athletes, coaches, and support staff in professional and Olympic/Paralympic sports. Michael holds a Master of Clinical Psychology and several postgraduate qualifications in counselling and psychology. He is also currently pursuing a PhD in chronic pain and digital health at the University of Sydney's Pain Management and Research Institute.
Michael has extensive experience in supporting clients with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety (including performance anxiety), stress, OCD, and bipolar disorder. He also helps clients with problematic substance use and other addictive behaviours, such as issues with alcohol, illicit drugs, gambling, sex, and pornography. Additionally, he enjoys working with clients to improve the areas where physical health overlaps with psychology, such as sleep issues, diet, pain management, and chronic illness.
Michael is passionate about providing psychology support to improve mental health, performance, relationships, and quality of life. He uses evidence-based psychological strategies such as CBT, ACT, Schema and Narrative Therapies to collaboratively explore the issues clients bring to sessions. He works with clients from diverse backgrounds and communities, valuing their unique histories and identities, and believes that everyone deserves access to high-quality psychological support. Michael strives to understand each individual's unique background and how it may influence their current situation, making sure to provide a supportive and non-judgmental environment.
Monica Sekowski
Psychologist
Monica is a psychologist holding both a Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology and a Master of Clinical Psychology. She has over 12 years experience in private practice and inpatient and outpatient mental health services across Sydney. Monica is the founder of Eastern Suburbs Psychology and the Senior Psychologist at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Campbelltown Hospital. Monica also has rooms at Developmental Paediatrics, where she consults as part of a multidisciplinary team treating complex mental health presentations.
Monica holds an area of specialty in eating and body image disorders. She has a passion for working with sports professionals across the lifespan who, as a population, are uniquely vulnerable to disordered eating and exercise behaviours due to the relationship athletic performance has with nutritional intake and training schedule. She also has an interest in anxiety disorders and their impact on performance.
Monica is primarily a cognitive behavioural therapist. However, she also uses modalities such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and schema work.
Monica is a proud member of the eating disorders and Body Image research network at WSU and was awarded the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Enterprise International Award for excellence in research in 2020. Monica is a board-approved supervisor and provides clinical supervision as a credentialed eating disorder clinician and member of the Australian and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders to those undertaking the credentialing program in NSW. She currently holds the position of Adjunct Fellow in the School of Social Sciences and Psychology at Western Sydney University and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society and College of Clinical Psychologists.
Rene Poulos
Psychologist
Experienced psychologist in a range of sports and performance domains.
Provider of Psychology and Career Development Services to higher education and high-performance sports sectors for over 20 years.
Rene is a Registered Psychologist and Senior TAFE Counsellor at TAFENSW where she currently works at Randwick College and EORA College, Redfern. With a career spanning more than twenty years in higher education, Rene is a skilled provider of personal, educational and vocational/career counselling. Rene also has specialist expertise in working with clients from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island backgrounds, clients with disability and clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
As well as working in the higher education sector, Rene also works in private practice as a Psychologist assisting clients to identify and draw on their strengths, overcome barriers, and realise their potential so they can meet their personal goals.
In the high-performance sports sector Rene works with athletes, assisting their holistic development in life/sport balance, wellbeing and career longevity. Rene is also an Accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructor. In all her work as a Psychologist, Rene empathically connects individuals with the difficult and challenging issues that lead to personal insight, behavioural change and the achievement of significant sporting and life outcomes.
"The Mental Health Referral Network is a wonderful addition to the support services available to athletes. Above all, the Network provides the right support at the right time, ensuring that athletes are able to be supported at any point throughout their sporting and life journeys. Within the athlete’s world there is still a lot of stigma around mental health. However, the referral pathways to the Mental Health Referral Network are seamless and athletes are also able to self-refer, enabling the Network to effectively facilitate help-seeking behaviours in athletes who are experiencing mental health or wellbeing challenges."
Tracey Frazer
Psychologist
Experienced Clinical Psychologist with experience in both clinical and sporting domains
Tracey works in a collaborative and down to earth way and she has a passion for empowering clients to develop insight and understanding about their issues, helping motivate them to apply strategies to their daily lives.
Tracey is a Clinical Psychologist with 25 years of experience. She has over 10 years experience in a Community Mental Health Mood and Anxiety Team and has had her own Private Practice for almost 20 years. Tracey works from a range of evidence - based treatment modalities allowing treatment plans to be individualised, targeted and goal focussed.
Tracey has been providing clinical services to a range of athletes from a range of sports through the AIS Mental Health Referral Network since it began. She is located in Southern Sydney and her clinic can accomodate wheelchair access where needed.
“The Mental Health Referral Network is an excellent initiative for elite athletes past and present, allowing them to access mental health services in a safe, confidential and supportive environment. Athletes can access services as needed to support their psychological health and performance needs.”
South East Queensland (SE Qld)
Alicia Garrett
Social Worker
Alicia is an experienced youth and adult mental health clinician. Alicia has worked across tertiary and community settings in rural and metropolitan areas for more than 13 years. Currently, Alicia is based in Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast, QLD. Alicia offers in-person and Telehealth/Video sessions through Vista Counselling.
Alicia places a high value on developing respectful, authentic and open-minded relationships with clients, creating a safe, client-centred and collaborative environment. Alicia has a specific area of interest in working with people struggling with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, family violence, addiction, personality disorders/complex trauma and low self-worth. Furthermore, throughout her career, Alicia has had a focus on supporting members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities.
As an accredited mental health social worker and Bachelor of Psychology graduate, Alicia's therapeutic approach is underpinned by trauma-informed practice and the recovery care model, focusing on collaboration and inclusivity. Alicia uses several therapeutic models including, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Motivational Interviewing. Alicia is passionate about the accessibility of evidence-based mental health support for her clients.
Anthony Teoh
Psychologist
Anthony is a Clinical Psychologist who has a special interest in anxiety, OCD and resilience.
