Meet Our Team

Dr Veronica Johnston (She/Her)
**PRINCIPAL PSYCHOLOGIST**
Veronica holds dual qualifications as a clinical psychologist and registered teacher. She has over 15 years experience working with children and adolescents, providing emotional, educational, and behavioural support to her clients as well as their family and schools. Veronica also has a passion for women's mental health and works with many adults experiencing mental health difficulties.
**Appropriate Referrals Include:**
Anxiety, depression, trauma, adjustment disorder, grief and loss, behavioural difficulties, parenting support for families, neurodevelopmental disorders (ASD, ADHD), relationship issues, school or peer related difficulties
Veronica is currently not accepting new referrals.

Jacki Schurmann (She/Her)
**PRINCIPAL PSYCHOLOGIST**
Jacki is a Clinical Psychologist with more than a decade of experience providing individual and group-based therapies to adult populations within public mental health, private practice and forensic settings. Jacki draws upon a variety of evidence-based therapies, and uses a compassionate, collaborative approach to assist her clients to create and maintain meaningful change.
Jacki is a registered Board-Approved Supervisor. .
**Appropriate Referrals Include:**
Jacki is a Clinical Psychologist with more than a decade of experience providing individual and group-based therapies to adult populations within public mental health, private practice and forensic settings. Jacki draws upon a variety of evidence-based therapies, and uses a compassionate, collaborative approach to assist her clients to create and maintain meaningful change.

**Julie Jammet (She/Her)**
**PRINCIPAL PSYCHOLOGIST**
Julie is a registered clinical psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency (AHPRA) and an accredited supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia. She has extensive experience working with adolescents and young adults in different settings such as area mental health services, community care organisations and private practice. Julie has a strong interest in Animal Assisted Therapy and together with her accredited mental health therapy dog, Fly, they provide a non-judgemental therapeutic space where young individuals and their care givers can feel safe, listened to, and supported to achieve mutually agreed treatment goals. Julie is passionate and committed to helping young persons with a range of mental health difficulties to accomplish their personal, social and educational potential.
Outside of the clinic, Julie enjoys bushwalking with Fly and travelling the world when she can.
Please note that Fly (therapy dog) does not work every day and may not be available at the time of your consultation. If you do not wish for Fly to participate in your session, please notify reception in advance. .
**Appropriate Referrals Include:**
Depression, anxiety disorders, sleep difficulties, managing difficult emotions, low self-esteem, gender diversity, body image challenges, school related difficulties, obsessive compulsive disorder, neurodevelopmental disorders.

**Melissa Van Styn (She/her)**
**CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST**
Melissa is a Clinical Psychologist and board-approved supervisor with over a decade of experience providing evidence-based psychological therapy. She has previously held roles in the public mental health sector providing crisis support and has several years of experience working with clients of all ages in private services.
Melissa has a compassionate, collaborative and client-centred approach with a focus on seeking client feedback to tailor therapy for each clients unique needs. Melissa aims to provide a safe and supportive therapeutic space for children, adolescents, parents, and adults.
**Appropriate Referrals Include:**
Anxiety, depression, trauma, adjustment disorder, grief and loss, behavioural difficulties, parenting support for families, relationship issues, school or peer related difficulties.

Pagan Aston (She / Hers)

**CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST**
Pagan is a registered Clinical Psychologist and a board approved supervisor under Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and is a member of the Australian Psychology Society. The Neurosequential Network acknowledges that Pagan has completed NMT Training Certification through the Phase 1 Level and utilises this within her practice alongside a range of evidence-based therapeutic interventions.
Pagan has been providing psychological treatment and a range of cognitive, academic and behavioural assessments for children, and adolescents to the local Ballarat community for a number of years and has a passion for providing treatment to children and adolescents. Pagan brings valuable experience in addressing the mental health needs of neurodivergent and neurotypical children with commitment to addressing a wide range of social, emotional and behavioural challenges.
Pagan has strong skills in engaging children and adolescents who may be hesitant to seek help or speak to a “therapist”. She strongly believes in the importance of providing a personally tailored approach and ensuring that a trusting, supportive and honest relationship is formed between herself and those she works with. Pagan is passionate about working with LGBTQIA+ community as well as being disability sensitive and works from a trauma safe and somatic therapy framework.

**Leigh Parkin**

**CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST**
The decision to undertake any psychological work may feel confusing and daunting, so Leigh strongly values the importance of providing a safe and relaxed environment for people to explore and come to the necessary choices toward growth and change.
Leigh has trained and worked as a psychologist since 1997 and he draws upon this experience across numerous roles he has undertaken across the community, educational, government and private service areas. He enjoys working with a wide range of issues and has a passionate interest in the impacts of family and domestic violence and promoting non-violence in the community.
Leigh values the importance of forming a strong, collaborative relationship with his clients and has a flexible approach that values each clients’ unique experience and life circumstances. He draws upon a range of evidenced-based approaches including cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), schema therapy (ST), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), solution-focussed therapy (SFT) and mindfulness-based strategies.
**Appropriate Referral Include:**
Anxiety disorders, including panic attacks, social anxiety, illness/health anxiety and generalized anxiety, Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Bipolar and related disorders, Trauma, Issues relating to family of origin or relationship difficulties, Low mood, stress, adjustment to significant live events.

