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Prof Tony Paolini

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Founder and CEO

Professor Tony Paolini MPsych (Clin Neuro) PhD MAPS is a psychologist and internationally recognised neuroscientist and leads ISN Psychology, an Institute for Higher Education. He has qualifications in psychology (MPsych – Clin Neuro) and in Neuroscience (PhD). Under the mentorship of Professor Graeme Clark, he lead the Auditory Clinical Neuroscience Unit at the Bionic Ear Institute.   He has published significant internationally peer-reviewed papers in many fields of neuroscience and psychology including hearing sciences, medical bionics, sensory and cognitive neuroscience, and behavioural and social neuroscience.  With a research and clinical interest in the role anxiety plays in sensory perception, Professor Paolini is utilising his knowledge to help treat clients who have a heightened sensitivity to sounds and tinnitus distress.  He was Professor and Head of Psychology at RMIT University, Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, and holds adjunct positions at La Trobe University and The University of Melbourne.

Dr Emma Nicholls

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Clinical Psychologist

Director of Clinical Services

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Dr Emma Nicholls is a Clinical Psychologist and board-approved supervisor with over 12 years experience. Emma–s therapeutic style is collaborative and warm, and she tailors treatment to focus on the client–s personal goals. She works from a place of empathy, support and patience, with treatment that is often long-term in nature depending on the needs of the individual. She has extensive experience in working with trauma, PTSD and Personality Disorders, depression and anxiety disorders. Therapy with Emma can include practical skills, psycho-education, and in-depth therapeutic processes to understand psychological and emotional processes. Her aim is to support clients using the most up to date evidence-based treatments to assist in gaining awareness and a sense of self-efficacy in managing MH issues and improving life satisfaction. Emma has undertaken specialised training in: CBT, DBT, ACT, CPT, Schema therapy, trauma-focussed. She also supervises psychologists and students.

Mercia Wessel

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Clinical Psychologist

Mercia is a Clinical Psychologist with almost 10 years of diverse therapeutic experience. She has completed extensive training in a range of evidence-based interventions, including CBT, ACT, and Affect-State Therapy. Mercia’s skillset and experience means she is confident in helping clients with a range of mental health and emotional difficulties.

 

Mercia’s approach is collaborative, outcomes-oriented, and attachment-based. She values her clients’ expertise in their own lives, and places emphasis on the uniqueness of each individual at every step in the therapeutic process. Her focus is not only on resolving symptoms, but empowering people to achieve their potential and feel fulfilled in all aspects of their lives. She particularly enjoys helping people who are struggling with career or relationship issues to build insight and break the patterns that keep them feeling stuck. Mercia’s clients find her warm and responsive, and appreciate her goal-focussed approach. Mercia is also a Board Approved Supervisor

Dr Michelle Noonan

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Clinical Psychologist

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Michelle is an experienced Clinical Psychologist, a Psychology Board of Australia Approved Supervisor, a credentialled Eating Disorder Clinician, and a yoga teacher. Michelle has over 10 years’ experience in clinical practice and has worked across a range of settings including hospital, private practice and education.

Michelle is skilled in providing psychological therapy for adolescents and adults, and has extensive experience in working with complex trauma, PTSD, personality disorder, adjustment to major life changes, anxiety, and mood disorders. Her current clinical work mainly involves working with adults in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders, disordered eating and body image issues. Michelle practices from an inclusive ‘Health at Every Size’ (HAES) framework. Michelle’s approach is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. She utilises a range of evidence-based, client-centred, and embodied approaches that are tailored to the individual needs and goals.

Laura Kennan 

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Clinical Psychologist

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Laura is a warm and compassionate Clinical Psychologist who has many year experience working with adults with a wide range of problems including depression, anxiety, postnatal depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, loss and grief and workplace issues.  Laura particularly enjoys working with clients going through life transitions such as from school to university, adjusting to parenthood and retirement, relationship breakdowns and changes in life circumstances.

 

Laura seeks to gain a deep understanding of the causal factors impacting the client’s current situation and works collaboratively with them to determine their goals of therapy and the the best approach for treatment.   She uses a range of frameworks including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Schema Therapy, ACT, and Mindful Self-Compassion.

 

Laura has worked in a range of settings including the community health, not for profit and tertiary sectors.  She is also an accredited Mental Health First Aid instructor and Board Approved Supervisor.

Tony Glynn

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Clinical Psychologist

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Tony is an AHPRA registered psychologist with over 20 years experience as a Performance Psychologist and Clinical Psychologist.