He utilises a positive psychology approach to treatment aimed at encouraging individuals to reach their potential and improve their resilience and wellbeing. Anthony is a registered Clinical Psychologist and the Clinic Director of Anxiety House and the OCD Clinic in Brisbane.
He has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings to support clients with building resilience and addressing serious mental health conditions. Anthony has a special interest in anxiety, OCD and resilience. Anthony has also conducted both Australia-wide and international training for resilience enhancement and anxiety prevention.
Further, Anthony has published research on the importance of early intervention in preventing mental ill-health. He has extensive experience and knowledge working with high performing athletes from numerous sporting backgrounds.
Anthony works collaboratively with clients to manage their mental health, adjust effectively through life transitions and to improve performance. Anthony focuses on providing treatment from an evidenced based approach established on a solid formulation tailoring his treatment to the individual.
Ashleigh Olive
Psychologist
Ashleigh (she/her) is a registered psychologist, and ANZAED Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician, with experience working in high performance sport settings as a sport and exercise psychologist, as well as in private practice supporting the mental health and eating disorder recovery of elite and developing athletes, and performers. Ashleigh currently provides psychology support privately via Telehealth, or face-to-face at True North Psychology in Brisbane. Ashleigh works with people from our LGBTIQAP+ communities, people living with a disability, and practices from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective.
Ashleigh has a special interest in the treatment of eating disorders, disorder eating, body image concerns, relative energy deficiency in sport (REDS), and low energy availability in current and retired athletes. Ashleigh also has experience in supporting athletes experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, and concerns related to emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. Ashleigh enjoys supporting athletes to achieve their optimal health to then help them perform at their best.
All eating disorder treatments delivered by Ashleigh are underpinned by principles aligned with social justice, weight-inclusive care, and non-diet approaches. Ashleigh is trained and experienced in the delivery of the following evidence-based eating disorder treatments:
- Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT-E),
- Maudsley Family Based Therapy (FBT),
- Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM),
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (CBT-AR),
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Eating Disorders (DBT-E),
- The Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA),
- Temperament Based Therapy with Supports (TBT-S), and
- Adolescent Focused Therapy (AFT).
Brett Carter
Psychologist
Brett took a less conventional path to becoming a clinical psychologist, completing his honours and master’s degrees in psychology after racing as a professional triathlete and employment as a swim coach working with elite coaches and athletes in swimming, surf sports, and triathlon at Bond University. Brett’s experience training alongside Olympic and World Champions, and seeing the pressures and challenges they faced, was his inspiration to study psychology.
Brett has worked in both government and private settings to assist individuals with concerns such as addictive behaviours, performance, stress, disordered eating, depression, anxiety, persistent/chronic pain, and adjustment to spinal cord injury. Brett has also worked with Australian Defence Force members to help them overcome post-traumatic stress, injury setbacks, and adjustment to civilian life after the military.
Brett aims to help clients understand and shift automatic default patterns of thought and behaviour that exist to provide short-term relief/distraction/avoidance from painful feelings/emotions, however, in the long-term underpin mental health issues and impact performance in relationships and valued pursuits. Brett draws upon techniques from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Psychodynamic Therapy depending upon client needs.
Emily O'Leary
Psychologist
Dr Emily O’Leary is an experienced Clinical Psychologist with extensive knowledge supporting high performance athletes and executives experiencing high levels of perfectionism, obsessionality and adjustment to life post athletic/business career.
Dr. Emily O’Leary is a clinical psychologist with over 15 years’ experience. She holds a PhD in Psychology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology. She provides guest lectures across several universities about anxiety. Emily has presented her research on anxiety and OCD at both national and international conferences.
Aside from her work, Emily is a regular columnist for Mindfood and the Director of three psychology clinics and co-director of a psychiatry practice. Her interest areas include: Anxiety disorders Obsessive compulsive and related disorders Transitional issues e.g life post sporting career. Infertility and trying to convince Bipolar Affective Disorder
Ian McKerrell
Psychologist
Ian is a Clinical Psychologist who enjoys working with adults seeking support for a range of mental health difficulties. Ian has experience in private practice and community mental health settings. With a background in disability support work and community development, Ian completed a BA Honours in Psychological Science and Master of Clinical Psychology. Ian holds membership with the Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA).
He has a special interest in OCD, anxiety disorders and mood disorders, as well as Christian counselling and men’s mental health.
He works collaboratively with clients to come to a mutual understanding of the client’s difficulties which informs a tailored treatment program. He utilises techniques from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).
Katie Thompson
Psychologist
AIS Clinician and Senior Clinical Psychologist
Katie is a Clinical Psychologist based at the OCD Clinic Brisbane. She is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Australian Psychological Society.
She has completed a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology and has over 15 years’ experience working with clients experiencing anxiety and other mental health issues. She has worked in both private and public settings as a Clinician and also a Team Leader and Director. She has presented at Conferences and Workshops, both nationally and internationally. She has a special interest in the treatment of Anxiety Disorders and OCD, and is particularly passionate about working with perfectionism and stress management with high performing athletes. She values a warm and collaborative relationship with her clients and utilises evidence based treatment that is tailored to the individual (particularly Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).
Katie has worked with athletes both from Representative teams and individual sports (e.g. Gymnastics). She values health, sport and exercise, and has always actively participated in sports herself. She is currently a keen road cyclist and distance runner.
“I value the opportunity to provide mental health support for Australia’s athletes, from challenges early in their journey as an athlete to retirement from their sporting career.”
Leo Ryan
Psychiatrist
MBBS, BSc., LLB (Hons), FRANZCP
Dr Ryan qualified as a general doctor in 2003 and has been working full-time in psychiatry since 2005. All of his tertiary qualifications were obtained at the University of Queensland. He achieved Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists in 2011.
