Jessica is a seasoned psychologist with a master’s degree in professional psychology. Her extensive experience includes several years as a school counsellor across various educational institutions in the West Melbourne area. She has developed expertise in addressing academic and learning difficulties, assisting kindergarten through high school students.
Jessica is adept at understanding and managing the wide range of challenges children face in educational settings, including school refusal, social conflicts, bullying, academic struggles, and behavioural and emotional issues. Additionally, she has a deep understanding of social and performance anxiety among students. Jessica also supports parents, helping them navigate these challenges through emotion coaching training and facilitating balanced interactions with teachers.
Jessica is proficient in evaluating children’s educational and developmental needs, including identifying cognitive deficits and learning disabilities. Her extensive background has equipped her with a deep understanding of neurodiverse families and the dynamics of managing challenging behaviours within the home environment. Moreover, Jessica is a registered specialist in eating disorders, working effectively with children and adolescents facing disordered eating issues that are managed within community settings. Her comprehensive approach ensures that she addresses the multifaceted aspects of her clients’ needs, supporting them in overcoming obstacles to their educational and personal development.
Jessica is a registered eating disorder psychologist who offers family-based Therapy, FBT for anorexia, Cognitive behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders- CBT-E and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake- CBT-AR. Jessica focuses on working with individuals who face struggles with disordered eating and has a deep understanding of the complexities surrounding eating behaviours; she tailors her interventions to each individual—aiming to address the underlying emotional and psychological factors that contribute to disordered eating. Jessica creates a supportive and non-judgmental environment, empowering her clients to regain control over their eating habits and rebuild a healthy
relationship with food. Whether you are dealing with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, or other related issues, Jessica is committed to guiding you through your recovery journey toward lasting wellness.
Jessica systematically approaches her work with families, understanding that family dynamics significantly influence individual behaviours and well-being. She is trained as a single-session family consultant, enabling her to offer up to three short-term family sessions to address specific family struggles through a solution-focused methodology. Additionally, Jessica brings a wealth of experience in dealing with trauma, grief, loss, and life transitions. She is also adept at supporting children from divorced families, helping them navigate the complexities of such significant life changes. Her broad expertise allows her to provide comprehensive support tailored to each family’s unique needs.
Beyond her therapeutic counselling, Jessica is deeply involved in the community and educational outreach. She regularly conducts parent workshops focused on school readiness and anxiety management. Previously, she served as the Coordinator for the Truly Amazing Kids Social Skills Program, showcasing her dedication to enhancing interpersonal skills among children. She continues her role as a COGMED trainer and consultant at Emotional Growth. In this capacity, she supports children by developing cognitive training programs that improve their processing speed and executive functions, which are crucial for their overall cognitive development and academic success.
Jessica adopts a holistic, warm, and empathetic approach in her practice, ensuring a secure environment where clients can freely explore their primary concerns. She deeply values the collaborative nature of therapy and relishes working closely with parents to optimise outcomes for their children. When engaging with teenagers, Jessica focuses on fostering their independence and self-belief. For adults, she provides opportunities to enhance self-agency and foster mindset growth, helping them navigate their personal and professional lives more effectively. She applies a range of evidence-based treatment models with a humanistic touch to ensure that each intervention is tailored to meet her client’s needs and goals. This method prioritises her clients’ personal experiences and objectives, making the therapeutic process impactful and meaningful.
Jessica provides a spectrum of evidence-based treatments tailored to meet diverse client needs. Her repertoire includes Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and strategies derived from play therapy. She also employs Mindfulness techniques, Interpersonal Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Nature-based walking therapy, exposure therapy, solution-focused therapy and Motivational Interviewing.