Our Psychologists
Sarah Griffin
Psychologist
Clinical Director
Sarah is a registered Psychologist who has an empathetic and caring approach with her clients. Sarah believes in building a strong therapeutic relationship with her clients and their families. As well as creating a nurturing and non-judgemental environment within which they can work toward their therapeutic goals and create meaningful change. Sarah has experience in providing therapeutic support to children, adolescents and adults through therapy, psychological assessment and behaviour support services. Sarah has supported clients with a range of clinical presentations including Depression, Anxiety, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Post-Traumatic stress and trauma. Sarah’s approach is collaborative, holistic and strength-based, tailoring the intervention to the needs of each individual client. Sarah has experience in a range of evidence-based interventions including the following: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing and Narrative Therapy.
Adam Keyes
Psychologist
Clinical Director
Adam is a registered Psychologist and has also completed post-graduate training in Behaviour therapy. Adam has experience working with a diverse range of clients. In his previous roles, Adam has delivered therapeutic services to children, adolescents, adults and families. After completing his studies at the University of Newcastle, Adam worked at a local Out-of-Home Care agency. During this time, he gained experience working in a range of different roles, including Youth Worker support and Foster Care caseworker. In these roles, Adam was able to spend quality time with high risk clients and their carers, implementing behaviour management plans, and supporting the clients to develop their functional skills. Adam then completed his Psychology internship working with clients and their families, who had experienced a range of complex environmental, psychological and/or developmental difficulties. During this time, Adam gained experience providing clinical guidance to management and support staff, developing behaviour management plans, administering psychological assessments, and providing therapy. Adam’s particular interests include, supporting parents to strengthen their attachments with their children, working with clients that have experienced traumatic histories, utilising psychological assessments to identify supports for clients, including clients who experience Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual disabilities. Adam’s main goal is always to support clients to increase their overall wellbeing and reach their full potential. Adam is excited about working at The Willow Tree Clinic as it will allow him to deliver services that he is passionate about. He is focused on delivering clinical services through a client-centred and positive-based framework, with a goal of helping clients meet their needs. Adam uses the following modalities: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye-Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing and Narrative Therapy.
Amy-Lee Seward
Psychologist,
Certified Theraplay® Practitioner/Trainer,
Clinical Director
Amy-Lee is a registered Psychologist and Certified Theraplay® Practitioner. She has experience supporting children, adolescents, adults and families, with a diverse range of mental health presentations and disabilities. Amy-Lee graduated from The University of Newcastle in 2013. Her honours research focusing on suicide prevention was published in the ‘Journal of Clinical Psychology’. Amy-Lee has also completed post-graduate training in Applied Behaviour Analysis and Theraplay. Amy-Lee works from an attachment-based framework and is passionate about strengthening the attachment relationship between a child and their parent. She has experience using Theraplay with children and adolescents who have experienced complex trauma, to support them to develop and strengthen relationships with their parents/caregivers and reduce challenging behaviour. Amy-Lee also enjoys utilising psychological assessment to guide treatment planning and intervention. She is focused on delivering clinical services through a client-centred and positive-based framework, with the goal of helping clients meet their needs. Amy-Lee uses the following therapeutic modalities: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye-Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), Theraplay, Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing and Narrative Therapy.
Andrew Serhan
Psychologist
Andrew graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology through The University of Newcastle and has worked through his AHPRA internship to become a Generally Registered Psychologist. He is a member of the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Association of Psychologists Incorporated. Andrew has provided therapeutic interventions to clients and their families, who have experienced a range of complex environmental, psychological and/or developmental difficulties. Andrew has worked primarily with adults and adolescents within a variety of clinical, healthcare and rehabilitation spaces. Andrew’s aim is to support clients across a broad range of diagnostic presentations including stress management, anxiety and depression, trauma, personality disorders, vocational conflict, acute and chronic pain and substance abuse. Andrew is expanding his services here at The Willow Tree Clinic to include utilising psychological assessments to identify further support opportunities for clients from all walks of life. In addition, Andrew has provided services outside the clinical landscape including providing psychoeducation seminars for large scale businesses, performing vocational and psychological assessments for various organisations aimed at improving staff well-being and safety and responding to critical incidents on site for emergency mental health support and guidance. Andrew is excited to work at The Willow Tree Clinic as it allows him to provide services he is passionate about and advocates for. He brings an honest, empathetic and light-hearted approach to therapy, where his core focus is the pursuit of improving the support and well-being for his clients. Andrew uses the following therapeutic modalities: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Brief Solution Focused Therapy (BSFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Pain Management, Motivational Interviewing, Vocational Counselling and Narrative Therapy.