He treats a wide range of psychiatric conditions including mood and anxiety disorders, various forms of psychosis, and substance misuse. He has worked in both private and public practice for over 10 years. Dr Ryan established, and is the director of, Westside Medical Specialists in Toowong, Brisbane. He also currently holds the following appointments:
- Senior Visiting Medical Officer to Queensland Health and serves as the clinical leader for teams composed of psychologists, social workers, nurses, and psychiatric registrars.
- Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland.
- Visiting psychiatrist to Aboriginal / Torres Strait Islander clinics (Woolloongabba and Gladstone; formerly also Hervey Bay)
- Member, Qld Government General Medical Assessment Tribunal.
- Member, Qld Government Medical and Allied Health Advisory Panel.
- Australian Institute of Sport, Mental Health Referral Network.
Prior to completing University degrees in Science and Medicine, Dr Ryan completed a Law degree and was admitted as a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland. He is experienced in complex medico-legal matter and has been consulted as an Independent Medical Expert by a wide variety of clients and organisations.
Dr Ryan practices in the area of General Adult psychiatry and is committed to an “evidence-based medicine” approach to the care of his patients. He thus considers biological, psychological, and social factors when assessing problems and developing management plans for his patients. Dr Ryan has advanced training in CBT and psychotherapy and recognises both the importance of psychological therapies and the limitations of medicines.
Dr Ryan aims to be approachable and non-judgmental whilst being professional and outcome-focused. Patient confidentiality is always strictly maintained. Quote: “to love and to work” Sigmund Freud, when asked about the purpose of life.
Mette Parkinson-Gilligan
Psychologist
Registered Psychologist with a Masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology, with extensive experience working with athletes and their families/partners.
Mette has a warm, non- judgemental approach and provides a safe space for clients to feel heard.
She has several interest areas including wellbeing, performance, relationships, stress, depression and anxiety management. She is also a committed grief counsellor and enjoys delivering communication and assertiveness training to build confidence and improve relationships.
She has been trained in Gottman Marriage Counselling and Trauma/Critical Incident Debriefing.
"The AIS Mental Health referral network provides a high calibre of psychological support for all current and retired athletes; I hope it continues to be an integral part of athlete wellbeing and that anyone who engages with the service finds it empowering and meaningful."
Monique Harding
Social Worker
A holistic, relational approach to mental health and psychotherapy.
Monique is a Mental Health Social Worker and Clinical Family Therapist working in private practice on the Gold Coast. She works both locally and across Australia via telehealth.
Monique is passionate about her work in supporting people to have healthy, thriving relationships and heal from past trauma. Her clinical specialisation is in anxiety and trauma. She considers these symptoms within the context of past conditioning and influence of both current systemic influences and historic family of origin patterns.
Monique’s style is warm, compassionate and optimistic. She takes an active, collaborative approach to therapy, highlighting to clients where they are struck and supporting long lasting transformation. Quote: Helping you heal from past trauma, break through stuck patterns to truly make peace with your past.
Sam Versace
Psychologist
Sam is a Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
He holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. He has experience supporting clients with anxiety disorders and other mental health difficulties across a range of settings including; inpatient residential treatment facilities, high schools and private practice.
He has conducted research in both sport psychology and alcohol and other drug settings. He enjoys working with adolescents and adults with a specific interest in anxiety disorders, difficulties with substance use, and with athletes. He also enjoys using a warm, friendly therapeutic approach to work alongside clients and facilitate their treatment goals.
He primarily utilises Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), tailored to meet the needs of the client.
Shane Jeffrey
Dietitian
Shane is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with over 25 years of experience in both the private and public sectors. He currently works in private practice at River Oak Heath where he provided treatment for a range of eating, weight and body image concerns in addition to offering training, supervision and consultancy services. Shane is a credentialed eating disorder clinician, and is past treasurer of the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders.
Throughout his career, Shane has worked almost exclusively in the field of eating disorders, disordered eating, and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-s) and has a strong interest I how these presentations intersect with athletes. Shane has experience in working with athletes at all levels, in both an individual and team setting.
As the creator of the RAVES eating framework, Shane compliments this approach with the therapeutic concepts of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing in his work to help clients work towards a more positive relationship with food, mind and body. In his work, Shane adopts a holistic, collaborative approach to his work and believes in empowering clients to reach their health and performance goals.
Tara Fox
Psychologist
Clinical Psychologist with 20 years of experience working with complex populations
Tara is a Clinical Psychologist with experience in both government mental health settings and private practice. She completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology in 2002.
Tara has worked with high performance athletes and coaches as part of her private practice on the Gold Coast over the past 6 years. She has previously worked as both a Senior Clinician and a Clinical Team Leader for government mental health teams working with severe and complex mental health presentations.
Tara has completed training in a range of evidenced-based mental health interventions including ACT, CBT, Schema Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Family and Systemic therapy, and trauma processing. Tara is a board-approved supervisor in Clinical Psychology and continues to provide supervision and training to both early career and experienced clinicians.
Tara has previously taught clinical psychology subjects at Griffith University, and managed a state-wide research team evaluating mental health treatment in severe and complex populations. Tara holds membership with the Australian Psychological Society and is a Fellow of the Clinical College.
"Good mental health is a key component of good performance. The Mental Health Referral Network is an excellent initiative linking high performance athletes with experienced mental health professionals who can support them to manage mental health challenges, whether from their sport or life more broadly, to help them perform at their best."
Zoe Quick
Psychologist
Zoe is a Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years experience across both the public and private sectors. She trained in New Zealand before jumping the ditch to Sydney and then settling for the sunshine in Brisbane. She is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Australian Psychological Society. She enjoys a healthy balanced lifestyle, is an active gym attendee and competed in national level sport in her younger years.
Given a long history client work Zoe has seen a broad range of difficulties including, but not limited to, Depression, Anxiety and OCD. She is well versed in the impacts of life's complexities including neuro-diversity, complex family backgrounds and trauma. She has worked with children, teenagers and adults. She enjoys working with athletes around perfectionism, transition changes and stress management.
Zoe is familiar with a wide variety of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT). She is also trained in Level 1 Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). She likes to work collaboratively with her clients from a strengths-based approach. Using a client's own values to guide therapy goals.
