Our Team

Age Groups
Adolescents - Adulthood

About me
I am a nationally registered Psychologist, Board Approved Supervisor, and credential eating disorder practitioner, with more than 10 years combined education and experience.

I approach the therapeutic space and client journey from a place of compassion and genuine connection. I am a highly empathic psychologist and I utilise a client-centred approach to therapy to elicit collaborative and meaningful growth and healing with clients through evidence-based therapies. I value creating a warm therapeutic environment driven from the concepts of unconditional positive regard, compassion and empathetic challenging. More than anything, I value the journey each individual client goes on when entering the therapeutic space and I hold this space of change with the highest care and support necessary for each client.

Background + special interests
I have an interest in the role of a healthful diet, exercise and nutrition on mental health and overall wellbeing. I have conducted research on the role of diet, and the gut/body-mind connection. I am a practising academic, and continue to teach and lecture in psychology, remaining at the forefront of research and best practice within the field. I am a current member of the International Society of Nutritional Psychiatry for which I am completing my PhD of Psychology in. I have a Masters in Organisational Psychology, and I am able to provide support and coaching for those interested in performance development and flourishing, positive psychology, values identification, career coaching, and support for those in demanding and stressful work environments. I completed one of my theses on the effects of stress in the workplace on later mood, and I am qualified in PBC’s Hogan 360 assessment tool and other psychometrics.

Area of Interest
Leah is a registered psychologist who works with a range of presentations from late adolescents to mid to late adulthood. Leah provides individual support for:

• Eating-related disorders, body image challenges and disordered exercising
• Complex trauma and PTSD
• Adult late ADHD diagnosis – especially in women
• Relationship difficulties
• Career challenges and coaching, 
• Recovery from depression 
• Anxiety

Therapeutic Frameworks:
I practice a range of therapies, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy- Enhance (CBT-E), Schema Therapy, Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders, Eye Movement, Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Integrated model of EMDR and Schema Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Polyvagal Theory, and skill building techniques while working towards your therapeutic goals.

I have a gained further professional developement in the application of EMDR with neurodiverse populations, and ADHD assessment and neurodiverse-affirming integrative therapy.

What do you love most about the job? What drives you?
I love going on the journey of change with clients. Witnessing the positive shifts in self, emotional regulation, repairing and healing pain, and their personal worlds develop and change outside of therapeutic space because of the work they do in the room. It’s an honour to be able to work along someone on their journey to flourishing and facilitate these shifts in their sense of self, developing a voice, boundaries, and creating the life they deserve and want.

Three words that describe you the most?
In the therapeutic room every session I aim to be present, genuine, and attuned.
Outside of the therapeutic space I am: driven, ready to laugh, and energized.

What keeps you busy outside of work? What things are you learning at the moment? Interests, hobbies, etc.
I am an avid learner, with a thirst for knowledge, personal development, and growth. When I am not learning or upskilling, I’m at the beach with my dog, or on a hike (with my dog) – the resident therapy dog, Lottie. When I can, I like to surf (badly), watch Standup, bake (some what ok), and garden.

How do you play?
Dancing, playing music too loud, teaching Lottie tricks, and frolicking in the beautiful WA water.

Publications

• The relationship of health-related expectancies, fruit and vegetable intake, and positive mood: expectancies are important, but not in the way you expect
  British Food Journal · Jul 22, 2021
  Click here
• Interoceptive awareness and its relationship to hippocampal dependent processes.
  Science Direct · Sep 16, 2016
  Click here