Meet The Team
Who is right for me?
The quality of a mental health professional is not necessarily determined by their
education and University qualifications. Whether they’re a clinical or general
psychologist or other allied health professionals, you should consider which
individual has the best training and background in the area you’re seeking support in.
Each of our clinicians adds a unique and important speciality or interest area which
contributes to the team’s ability to successfully deliver quality mental health
intervention to a huge array of clients.
Our team regularly reviews referrals and tries to match your needs to individuals on
our team. We hope this will maximise opportunity for creating a positive therapeutic
relationship and opportunities for growth.
There may be no real advantage or disadvantage in seeing one clinician over
another, however, for some special requests such as specific reports or supervision
pathways, not all clinicians may be available. Please inform our team if you are
seeking any reports for court, Centrelink, NDIS, or have TAC or Worksafe funding.
Clinical psychologists
Clinical psychologists have a minimum training requirement of a Masters of Clinical
Psychology and meet all AHPRA requirements for endorsement, including specialist training and certification following a further 2 year period of intense supervision and professional development.
This further training and supervision supports specialist assessment and treatment of
more acute and complex mental health disturbance using a range of evidence based methods. All Clinical Psychologists undergo regular training and learning to maintain endorsements and can assist with needs such as depression, anxiety, trauma,
personality disorders, substance use, relationship problems and other issues including stress and bereavement.
Our team of clinical psychologists includes
Melissa Viojo
Nicole Withers
Sarah Tiong
Dr Anita Govindan
Veronica Pavlic
Samantha Decker
Chhavi Khanna
Hoor Elbakry
Caitie Bleeker
Melanie Yargi
Katherine Gayton
Mental Health Accredited
Social Worker (MHSW)
MHSW are qualified social workers who have undergone further specialty with accreditation to provide mental health treatment. They maintain accreditation with the AASW as do not hold AHPRA qualification requirements. Our team of MHSW practice very similarly to our psychology team.
Our team of MHSW includes
Eli Arbel
Administration
Our administration team includes a dynamic group of individuals who each add something special to our practice. The team are responsible for booking appointments, managing clinician's calendars, taking payments for appointments, and following up any requests.
Our team pride themselves on being inclusive, compassionate, and trauma informed.
Practice Manager
Crestina
​
Administration Officers
Jess
Iman
Lisa
Bhavya
Rimka
General psychologist
General Psychologists hold AHPRA registration and adhere to all necessary requirements and training. This may include Masters level post graduate qualifications or a Honours level degree with a completed internship of work
experience under the supervision of a Board Approved Supervisor. General Psychologists are trained in the assessment and treatment of mental health disorders and can assist with common concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, bereavement, relationship conflicts, trauma and adjusting to health concerns.
Our generalist
psychology team
Melas Khole
Courtney Anthonisz
Naomi Valderrama
Priscilla Lee
Kayla Pengelly
Joanna Shemansky
Samantha Moorfoot
Psychology Registrars
A Psychology Registrar Program is a period of supervised, specialized training required for Australian psychologists to gain Area of Practice Endorsement. It follows a postgraduate degree in the area of interest and includes significant commitment to professional development and supervision. Once completing their registrar programs, these clinicians hold specialist endorsement as Clinical or Health Psychologists.
Our team of
registrars includes
Clinical Registrars
Holly Vella
Lara Henry
Barbara Bilobrk
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Health Registrar
Michael Xuereb
Art Therapy
Art therapists utilise a series of mediums such as drawing, painting, sculpture andplay to allow individuals to explore their thoughts and feelings. This can assist withexpression, understanding and resolution. Art therapy can be useful for clients of allages and presentations, but is used widely to support emotional regulation and trauma.
Art therapy provided by
Jodie Pitruzzello
Provisional Psychologist
Provisional Psychologists are individuals currently undertaking the extensive training
requirements to gain certification and licensing for general registration. This may be
through supervised work experience as part of an internship year or as part of
University placement opportunities with partnerships in community settings such as
Wellness on the Lane clinic. Wellness currently has partnerships with a few
Universities in Victoria and host students on rotation as part of the Masters of Clinical
Psychology programs. As part of the course requirements, provisional psychologists
are responsible for planning and undertaking assessment and therapy to a number
of clients across numerous presentations (or needs). This is under the supervision of
a Psychology Board Approved Supervisor. Costs for appointments with provisional
psychologists are significantly lower than for experienced clinicians as appointments
do not attract Medicare Rebates. We strive to make our services accessible to everyone,
and note that at times, costs can be challenging.
Despite a lower financial outlay, Wellness on the Lane provides stringent supervision
and support for our more junior team members, assuring quality care.
Provisional Psychologist internship
Suzi Koene
Zehra Al fahdawi
Master of Clinical Psychology students on rotation