South Australia (SA)
Beth Alexander
Psychologist
Beth Alexander is a Clinical Psychologist who is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and a Fellow of the Clinical College of the APS. Beth has 25 years experience in the healthcare industry and 14 years as a Psychologist. She has worked in a broad range of areas including Private Practice, General Practice, Intensive Care Units, Community and Rural/ Remote areas. As well as the AIS, Beth works with clients from a number of Elite level sporting Organisations including The Australian Football League (AFL), The AFL Players Association (AFLPA), Cycling Australia, The Professional Footballers Association (PFA), Netball Australia, South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) and the South Australian Football Association(SANFL).
Beth’s special interests include wellbeing, elite performance, stress reduction, self-confidence, resilience building and peri-natal health. She enjoys collaborating with clients to manage and resolve depression, anxiety, trauma, burnout and post-natal depression. She has a particular interest in the prevention of illness and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Beth is passionate about caring for people, helping them achieve their potential and assisting them to live more fulfilling, meaningful lives. She provides a calm environment for people to discuss their concerns and help them achieve their goals. Beth draws from a wide range of evidence based methodologies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, supportive counselling, Positive Psychology and the sensitive use of humour, which can be helpful
Chrisi Lambos
Psychologist
Demonstrated history of providing high quality outcomes to elite athletes and high performing individuals.
Chrisi is an experienced therapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. She has worked extensively with elite athletes and high performing individuals and currently consults to both the AIS and AFL Players Association.
In her private practice, Chrisi draws on a broad range of evidence-based therapeutic modalities. This allows her to tailor treatment to the individual using an integrative approach to therapy that is flexible, targeted and relevant.
Her extensive experience working with high performing individuals has afforded her an in-depth knowledge of the unique pressures and challenges facing athletes.
In addition to addressing clinical presentations, Chrisi places great value on supporting athletes to reach their personal goals and improve performance.
Dr John Baranoff
Psychologist
Extensive experience working with the AIS, state and national sport networks, and professional footballers.
John has worked with athletes from a wide range of sports in private practice and in his former role with the AIS Performance Psychology team. He has also worked extensively with athletes from professional football codes as well as state and national sport networks, particularly in the area of mental health, persistent pain and the psychology of sport injury rehabilitation.
John has significant experience as a psychologist within a number of national mental health networks for athletes and he has worked within the broader mental health system to gain an up-to-date understanding of best practice.
“Based on my experience within an institute and within national sporting organisations, I believe it’s important to have a coordinated approach to provide timely help when it’s needed. Early intervention for mental health leads to better health and performance outcomes. The Mental Health Referral Network supports and strengthens the work already being done within the national sporting organisations, and within the state and national institutes and academies.”
Matthew Condie
Psychologist
Dr. Matt Condie is an Australian-trained and based clinical psychologist with a Doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology with over ten years’ experience in the field. He is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). Matt works closely with several universities in clinical and sport psychology, conducting contemporary research in these areas. He consults with individuals and teams from community-level participation to high-performance competitions. He also consults as an expert member of Google’s global resilience and well-being initiative offering educational workshops on well-being and resilience in high performance.
Throughout his career, Matt has held several key roles in clinical psychology including youth and adult mental health, emergency psychiatric services, perinatal and infant mental health and refugee mental health both in Australia and abroad. He has experience in:
- Mood, anxiety & adjustment disorders
- Identity, transitions and performance
- Grief and trauma
- Youth sport: Parenting education and support
- Coach support
- Neurodiversity interventions for ADHD & ASD
Engaging in psychological intervention can be overwhelming for some people. Matt uses an individualised and tailored approach to his work to support a balanced, resilient and successful individual. This includes motivational interviewing, positive psychology, cognitive behaviour therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy. When working with an individual, Matt balances autonomy with accountability, focusing on respecting the relationship, education, skill acquisition, and reflective practice to foster self-awareness and well-being.
Tasmania (Tas)
Lydia Black
Psychologist
Clinically trained psychologist Lydia Black has over 15 years of experience working as a psychologist in Australia and overseas. She works with all age groups and utilises a wide range of therapeutic approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, Schema Therapy, family therapy, Animal-Assisted Therapy and EMDR for trauma and performance.
Lydia is a former elite athlete (rowing) and also has coaching experience. She is the contracted lead psychologist for the Tasmanian Institute of Sport and a mental health educator for the Australian Institute of Sport. As a contracted psychologist for the AIS MHRN, Lydia has worked with sports people from a wide range of able-bodied and para-sports, including rowing, triathlon, cycling, archery, athletics, hockey, gymnastics, judo, and sailing. She enjoys helping athletes optimise their performance and supporting various mental health issues and disabilities, including anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, attentional disorders and neurodivergence (Autism, ADHD), eating disorders and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). Lydia is also knowledgeable in infant psychology and has experience working with new parents during the perinatal period.
Lydia is based in Tasmania and offers both online and face-to-face appointments in her office.
Jo Mitchell
Psychologist
Dr Jo Mitchell is a clinical and coaching psychologist with two decades of experience working in sport and psychology. She works with athletes experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, burnout and adjustment to sport and life events. Currently Jo works in private practice but has experience working for AFL, UK Sport, British Olympics, SASI, and with a range of athletes from amateur, professional, Olympic and Paralympic sports.
Jo primarily adopts an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework approach to her work. Her focus is on supporting people to live a meaningful and connected life, wherever they are on their mental health journey. She welcomes people with a disability, LGBTIQ+, CALD and neurodivergent backgrounds.
Jo completed one of the first Australian PhDs in wellbeing science, or understanding what it means to thrive, not just survive in life. She is interested in the impact of sleep, exercise and nature on mental health. She is a former Australian representative distance runner, although her heyday was back in the 80s and 90s. Now she continues to trail run, orienteer, MTB and hike.