Angela Grant
Psychologist
Angela is a registered Psychologist and has also completed a post-graduate Master of Teaching (School Counselling). Angela has experience in supporting a diverse range of clients who have experienced social and/ or mental health concerns. In her previous role within the Department of Education, Angela gained extensive experience providing therapeutic support to children and young people, parents/carers, teachers, and executive staff, as well as working collaboratively with various external health services within Hunter New England Health and a range of non-government organisations. Angela completed a Bachelor of Psychology at the University of Newcastle where she developed a strong interest in adolescent brain development and early intervention supports. After completing her undergraduate degree in Psychology, Angela completed a Master of Teaching (School Counselling) at the University of Sydney and gained an internship with the Department of Education enabling her to work directly with children and young people in schools across mainstream and special education settings. During this time, Angela gained valuable experience in individual therapy with children and young people, providing clinical guidance and direct support to teachers, parents, and schools to maximise the emotional and behavioural regulation of their students, develop behaviour management plans, supporting and managing risk of harm, as well as administering psychological assessments to find the space where wellbeing and learning can be maximised for her clients, and students in general. Angela is a fierce advocate for the importance of student wellbeing in schools and developed/consulted on many policies and processes/strategies within various schools to maximise student wellbeing from a psychological and evidence-based approach. Angela’s particular interests and clinical focus include individual counselling for clients experiencing general life stressors, depression, anxiety, self-harm & suicidal ideation, supporting parents to communicate/strengthen their attachments with their children and young people, and working with clients that have experienced trauma. Angela’s therapeutic style is highly aligned with Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and considers the importance of Neuropsychological Integration (NPI) and psychoeducation, and her office is usually full of sensory items. She is also skilled in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Positive Psychology, Neuropsychological Integration (NPI) and general mental health first aid. Angela’s main goal is to create a sense of safety and genuine connection that allows ‘us’ (client/therapist) to do our best to maximise your wellbeing or meet your therapeutic goals realistically and within the available resources. Angela is excited about working at The Willow Tree Clinic as it will allow her to more extensively deliver services that she is truly passionate about. She is focused on working from a client-centred and ACT-based framework, with the goal of improved wellbeing and general functioning for her clients/families.
Our Occupational Therapists
Tegan Foley
Senior Occupational Therapist
With a love for sport and movement, Tegan brings a high-energy approach to her work at The Willow Tree Clinic. Tegan completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree with Honours at the University of Newcastle and has worked in the paediatric occupational therapy space for eight years. Tegan is a big kid at heart and believes there is nothing that keeps her more in the present moment than working with children. Tegan believes the key to success is a strong relationship and rapport, both with the child and with their families and caregivers. Tegan loves working with families to support the development of her clients and creates a 'team around the child' approach amongst all those working with the child to support them to achieve their goals. Her pursuit of knowledge has provided her with many opportunities to develop her practice. Her passion for understanding how neurology relates to function keeps her engaged and excited about the potential to create change in the lives of the children she sees. One of Tegan’s passions is running group therapy sessions, including Teenage social groups, Lego groups and Boxing Groups, which are always in popular demand.
Sarah Boss
Senior Occupational Therapist
Sarah is a registered Occupational Therapist and graduated from the University of Newcastle with honours in 2015. Since graduation, Sarah has gained experience working with children, adolescence and families with a range of disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Developmental Coordination Disorder, anxiety and sensory processing difficulties. She has also recently gained an interest and has experience working with families who are navigating diagnoses such as Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS). Sarah has a keen interest in movement difficulties and has completed training in primitive reflexes. Sarah has also completed Theraplay training and has an understanding of Theraplay informed practice to strengthen connections between parent and child. She strives to be family-centred and enjoys problem-solving and thinking creatively with her clients and families to achieve the best outcomes. Sarah is adaptable and able to support her families in a variety of environments depending on the needs of the child in the clinic, school, home, community and telehealth sessions. Sarah enjoys utilising a variety of modalities to support her families, such as top-down or bottom-up approaches to achieve functional goals, therapeutic use of self, goal orientated practice, parent coaching, use of interests and meaningful engagement with her clients. Sarah values developing strong relationships with her families to best understand and support their needs and collaborating closely with all involved stakeholders. Sarah’s goals are focused on completing more training in the future regarding play skills, parent coaching and strategies to assist the integration of a child’s primitive reflexes for successful engagement in all areas of their life. When Sarah is not working, she enjoys being active playing soccer, sport and riding her mountain bike. She is also a big fan of Marvel and Disney.
Avi Rabinowitz
Senior Occupational Therapist
Alison Sheedy
Senior Occupational Therapist
Avi is a registered Paediatric Occupational Therapist and Educator. This year marks her fifth year in Australia and her eleventh year as a therapist. Avi completed her studies in Cape Town, South Africa in 2011, after working for a year in a rural setting. Avi then embarked on her big move to Newcastle and has been adjusting to all things Aussie since then. After spending some time teaching abroad, Avi learnt that she had a developed an interest in supporting children 1:1, rather than working with them in the bigger classroom environment. It was there that she saw the benefit of therapeutic support and sensory tools that have come to shape and define what we do as Occupational Therapists. Avi has worked predominantly with children who have been diagnosed with Dyspraxia, Sensory Processing challenges, Autism, Learning Disabilities, academic needs, Anxiety, and those with Developmental Delays. Avi enjoys working with younger children and has gained clinical experience in a wide range of settings. She is committed to working with a client-centred approach and holistic framework within a multidisciplinary team. Avi is excited about the advancements in OT and helping her clients work towards achievable and functional goals and occupations i.e., play and learning amongst others. Avi remains passionate about helping children to grow, build confidence and work towards becoming happier and healthier individuals.
