Our multidisciplinary team model for clinical service delivery is designed to meet the needs of our diverse and dynamic client cohorts.
Our team brings together the expertise and skills of different disciplines and professionals to assess, plan, support and counsel. Our team consists of mental health practitioners from health, care and allied health disciplines that work together to provide a trauma-aware, holistic, person centred and strengths based approach.
Specifically, our multidisciplinary team consists of mental health nurses, psychologists, social workers, counsellors, educators, play/drama therapists, and art therapists.
Meet our friendly staff members
Ashley is a Team Leader in Fitzroy. She has a decade of experience in working with children, young people, and families. This has included working in child and adolescent mental health, school counselling, and child and family settings. Ashley has a passion for working with those who have experienced complex trauma. She adopts a strengths-based approach and endeavours to empower individuals and their support networks to set goals and create changes that are meaningful to them. When Ashley is not working, she likes cooking and enjoying a meal with friends and family.
Casey joined ACTG in 2021 as our Senior operations coordinator, with 9 years of experience in Operations and Project management in both corporate and community settings. Casey is excited to be working with the ACTG while she completes her degree in Psychology. When she is not working, Casey enjoys yoga, reading, meditation, hiking and spending time with her family, friends and dog.
Carmen Hoath joins our Canberra team as a Clinical Team Leader.
Dominic is a registered psychologist and clinical registrarwith extensive experience providing psychological treatment to young people in private practice, community clinics, youth organisations and hospital settings. He is passionate about working with people who have experienced trauma, and providing tailored and evidence-based interventions that integrate a range of therapeutic approaches to suit each person’s individual needs.
In his free time, Dominic loves sport and exercise, playing games and enjoying food with others.
In his free time, Dominic loves sport and exercise, playing games and enjoying food with others.
Ethiopia is a valued member of the Operations Team. After completing her Bachelors degree in Psychology at RMIT, Ethiopia is now undertaking her Honours degree in Psychology. She is the welcoming, friendly face of ACT Group, looking after service agreements, database management and assisting with intake referrals. She enjoys playing sports and spending time with friends and family in her free time.
Gregory is the Founder of ACT Group and former CEO. He’s a consultant psychologist, but before that he was an outreach youth worker after a stint in the army. He invented Ripple a technology that allows us to track the health and wellbeing of a person, team or organisation. He loves movies, martial arts and his therapy dog Matilda.
Juan holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Currently based in Canberra, he has previously resided and worked in various locations including the Philippines, the U.S., Singapore, Melbourne, and Sydney. His professional experience encompasses youth work, support work, community mental health, and adolescent mental health. Juan employs a client-centred, strengths-based approach in his support and therapeutic work.
In his leisure time, Juan finds enjoyment in bouldering, reading comic books, taking long naps, and attending live music events.
In his leisure time, Juan finds enjoyment in bouldering, reading comic books, taking long naps, and attending live music events.
Kalli joins our Geelong team, as a Senior Clinician. She is an AASW accredited Social Worker who is currently studying her masters in Child Play Therapy at Deakin University. Kalli has experience in a variety of roles including play therapist, animal assisted therapist, key worker and behaviour support practitioner and has experience working in NDIS early intervention, suicide prevention, family violence, specialist trauma counselling and working across a range of ages from early childhood up to teenagers and adults. Kalli has a passion for promoting, supporting and facilitating the human animal bond and has seen the value of human animal connections. Kalli is influenced by Carl Rodgers and uses a Rogerian Humanistic approach in her work as well as being poly-vagal informed and drawing on attachment theories, developmental theories and the neurosequential model of brain development. Kalli is a ‘4 Is to socialise’ Hanen certified communication professional and certified Learn to Play practitioner. Kalli understands that all behaviour is telling a story and is interested in understanding the unique verbal and nonverbal stories that people tell. Kalli works with an all abilities affirming human rights perspective and is deeply committed to child centred practice.
Lumbini is a Social Worker who holds a Master of Social Work. Lumbini has experience working with children who have experienced complex trauma, mental health challenges and family violence. Lumbini is trained with CBT Australia to provide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and uses a trauma informed, strength-based and child centered approach in her practice. She also has experience in grief counselling. Lumbini has experience working with a range of individuals and families, including CALD communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island families. Lumbini is passionate about supporting children and families who face additional challenges to reach their full potential by providing holistic, culturally inclusive therapeutic practice. In her leisure time, Lumbini enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, dancing, going for nature walks and road trips.