Victoria (Vic)
Caroline Anderson
Psychologist
As a former Olympian Caroline Anderson has unique insight into elite performance which she combines with her psychological understanding and professional experience.
Caroline is a registered psychologist and brings almost 20 years of experience working in a range of settings including sporting organisations, hospitals and private practice and is the director of Performance Edge Psychology, a high performance and wellbeing psychology clinic based in North Balwyn, Melbourne. Caroline is the Performance Psychologist at the Victorian Institute of Sport (Diving, Cycling, ISPs) and has also worked as a senior consultant to the AIS Gold Medal Ready program and Mental Performance in Competition program. She contracts to The Australian Crickets Association and The AFL Players Association. Caroline has been a part of the AIS Mental Health Referral Network since it commenced in 2019.
Caroline is passionate about working with athletes at all levels by supporting and helping them to achieve their best both on and off the sporting arena. She does this using current evidence based techniques and neuroscientific principles. Her specific areas of interest in therapy includes high performance/elite mindsets, performance anxiety, the assessment and treatment of depression and anxiety, relationship issues, sleep difficulties, trauma, burn out and stress. She uses a variety of approaches including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Schema Therapy. She is warm and compassionate and always aims to be authentic and down to earth in her work.
Caitlyn MacKenzie
Psychologist
Caitlyn enjoys learning about and sharing her knowledge of the incredible power of the human mind.
Through her humour and down to earth attitude, she works with clients to help guide and empower them in navigating their own lives. She is a clinical psychologist who often draws upon techniques from ACT, Mindfulness, CBT, Narrative therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.
Caitlyn has an interest in working with eating disorders, anxiety, depression and general mental health and wellbeing, especially with young adults and athletes. Having being actively involved at a state level with both basketball (BigV) and football (VFLW), Caitlyn is a big believer that it is just as important to train our brain in strength and flexibility as we so often do with our bodies.
Elise Den
Dietitian
Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with a strong passion for supporting those with eating disorders.
Elise is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and ANZAED Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician (CEDC-D) who is committed to providing evidence-based, collaborative, nurturing and client-centred care to support her clients with eating disorders, disordered eating and body image concerns.
Elise has extensive experience working in eating disorder units in both public and private hospitals across Victoria and also co-founded her own private practice, OnCore Nutrition, where she provides a safe space to discuss beliefs, emotions and relationships around food and body. She is trained in ACT, FBT, DBT, CBT and MI and provides clinical supervision in the area of eating disorders.
Elise is particularly passionate about supporting elite and former athletes to challenge stereotypes and disordered eating behaviours, whilst optimising performance, mental health and physical well-being. Elise believes that full recovery is possible and through her insightful and compassionate counselling skills, she supports her clients to build and nurture a positive relationship with food and their body, both on and off the sporting field.
She has years of experience managing a range of different chronic diseases and practises from a Health at Every Size® (HAES®) lens to deliver evidence-based medical nutrition therapy.
Emma Steer
Psychologist
Clinical Psychologist dedicated to supporting young athletes in achieving optimal performance and positive mental health.
A highly skilled and experienced Clinical and Educational & Developmental Psychologist, Emma works with both amateur and professional athletes dealing with a range of mental health and performance-based issues. Emma works in private practice at Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre in Melbourne and heads the psychology services of one of Australia’s most well-regarded private girls’ schools.
Emma is an accredited Mental Health First Aid trainer and contributes as a facilitator to the AFL’s ‘Tackle Your Feelings’ program. A regular presenter on mental health related issues in children, adolescents and athletes, she has also completed an international study into the flourishing of adolescents and young people. Emma is a keen long distance runner and former triathlete.
Emma implements practical, evidence based psychological treatment approaches and strategies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Positive Psychology and general psych-education. Emma has specific expertise in dealing with athletes presenting with anxiety, depression and eating disorders. Emma also works with athletes to develop optimal performance, self-confidence, resilience and general self-efficacy. Other areas of Emma’s expertise include;
- Clinical management of mental health issues
- Learning and developmental disorders
- Pain management related to illness or injury
- Building positive relationships
- Development of social and emotional competencies Social media & cyber safety
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t - you’re right”
Henry Ford
Daniel Dymond
Psychologist
Helping athletes navigate their way through the unique environment of high performance. From Struggling to Flourishing - Daniel will work closely with you to achieve the outcomes you want.
Daniel is committed to assisting athletes fulfil their potential through cultivating a performance mindset that stands up to the rigours of elite sport.
Daniel works in mental health and performance every day and understands the pressures and opportunities that occur in these intense, unique environments.
Daniel combines up-to-date neuroscience and psychology with performance strategies used by the most successful athletes and coaches and delivers this in an energetic, creative, and easily digestible way.
Some of Daniel's success with his clients have included: Olympic qualifications, World Championship medals, WTA tour titles, world records, national titles, and executive/high performance job attainment.
Daniel received both his honours in psychology and postgraduate Masters in Applied Psychology (sport) from the University of Queensland, Australia. He also holds an honours degree in Sport Science from Exeter in the UK.
Daniel is currently the director of The Performance and Sport Psychology Clinic and works for Adelaide Crows in AFL. He is the Golf Australia psychologist for Victoria and SA. He consults to elite tennis players, Olympians, pro boxers, and medical professionals.
Life is a game of incomplete information. The brain doesn’t like that very much - to learn how your brain deals with this, and work on how best to respond, is key to flourishing. This MHRN network is a great way to support athletes in their quests.
Jacquie Harris
Psychologist
Jacquie joined the MHRN as a Psychologist with a background assisting a diverse population (veterans, Indigenous Australians, first responders, childhood sexual abuse victim/ survivors) across several states, with issues including:
- mood disorders
- anxiety disorders (including OCD)
- transition/adjustment concerns (eg, injury, deployment, retirement)
- post-traumatic stress disorder
In her private practice in Thornbury, she is also expanding to the following presentations:
- disordered eating and body image disturbances
- sleep concerns
- chronic pain
- disability and health adjustment concerns
Jacquie utilizes a variety of approaches (EMDR, Schema Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, CBT, DBT-skills), working collaboratively with individuals to address the issues they bring to the therapy space.
