About

Meet Clare

Approach       

As a client of mine, I want you to feel seen and heard, and to feel safe to show up as yourself. I want to help you better understand yourself, to feel less alone in your humanness, and to build more helpful ways of coping.

I use a biopsychosocial perspective that takes into account the tricky human brain and nervous system (biology), your personality, life story and the way you view and care for yourself (psychology), and the social and cultural context in which you live (social). 

My treatment approach draws from a range of therapeutic backgrounds, primarily Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion-Focussed Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Developmental and Attachment Theory. I have also trained in Neuroprotective Developmental Care (the ‘Possums programs’) and use this approach to sleep and settling challenges in early life.

Current practice

I now work primarily with people in the perinatal period, from pre-conception, pregnancy and birth, through to postpartum and early parenting. I have completed additional training in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, non-directive pregnancy counselling, perinatal loss, and perinatal and infant mental health. I am a registered Circle of Security Parenting facilitator, and use the Circle of Security model to help parents build secure attachments with their children by being ‘Bigger, Stronger, Wiser and Kind’ figures in their child’s lives.

People come to see me for support with difficulties including:

• Perinatal anxiety and depression

• Trauma (including birth trauma)

• Preparing for pregnancy and parenthood

• Coping with infertility and fertility issues

• Decision making in pregnancy (non-directive counselling)

• Grief and loss (including miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss)

• Early parenting challenges (babies, toddlers, preschoolers)

• Adjusting to parenthood

• Baby/toddler sleep and settling (I help you understand normal infant sleep, and work to build strategies that support your sleep and your baby’s sleep - without letting baby cry.) 

If you are unsure whether I am the right fit for you, please feel free to contact me directly to discuss. 

Background

I have completed a Bachelor of Arts degree (majoring in Psychology and Psychophysiology), a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree, and a Master of Clinical Psychology degree. While studying, I volunteered at a crisis counselling service.

I registered as a Clinical Psychologist in 2012 and worked in public mental health in both regional and metro services, across adult and youth mental health teams, and in crisis assessment and community-based treatment settings. After having my own children, I moved into general private practice and then focussed on perinatal mental health.