Ali was drawn to paediatric Occupational Therapy due to her passion for helping children and adolescents grow and develop to their full potential. She completed her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (with Class 1 Honours) at The University of Newcastle in 2018 and has been working in the paediatric space ever since. Prior to graduating, Ali had previous experience working as a paediatric Occupational Therapy Assistant for 2 years and as an Early Childhood Educator in the childcare setting. Ali has a total of 5 years paediatric OT experience, having worked both in a private clinical setting and as a clinical educator at a local tertiary education institution. During her time in these roles, Ali has gained experience working with a diverse range of clients individually, in small groups and whole classes both in the clinic setting and at various school sites within the Greater Newcastle region. She recognises and values the importance of providing education and support to the caregivers, teachers and educators in young peoples’ lives. Ali brings experience in providing practical professional learning and education sessions on a wide range of topics to support and empower families and educators to allow children to thrive. Ali's pursuit of knowledge and evidence-based practice has provided many opportunities including publishing a research article in a peer-reviewed medical journal, and professional training including Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP), Sensory processing/Integration Reasoning interactive Tool (SpIRiT), The Traffic Jam in My Brain and PowerUp for Participation: Ready, Steady, Go! Ali strongly believes in incorporating the strengths and interests of each individual client within therapy sessions to achieve the best outcomes. She is a “big kid” herself and her clients and families enjoy the energy and passion she brings to her role!
Our Speech Pathologists
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Jess Kiely
Speech Pathologist
Megan Fryer
Speech Pathologist
Jess is a certified practising Speech Pathologist who completed a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) degree at the University of Newcastle in 2017. Since graduating, Jess has gained experience working with infants, toddlers, children, adolescence, and their families with a range of disabilities including: Global Developmental Delay, Developmental Language Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety, Dyslexia and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Jess has experience delivering a range of evidence-based assessments and interventions with clients who have speech sounds disorders, language disorders, phonological awareness, literacy disorders, social language disorders and fluency disorders. Jess is certified in the following programs: Hanen – It Takes Two to Talk, Hanen – More Than Words, The Lidcombe Program, Sounds Write, Secret Agent Society and SOS Approach to Feeding. She is passionate about delivering the highest quality of care to her clients and their families. Jess loves to make her sessions with clients engaging and fun by including each person’s own individual interests to ensure they enjoy their therapy as much as possible. She understands each child is unique and is developing at their own rate. Jess is adaptable and is willing to provide services in a range of environments depending on the needs of her clients and their families. Jess has a kind and caring nature which allows her clients to feel comfortable and for her clients' communication skills to continuously grow. Jess considers it a privilege to be able to watch her clients’ skills develop which significantly increases their self-confidence and ability to participate in their everyday lives.
Megan is a certified practising Speech Pathologist, who completed a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle. Megan is passionate about treating clients using a holistic approach which recognises the vital role communication plays in daily life and integrates speech therapy seamlessly into an individual’s routine. Megan has experience working with children, adolescents, adults and their families. Megan has experience working with clients who have a range of difficulties, including speech sound disorders, early language delays, receptive and expressive language difficulties, literacy disorders, voice disorders, social communication difficulties and stuttering. She also provides swallowing assessments and mealtime management plans so that her clients can enjoy their meals safely. Megan has worked with clients with various conditions that may impact their communication including: Global Developmental Delay, Down Syndrome, Intellectual Disability, Developmental Language Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety, Dyslexia and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Megan is certified in the following programs: Hanen – It Takes Two to Talk, Sounds Write, Gestalt Language Processing, The Speech Pathologist’s role in co-creating safe and enjoyable meals: Collaborative strategies furthering the NDIS mealtime and severe dysphagia management practice standards, ADHD Done Differently for Speech Pathologists and Liberator’s Alternative and Augmentative Communication Devices. Megan is a compassionate Speech Pathologist dedicated to delivering personalised therapy and showcasing kindness in every interaction. Her empathetic approach fosters a supportive and safe environment for clients and their families to learn and grow.
Our Allied Health Assistant
Hannah Linnegar
Allied Health Assistant
Hannah is a qualified Allied Health Assistant with a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. Hannah has experience working alongside talented Occupational Therapists, Teachers, Support Coordinators, Family’s and Carers to provide a client centred approach to therapy. During her career, Hannah has had the opportunity to provide support, therapy and care to children and adolescents all over the world. Hannah values family support and providing therapy through play and movement. Hannah has a background of dance and performance and pulls on these experiences to provide fun therapy sessions. Hannah has experience supporting clients who live with ASD, ADHD and mental health concerns.
Our Admin Team
Casey Hall
Practice Manager
Jess Moon
Administration