She is available both via telehealth and face to face for appointments, with a wheelchair-accessible premises.
John Ruecroft
Psychologist
I am an experienced clinical psychologist with a compassionate and collaborative approach, and I provide a safe and non-judgemental space for people to confidently discuss their most personal matters.
Drawing on evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Schema Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), and Mindfulness practices, I take a holistic approach to consider the various elements of people’s individual circumstances.
Integrating many years of personal experience using mindfulness practices with my clinical experience and expertise, I work with people to develop self-awareness and self-acceptance, to assist them in both discovering and living in alignment with their truest values, and improving their wellbeing and quality of life.
I have experience in various psychology settings in both the Private and Public sectors, including University Counselling and Psychological Services, Inpatient and Outpatient Clinical Mental Health, Forensic settings, Alcohol and Other Drugs, and Private Practice.
Justin Trounson
Psychologist
Justin is an Indigenous clinical psychologist and Director of his own private practice in Melbourne. He also works as the Community and Wellbeing Psychologist for the Richmond Football Club which supports the Korin Gamadji Institute and Bachar Houli Foundation. He completed his PhD (Clinical Psychology) degree at Swinburne University and has worked as an academic, researcher and clinician in both private and community mental health spaces.
Justin works with a wide range of clients and has experience working with First Nations peoples, people from diverse cultural backgrounds and LGBTIQA+ communities among many others. He uses a broad range of approaches dependent on the unique needs of his clients including CBT, ACT, Schema Therapy and Narrative Therapy. He has helped people experiencing depression, anxiety, OCD, substance issues, gambling issues, PSTD, relationship issues, trauma and chronic pain. He has also helped people in relation to working in high performance spaces, maintaining performance and managing stress or pressure
Justin has been a consultant psychologist and worked with Richmond Football Club, Melbourne Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club, the AFLPA, AFLCA and he has assisted Tackle Your Feelings with redesigning their program to ensure cultural appropriateness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. He has also spent time working within the Justice system within both juvenile and adult correctional settings. He is currently an adjunct research fellow at Swinburne University where he has worked as an academic for many years, a member of the APS and an endorsed clinical supervisor.
His interests include:
- High performance in sport
- Anxiety and depression
- Trauma recovery
- Resilience
- Working with clients from diverse backgrounds
Katie Wood
Psychologist
Katie is a clinical psychologist with over 20 years experience working in private practice as well as other mental health settings.
She works with individuals, couples, and families using a range of evidence-based approaches with the goal to support mental health and wellbeing, personal growth, and healthy relationships.
Katie has been a consultant psychologist for the Bendigo Academy of Sport, and is an accredited Tackle Your Feelings Psychologist. She is an Associate Professor in Psychology at Swinburne University where she works part time. Katie is a member of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, and an endorsed clinical supervisor. Her interests include:
- High performance in sport
- Twin psychology
- Child and adolescent mental health
- Anxiety and depression
- Trauma recovery
- Resilience.
Mary Spillane
Psychologist
Mary is a Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years experience in both Clinical and Elite sport settings. She has worked in Psychiatric inpatient and outpatient services, has been the AIS Mental Health Lead, and has worked in sports including AFL, Cricket and Tennis. She is currently the Club Psychologist at the North Melbourne Football Club, and the Team Psychologist for the Victorian Men’s Cricket Team.
Mary has a strong interest in the interplay between Mental Health, Wellbeing and Performance, and has a thorough understanding of the challenges and pressures that come with being an elite athlete. She uses a variety of evidence base approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, EMDR, and Exposure and Response Prevention.
Rachelle Porter
Psychologist
Rachelle Porter is a Clinical Psychologist with more than 15 years of experience working in mental health within the private and public sector.
Rachelle has worked in an inpatient unit, community mental health services, mental health worker in a jail, and now works in private practice in Melbourne.
Rachelle works from a trauma informed framework, providing a nurturing environment to explore and work through difficult issues, assisting clients to enhance wellbeing and optimise functioning. She draws from a variety of psychological models in her work with adolescents and adults, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Mindfulness, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Systemic, and Sensory Motor Psychotherapy.
Areas of interest include:
- anxiety
- mood disorders
- stress management and coping
- self-esteem issues
- trauma
- relaxation
- relationship issues
Rachelle has worked with the Mental Health Referral Network since it's inception in 2019.
Ranjit Menon
Psychiatrist
One of the leading sports psychiatrists in Australia with extensive involvement across a variety of sporting organisations.
Dr Menon is a consultant psychiatrist specialising in mood and anxiety disorders. He has an Advanced Certificate in Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and is also a leading sports psychiatrist. He is the current Chief Psychiatrist of the AFL and the Director of Mentalogue Clinic, which specialises in the care of athletes and other patients with mood and anxiety disorders. He is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at University of Melbourne and an Adjunct Research Fellow at Monash University. He is also the Secretary of the Executive Board of the International Society for Sports Psychiatry.
Dr Menon has worked and researched extensively with mood and anxiety disorders and has published several peer reviewed publications. He has a keen interest in improving the care of patients suffering from mood and anxiety disorders as well as reducing their morbidity. He has been closely involved in the care of elite athletes associated with AFL, AFLW, Cricket Australia and AIS.
Sonja Skocic
Psychologist
I have been a registered psychologist for almost 20 years years and work to enhance the mental health and well-being of women and girls. I provide individual and group therapies for women, girls, non-binary and gender diverse people of all ages and abilities, offer support for parents, partners and related communities.
I have extensive experience in treating the full range of anxiety and stress conditions such as social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, relationship and workplace stress, carers stress, generalised anxiety and panic attacks. I have presented and published internationally in the area of anxiety treatment for adults, children and adolescents and completed my PhD in understanding and treating social anxiety disorder. I offer a range of support and treatment options for anxiety and stress including individual therapies and groups.