Meagan is a registered psychologist who is currently completing her endorsement in educational and developmental psychology. She is extremely passionate about working with young people and supporting them as they navigate the challenges of family, school, and growing up. She strives to provide all her clients with a safe, inclusive, and non-judgmental space where they can share their thoughts, feelings, worries, and achievements. Meagan is skilled in assessing autism, ADHD, and learning disorders, as well as providing counselling and short-term interventions for anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation. Meagan is a big supporter of celebrating everyone’s individuality and embracing clients’ neurodiversity, cultural heritage, and gender identity. Through her therapeutic and assessment work, she hopes to empower children and adolescents to feel that they have agency in their lives and the strength to choose their own path.
Melanie is a Senior Clinician in Fitzroy with experience as a social worker supporting children, youth and adults in child and family, youth homelessness and mental health settings. Melanie is dedicated to empowering people, families and communities to heal and thrive through person-centred, holistic, trauma-informed, attachment and strengths-based approaches to support. Melanie enjoys nature walks, films and baking.
Natalie is a registered Psychologist with over 25 years in working with vulnerable children, young people and adults. She has a special interest in working with people who have experienced complex trauma and is passionate about supporting people to explore new possibilities. Natalie enjoys spending her down time with her family and dogs and exploring the bushland around Canberra.
Natalie is the Clinical Team Leader in Fitzroy and Geelong. She has a background in out of home care, working for 15 years with children and young people in kinship care across Victoria and NSW. She uses a strengths-based approach and enjoys working alongside families to affect positive change.
Poonam holds a Bachelor’s in Applied Psychology and a Master’s in Counselling. As a Counsellor, her approach is centered around empowering clients to take charge of their own treatment. She specialises in working with individuals of all ages, including children, young people, and adults, addressing various concerns such as anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, PTSD, substance abuse, ADHD, school-related challenges, parenting difficulties, and emotional dysregulation. Poonam adopts an evidence-based approach, providing clients with effective skills and strategies to build a meaningful and satisfying life. In her leisure time, she enjoys reading and exploring diverse culinary experiences.
Sam joins our Geelong Team, as a Clinician who has an extensive history of working with vulnerable children, young people and their families in relation to risk assessments pertaining to their safety and supporting them to engage in sustained behavior change to create positive outcomes . Sam is dedicated to empowering children, young people and their families to heal from past and current traumas and has significant passion for working with those affected by family violence, substance use and childhood sexual abuse. She believes that all people, especially children and young people, deserve the right to safety, respect, to know they are worthy, loved and have a voice. Sam has worked as a Multi-Systemic Psychiatric Therapist with Young People who are involved with the Child Protection System and were at risk of entering to Out of Home Care system. Through this work, she worked with young people who experienced poor mental health, substance use, school disengagement, developmental trauma and antisocial behaviours. In addition, Sam has an extensive background working with children, both individually and in group settings, who have experienced trauma, grief, attachment issues, family violence and childhood sexual abuse. She believes in creating a safe and trusted relationship with her clients, uses a strengths based approach, draws on attachment and developmental theories and works with a trauma informed lens.
Sam holds a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences with Second Class Honours and a Masters in Counseling. Sam also holds extensive knowledge of the Victorian Child Protection System and the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 and is a member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). Sam enjoys spending her time with her young family, watching her twins play soccer, exploring new cafes and spending time with her friends.
Sarah is one of the members of the Operations Team, she has a background in community services and mental health. She has lived experience with mental health and is very passionate about breaking down the stigma related to it. Her next goal is to begin studying a Diploma in Counselling. When she is not working, she enjoys playing video games, playing Dungeons & Dragons and doing Pilates. She has two very cute cats called Bonnie and Crystal.
Sharon is a highly experienced HR consultant with over 23 years in various industries, including mining, manufacturing, FMCG, and NFP. She excels in strategic HR planning, executive coaching, and organisational development and has a proven track record of aligning HR strategies with business goals. Her expertise in employee relations, talent management, and enhancing workplace culture make her a valuable addition to the ACTG team. Sharon’s commitment to driving long-term success through effective HR practices is second to none.
Sushil firmly believes in the strength of her participants and clients. She has a Master of Philosophy in Psychology and recently updated her knowledge of new therapies and research while completing her Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
Sushil also possesses several other qualifications in Professional Childhood Development, as well as certifications in yoga and mindfulness techniques for stress and anxiety.
Her primary areas of focus are mindful practices and behavioral therapies for individuals of all ages. However, she holds a special passion for working with the younger generation who have ADHD, ODD, and struggle with emotional regulation. Sushil is dedicated to providing support to these individuals from the early stages of their development, fostering strong connections, and instilling in them a positive outlook on their future.