About

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Allison is a strong, kind and committed Clinical Psychologist who has over 12 years experience working with children and families, adolescents, and adults across both the public and private practice settings. Allison understands that life can be full of suffering and adversity. Although we can not change the past, Allison's approach is based on the evidence that suggests we can harness ways to respond differently to past, present and future events in a way that promotes psychological wellness. Allison enjoys time with her partner, friends, family and fluffy white Samoyed named Minty. 

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Preferred Therapeutic Approach
 

Allison's therapeutic approach is predominantly mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), influenced by a third wave type of CBT called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This approach is a means of understanding how life events or situations can influence our thoughts, feelings and behaviours in a variety of ways. The ACT approach centres on the link between language and the mind. By simply being more open to noticing how we internally frame problems to ourselves, which can in fact be open to interpretation due to the limitations and complexities of language itself, this is turn helps individuals respond according to their chosen values. Allison's approach centre's largely on the notion of accepting or being at peace with what is out of your personal control and committing to action that improves and enriches your life. 

 

"Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes." — Carl Jung.

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Allison's counselling approach is also heavily influenced by humanistic, existential and flexible psychotherapy with Rogerian foundations; such as unconditional positive regard, person-centred and congruence within the therapeutic alliance.

 

"This process of the good life is not, I am convinced, a life for the faint-hearted. It involves the stretching and growing of becoming more and more of one's potentialities. It involves the courage to be. It means launching oneself fully into the stream of life" ---- Carl Rogers

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"Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment" ---- Lao Tzu

 

Further to this, Allison's background working with family dyads is also heavily influenced by attachment, object relations and Masterson's Disorders of Self psychodynamic foundations. Across time, Allison has recognised that we are heavily influenced by our past experiences, sometimes even prenatally and it is vital individuals feel safe and secure in relationship before any healing can occur. 

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“What is a normal child like? Does he just eat and grow and smile sweetly? No, that is not what he is like. The normal child, if he has confidence in mother and father, pulls out all the stops. In the course of time, he tries out his power to disrupt, to destroy, to frighten, to wear down, to waste, to wangle, and to appropriate . . . At the start he absolutely needs to live in a circle of love and strength (with consequent tolerance) if he is not to be too fearful of his own thoughts and of his imaginings to make progress in his emotional development.”
― Donald Woods Winnicott

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Qualifications

 

Master of Clinical Psychology 
Bachelor of Psychology Science (Honours)

Endorsement as a Clinical Psychologist (AHPRA)

Fellow, APS College of Clinical Psychologists (FCCLP)

Supervisor Training and Approval Programme (STAP) Accreditation

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Memberships and Affiliations

 

Registration, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
Circle of Security Parenting Programme Provider

Circle of Security Classroom Master Course Programme Provider

Circle of Security Core Sensitivities Trained

Triple P Programme Provider

The Kazdin Method Provider

Emerging Minds - Child Aware Practitioner and Supervisor