My experience working in the field of eating disorders dates back to the mid-1990s, has included decades of supporting people with eating disorders, their families and communities. I have held leadership positions at Royal Melbourne Hospital Eating Disorder Inpatient Unit, The Melbourne Clinic's Eating Disorder inpatient and day programs, and worked on the Executive Committee of the Australian & New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders of which I am a member. I have also published and presented in this area. I offer a range of support and treatment options for women and girls with eating disorders, their families and communities, including CBT-E, DBT, ACT, Meal Support Training, Mindfulness and feminist approaches to understanding and treating eating disorders and body image disturbance and dissatisfaction.
I have a special interest in autism and offer skills training and support for women, girls, non-binary and gender diverse people on the autistic spectrum. I offer family inclusive support and collaboration as well as support and education for communities including workplaces. I also form part of the team involved in Neurodiversity assessments for our clients at the Centre aged 19+ years.
In addition to my training as a psychologist, I completed a Graduate Diploma in Movement and Dance many years ago which acted as a springboard to better understanding human movement in both functional and expressive ways. More recently I have become involved in endurance sport (primarily triathlon and distance running) and have become quite interested in the interplay of psychological and physiological aspects of training and performance in female athletes, the intersection of mental health and sport, athlete mental health and wellbeing. I am part of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Mental Health Referral Network, providing psychological support to eligible AIS athletes, coaches and support staff.
I am trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), attachment informed psychotherapy, interpersonal therapy, process-experiential psychotherapy, gestalt techniques and utilise feminist frameworks in understanding mental health and well-being. New clients can book online for an intake consultation where we can discuss which approach would be most beneficial at this time.
- Registered Psychologist - Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, Psychology Board of Australia
- Member - Australian Psychological Society (APS)
- Fellow - APS College of Clinical Psychologists
- Fellow - APS College of Counselling Psychologists
- Affiliate - APS College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists
- Member - Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED)
- Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Mental Health Referral Network provider
- Member - UN Women National Committee Australia
- Member - Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)
- Member - International Association for Women's Mental Health
- Member - Women’s Health Victoria
- Committee of Management - Human Research Ethics Committee (Healthscope)
Tony Glynn
Psychologist
Performance and Clinical Psychologist based in Melbourne.
Tony has been undertaking both performance and clinical psychology roles for 20 years since completing Masters degrees in Sport and Exercise Psychology and Clinical Psychology.
He has worked with professional sporting organisations and teams such as the Geelong Football Club, Tennis Australia, the Melbourne Vixen’s, Sailing Victoria, and the Victorian Men’s and Women’s Cricket Teams. In addition to his work with professional sporting organisations he consults with a range of athletes at the senior, and development levels for Olympic sports. Tony has also worked specifically as a Clinical Psychologist in mental health services in Australia and the UK. This experience has extended to children, adolescents and adults, and he currently works part time at The Royal Children’s Hospital as a Senior Clinical Psychologist.
The AIS is leading the way to provide athletes easy access to a group of professionals offering expertise in mental health and wellbeing. Providing the option for athletes to meet with a Psychologist in a safe, confidential way independent of their sport is an amazing initiative, and one that is proving to be hugely beneficial for Australian sport.
Western Australia (WA)
Craig Harms
Psychologist
Dr Craig Harms PhD is registered as an endorsed Clinical Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia.
Craig has experience working with adults in mental health settings (government and private), helping them to manage problems associated with mood (e.g., low mood associated with depression) and anxiety disorders (e.g., coping with panic attacks and generalized worry) as well as complex psychological concerns.
Craig’s current work as a Clinical Psychologist is mainly influenced by Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Schema Therapy, and therapeutic approaches linked with the understanding of emotions. Craig has previously worked at the Western Australian Institute of Sport and currently lectures in the School of Arts and Humanities, Psychology and Criminology at Edith Cowan University.
Craig has also worked with children and their parents on developmental concerns, as well as counseling adolescents when he worked for a number of years as a school teacher.
Julia Butt
Psychologist
With over 10 years working within elite Julia works with clients to support their wellbeing and mental health within sport and in their broader life and culture.
Julia is a Clinical Psychologist with more than 15 years' experience working in mental health and wellbeing. Julia has worked across a range of sectors including corrections, mental health, drug and alcohol, private practise, Aboriginal health and research. Julia has 10 years' experience in elite sport and considerable cross-cultural experience.
Using her experiences from the major football codes in Australia (AFL and soccer) and other sports including cricket and golf Julia provides a safe and supportive environment to explore mental health and improve wellbeing. She has experience working with current and former athletes around managing the challenges of elite sport and developing balance across the different domains of life and wellbeing. Julia has experience in working with stress, anxiety, depression, life changes, identity, and addictive behaviours. Julia draws from a variety of psychological models in a culturally safe way including acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, schema therapy and narrative therapy.
Kartikey Agarwal
Psychiatrist
20 years’ experience in several specialties of clinical Psychiatry.
Worked in Psychiatry since 2001. Has been involved in many research projects. Consultant Psychiatrist in Perth WA since 2011. Has worked as the Clinical lead of many teams including early intervention in psychosis (EIP), adult community mental health, acute inpatient psychiatric services, consultation liaison, youth services, drug and alcohol services, hospital in the home(HITH). Been in private practice since 2014 at Hollywood hospital and Perth Clinic. Currently director of acute services at Perth Clinic. Over the last 4-5 years he worked with elite athletes in a coordinated manner with sports physicians and clinical psychologists with expertise in sports psychology. Extensive knowledge and experience in clinical psychiatry and psychopharmacology with special interest in sports psychiatry.
Kim Mercer
Psychologist
20 years professional experience in clinical and sporting arenas.
