About Sarah
Sarah has come to psychology later in life after a long period of working as a medical scientist. Sarah has always loved science, but as an extrovert, she deeply missed meeting new people and hearing their stories. Psychology is the perfect blend of science and people-ing, and with a few aha moments (including her own therapy), she started studying soon after having her second child. Sarah has had the pleasure of learning and applying psychology in real-time – motherhood has been both a wonderful and humbling teacher. Sarah LOVES her job as a psychologist and hasn’t looked back.
Sarah is trained in both brief symptom-focussed and longer-term therapies. In brief symptom-focused therapies, Sarah works with patients to learn effective ways to cope with difficult thoughts, feelings and behaviours using evidence-based interventions.
In longer term therapies, Sarah supports patients to reflect and make sense of their own experiences of development and being parented. This process often involves a patient sharing difficult experiences that have never been spoken about, and Sarah feels honoured to be able to hold this space. Through this reflection, patients learn to be able to differentiate their own history from their child's needs, and are better equipped to meet the needs of their children. Importantly, this leads to long-lasting positive impacts on a child’s development and significantly, can impact generations. (Circle of Security forms an important part of this work!)
Sarah thoroughly enjoys working with mothers through the perinatal period, but also mothers in alternative transition periods such as parenting through the school years or perimenopause or menopause.
Therapeutic Style
Sarah brings a warm and genuine curiosity to her patients and values building trust and safety in the relationship above all else. Sarah listens to both what you say, but also how you say it and wants to work collaboratively with you to make sense of your distress. Sarah also values fun and laughter and not-so-secretly, memes are one of her unofficial love languages.
Affectionately known amongst friends and colleagues as ‘the networker’, if Sarah needs to facilitate a referral to a specialist medical service, another service provider or tertiary service, Sarah often knows where to send you, or who to ask to help. Sarah loves to work in an integrated way with other professionals to make sure that you receive consistent and holistic care.
Other Interests
Disordered eating can persist past adolescence and early adulthood and emerge in the perinatal period/motherhood. Sarah has developed an interest in understanding and treating eating disorders using a Health at Every Size (HAES) framework. Sarah regularly seeks out specialist supervision in this area.
Unidentified Neurodivergence, such as Autism and ADHD, also emerges in Sarah's work. Sarah explores this in therapy to facilitate self understanding and in many cases, relief. Sarah values and works in a neuroaffirming way and regularly seeks specialist supervision and professional development in this area. (Please note: Autism and ADHD assessment is not a standalone offering Sarah provides). Sarah also has a keen interest in the co-morbidities of neurodivergence, including Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Sarah is also keenly learning as much as she can about perimenopause/menopause to understand how to support women through this next profound transition.
Professional Training
Sarah has completed over 6 years of formal education in psychology. Upon completing two undergraduate psychology degrees, Sarah undertook two years of masters level training. Sarah is an endorsed educational and developmental psychologist, which means post-masters, she has taken another 2 year program of learning and supervision.
Sarah also continues to undertake regular professional development and supervision and is always looking to learn more to help her better help her patients.
As an avid reader and podcast listener, Sarah is also more than happy to share her latest reads and listens. Sarah always loves to know what her patients are reading and listening to, too!
Qualifications
AHPRA General Registration: PSY0002343844
AHPRA Endorsement: Educational and Developmental Psychology
AHPRA: Board-Approved Supervisor
Master of Psychology (Educational & Developmental)
Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Honours)
Bachelor of Science (Psychology)
Bachelor of Biomedical Science
Circle of Security Parenting Program Facilitator
Centre of Perinatal Psychology Member
Member Australian Association for Infant Mental Health (AAIMH)
Member of Australasian Chapter International Marce Society for Perinatal Mental Health
Member of AAPi
Member of Australasian Menopause Society
Common Presenting Concerns
Fertility concerns
IVF
Pre and postnatal anxiety
Pre and postnatal depression
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) (Inference-based CBT)
Postnatal planning
Hyperemesis
Pregnancy complications
Termination for medical reasons (TFMR)
Premature birth
Pregnancy loss
Stillbirth and Infant loss
Birth trauma
Eating disorders
Neurodivergence & co-morbidities
Chronic illness
Attachment relationship concerns
Adjustment issues
Parenting couple relationship
Family of origin trauma/neglect
Perimenopause/menopause