**Krystal Chaffey (She/Her)**

**REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST**
Krystal is a psychologist with over a decade of experience working across the lifespan in a variety of settings including public, private and educational settings.
Krystal has a compassionate and collaborative approach using evidence-based interventions to improve psychological well-being
**Appropriate Referrals Include:**
Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, school, relationship and behavioural difficulties, parenting support for families, stress management and body image challenges.

**Georgie Chew (She/Her)**

**REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST**
Georgie is a registered psychologist with over a decade of experience working with Adults and Adolescents and their families. She has worked in a range of settings, including both hospital and community health teams, giving her broad experience across the spectrum of mental health illnesses and severity of mental health illnesses.
She provides comprehensive assessments, problem formulations and evidence-based therapeutic interventions to support her clients of all ages, to build self-compassion and understanding, resilience and mastery. She strives to build a safe and trusting working alliance and brings a curious, non-judgmental attitude to every client.
Georgie has a Masters of Youth Mental Health and has a special interest in adolescent and young adult mental health and early intervention. Georgie also a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician.
**Appropriate Referrals Include:**
Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, school, relationship and behavioural difficulties, parenting support for families, stress management and body image challenges.

**Jamie McDonald**

**REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST**
Jamie is a generally registered psychologist with experience working with adolescents in school and private practice settings, as well as with adults in private practice. Jamie works with clients in an "integrative" context, combining mixed, evidence-based methods that prioritise client care (empathy, genuineness and positive regard), as well as goal-consensus and collaboration. That is, we work together to better understand your concerns, then plan together to overcome them.
**Appropriate Referrals Include:**
Anxiety, stress, depression, general mental health and wellbeing, positive psychology, grief and loss, interpersonal difficulties, neurodevelopmental disorders ASD (client or parental counselling support only - not assessments), narrative, phobias, bullying, emotional neglect, mindfulness

**Liam McDonald**

**REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST**
Liam is a registered psychologist and community worker with many years experience across the community services, counselling, and psychological treatment sectors. He has worked in primary school counselling, alcohol and drug withdrawal care, and direct client treatment for anxiety, depression, conduct disorders, and autism spectrum disorder. Liam primarily works with children up to 12 and adults to provide support in emotion regulation, behaviour change, stress management, and create a comfortable space for clients to debrief and share without fear of judgement. He currently holds a Master of Professional Psychology and is currently completing his Master of Psychology (Clinical)
**Appropriate Referral Include:**
Anxiety (social anxiety and general anxiety), depression, behavioural difficulties, neurodevelopment disorders (ADHD, ASD), behaviour change, conduct disorders, and cognitive assessments.

**Raffaella Ward**
**REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST**
Raff is a registered psychologist with experience providing individual and group-based therapies to populations within forensic and private practice settings. Raff draws on a variety of evidence-informed therapies including Schema therapy, CBT, ACT and trauma-informed approaches. Raff works with clients to tailor treatment to their needs.
**Appropriate Referral Include:**
Alcohol and other Drugs, trauma, forensic, behaviour change, distress tolerance and emotional regulation, general mental health and wellbeing

**Dominique Mulhane**
**REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST**
Dominique is a registered psychologist with over 6 years of experience working with children, adolescents and adults in both private practice and educational settings. She collaborates with clients to support them in achieving their own unique goals in a strengths-based and compassionate way. Dominique incorporates a range of evidence-based approaches in her work with clients including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. She is also a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician.

Cheryl Wile

REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST

Cheryl is a registered psychologist with over 25 years of experience. Very compassionate and caring, Cheryl draws on a myriad of approaches to tailor individualized treatment plans to the client’s needs.

She endeavors to create a safe, warm, supportive environment where clients are encouraged to explore, understand, and develop increased self-awareness and an improved ability to cope with and challenge difficult thoughts, behaviours and feelings. She aims to help client’s feel empowered and equipped to self-manage their lives and optimize their future. Cheryl enjoys working with numerous client groups and has a special interest in palliative care.

Her treatment approaches are guided by emotion focused therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, narrative therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and solution focused therapy. She regards the job she does and the trust clients place in her a privilege.

Appropriate Referrals Include: 17+

Anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders, depression, trauma, PTSD, grief, anger, addictions, emotional regulation, self-esteem, stress, sexuality, burnout, LGBTIQ, ageing, end of life issues

Skye Petrie (She/Her)

REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST

Skye has over 23 years of experience working with children and families who have experienced trauma and harm. Skye believes the therapeutic relationship is a key element of support and offers a calm and safe space for individuals to explore and make sense of their experiences and feelings. She is passionate in supporting individuals to identify and achieve their goals through relationship and evidence-based interventions including Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Skye also has a strong interest and passion for infant and parent mental health, with post graduate qualifications in infant mental health.

Appropriate Referrals Include:
Trauma and PTSD, anxiety, stress, depression, emotion regulation difficulties, parenting difficulties, parent-infant relationship, ASD.