Kim is a Clinical Psychologist with more than twenty years’ experience in both clinical and sport settings. She has worked in correctional facilities and inpatient psychiatric units in Australia, the UK and the USA. She was the Team Psychologist for the Fremantle Dockers AFL Club for ten years although now works exclusively in private practice, where she continues to consult to the AFL Players’ Association providing support for both current and past AFL and AFLW players. She has been a part of the AIS MHRN since its inception.
Kim aims to develop genuine and meaningful connections with her clients. She has a thorough understanding of elite sporting environments and the complex pressures that athletes face, but also works with non-athlete clients. She is experienced with issues more specific to sport including anxiety relating to performance and selection, adjustment to injury and return to play, transition into and out of an elite environment and pain management. She is also skilled in working with clinical presentations including anxiety and depression, sleep disorders, trauma, eating disorders and substance use. From a therapeutic perspective she utilises a variety of evidence-based approaches including cognitive-behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness and mindfulness-based CBT, brief solution focused therapy, as well as clinical and sports hypnosis. She has a keen interest in neuroscience and utilizes a brain-based approach in her practice.
Her clinic is very centrally located in West Perth and is wheelchair accessible.
“A designated Mental Health Referral Network of skilled and experienced psychologists is imperative for ensuring the highest level of psychological support and care for elite athletes and I am privileged to be a part of that group”.
Kim Maserow
Psychologist
Experienced therapist specialising in eating disorders, mood disorders and sexual health.
Kim works as a clinical psychologist in full-time private practice where she sees a variety of clinical presentations, many of whom are elite athletes requiring an understanding approach to their unique issues. She utilises many different treatment modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness, and Schema Therapy. Special interests include eating disorders – she was the co-director of an Eating Disorder Inpatient and Day Outpatient Unit for many years, helping patients with both restrictive and binge eating patterns. Sexual health, anxiety and depression are other areas of interest, working closely with medical colleagues. She is centrally located in Perth and her clinic is fully accessible for wheelchairs. She employs Skype, Zoom and telephone consults as appropriate.
I was delighted to be invited to join the Mental Health Referral Network which facilitates the connection between athlete and psychological therapist.
Nadia Bridge
Psychologist
I am a Clinical Psychologist who has extensive experience working in specialist government mental health settings (including Eating Disorders, Youth Mental Health, Paediatric Chronic Pain) and private practice. I am passionate about working with adults who are struggling with their mental health, or with current or past difficult experiences in their lives. I enjoy working with clients to help them gain a deeper understanding about themselves (their current thoughts, feelings and behaviours) in the context of their life history. I strive to work from a client centred and trauma informed model of care and provide individual therapy.
I have special interest and experience in the treatment of anxiety disorders, trauma and eating disorders. I enjoy working with athletes and people in sport. My therapeutic approaches are informed by Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Schema Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) & Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM for Anorexia Nervosa).
I have a deep respect for all my clients. I aim to provide a safe, collaborative and compassionate space, in which we can develop a therapeutic relationship, explore your concerns, and help to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, while also working towards your individual goals, utilising the best therapeutic approach to meet your needs.
Sharon Ridley
Psychologist
Sharon Ridley has a Masters in Clinical Psychology from the University of Western Australia and has 15 years of experience working in both private and government settings. She has previously worked at the West Australian Institute for Sport, and currently works in private practice in Perth, with some invitational lecturing and professional supervision to keep her balanced. She has been part of the AIS MHRN since 2021 and also enjoys consulting with the AFL Players Association and the WACA.
Her areas of interest include: eating disorders and body image disturbance, all manner of anxiety (excessive worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, OCD), depression, grief/loss, trauma and relationship difficulties. Sharon is trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Schema Therapy, and EMDR. She is comfortable working with older adolescents (16+), adults, and couples.
Sharon is passionate about delivering evidence-based treatment in a warm, supportive and collaborative environment. She will help you gain insight and understanding of your problem and teach you practical skills to manage your thoughts, feelings and behaviours to achieve relief from your symptoms, improve quality of life and prevent relapse.
Simone Allen
Dietitian
Advanced Sports Dietitian with 20 years’ experience working with a wide range of athletes with a special interest in endurance sports and aesthetic sports.
Simone currently runs a sports nutrition private practice and works with several sporting groups including being the Sports Dietitian for West Coast Eagles, Wesley College LTAD program and WA Ballet. Simone is also lecturing in Exercise and Sports Nutrition at Curtin Uni.
In previous years has worked at WAIS with swimming, athletics, diving, synchronised swimming and gymnastics. Simone was a Rhythmic Gymnastics Coach for 15 years, travelling annually with the WA State team, and appreciates the importance of realistic and appropriate advice.
Currently training as a triathlete and looking forward to racing in Ironman 70.3 in Busselton in Dec 2021 and World Champs for Ironman 70.3 in Dec 2022.
The AIS Mental Health Network provides an opportunity for athletes to work with Sports Dietitians who are able to provide practical and realistic advice specific to their sport, with an understanding of what their sport demands.
Susan Byrne
Psychologist
Dr Susan Byrne is a Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years of experience in research and clinical practice. Her main area of expertise is in the field of eating disorders, however, she is experienced in providing evidence-based treatments for a wide range of clinical conditions and she has a long history of working with elite athletes. Sue has a Master of Psychology (Clinical) and a PhD from the University of Western Australia (UWA) and a Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University. Until recently Sue was a senior academic (Associate Professor) at UWA, School of Psychological Science.
Currently, Sue is a Senior Research Scientist at the North Metropolitan Mental Health Service, an Honorary Research Fellow and a Professional Practice Fellow at UWA and an Adjunct Clinical Professor at Curtin University. Sue is involved in consultation, supervision, research and training with eating disorder services in both the public and private sectors. She treats individuals with eating disorders and other mental health conditions in private practice using the most up-to-date evidence-informed treatments. Sue also continues to lead national and international research projects which aim to identify the causes of, and new treatments for, the whole range of eating disorders and co-occurring conditions.
Contact the MHRN
Phone: +61 2 6214 1130 (Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm AET)
Email: mentalhealth@sportaus.gov.au