Tony is adept working at the elite, professional and development levels in performance and clinical roles. He has developed these skills working with athletes from a range of sports such as cricket, rugby, AFL, netball, rowing, swimming, and soccer. He is currently a Performance Psychologist for Equestrian Australia and Tennis Australia.


His experience as a Clinical Psychologist extends to children, adolescents and adults in Australia and the UK. His current clinical work involves largely adolescent and adult populations (athletes and non-athletes) through Fit Mind Consulting and The Royal Children’s Hospital. In addition to seeing children, young people and families in his work he has led NHMRC funded research into how best to service these populations.

David Williams

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Sport and Exercise Psychologist/Supervisor

David is a qualified and registered psychologist based in Melbourne, Australia. David specializes in sport and exercise psychology. David’s experiences in the field have consisted of working both locally and internationally with a range of different sports and athletes. At present David is the lead Psychologist for the Geelong Football Club and AFL Players Association, he has also consulted for the Malaysian Olympic cycling program, and as a result of having worked internationally been fortunate enough to build relationships with Football powerhouse FC Barcelona and the Manchester City group via consulting for Melbourne city FC.  Being influenced heavily by the latest neuroscience information David’s experiences include; assisting organisations to create enriched high performance environments; training athletes in all areas of high performance including, resilience, skill acquisition, attentional control, mindfulness, cognitive and behavioural change, performance under pressure, leadership, and high performance self-management.

Dr Matt McGregor

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Sport and Exercise Psychologist/Supervisor

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Matt is an experienced Psychologist with a 20 year history of working in the sports industry with individuals, teams and organisations, in both elite and sub elite domains and across a variety of sports including AFL, cricket, kayaking, rowing, swimming, hockey, tennis and equestrian. Endorsed in Sport and Exercise Psychology, and trained in Mental Health and Wellbeing, as well as Career Counselling, Matt has a broad clientele. With a PhD, Masters degree in Applied Psychology, and Certificate of Practice in Clinical Neuropsychotherapy, Matt has also lectured at undergraduate and post graduate level at UniSA, Deakin and Victoria Universities, and supervised students across field placements.

Dr Yirui Wang

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Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Yirui Wang (pronounced "Yee Ray"), is a passionate and experienced clinical psychologist. She graduated with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Queensland. Registered with AHPRA, Yirui has a diverse professional background, having worked in private practice, university health and wellness centres, hospitals, and non-profit organisations. Yirui is equipped to manage a broad spectrum of clinical disorders, including anxiety, depression, mood disorders, relationship problems, and trauma-related issues. She is also well-versed in handling parenting issues and behavioural disorders.

In terms of therapeutic modalities, Yirui brings a wealth of experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and is equally skilled in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Schema Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Play Therapy. This diverse skill set allows her to provide tailored psychological interventions to her clients, ensuring their unique needs are met effectively.

Yirui is a dedicated professional, committed to empowering individuals and fostering positive change. She offers services in both English and Mandarin, providing mental health support to a wider community.

Patricia Kahili

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General Psychologist

Patricia is a General Psychologist who completed her training at the University of Sydney. She is currently completing her final year in Master of Psychology (Clinical) at ISN Institute. She has worked in a range of settings including public health, community health and private practice. She is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

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Patricia has years of broad clinical experience in helping individuals who are struggling with mental and emotional difficulties. Her special interests include mood and anxiety disorders, grief and loss, trauma, substance use, and emotional regulation issues. She is passionate about helping her clients to build insight and gain skills to be able to manage their problems. Patricia draws upon a number of evidence-based therapeutic approaches such as Cognitiive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectal Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness strategies. She is focused on helping clients live their life in a way that brings meaning and purpose, despite the pain and difficulties they are facing.

Barney Pollock

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Provisional Psychologist

Barney Is a provisional psychologist completing the final year of a Master of Clinical Psychology. Barney has worked in neuropsychological and psychotherapeutic private practice and has experience in completing comprehensive psychological assessments with clients across the lifespan. 
Barney works to create a warm, safe, and non-judgmental environment, a comfortable space for collaboration and self-expression. He is highly passionate about working with adolescents and young adults. 
Barney works from an evidence-based therapeutic framework, individually tailored to fit client needs. He has completed certified training with Schema Therapy Australia and has experience implementing cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical
Behaviour Therapy (DBT) based interventions.

Lachlan McDowell

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Provisional Psychologist

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Lachlan is a provisional psychologist in the final year of his Master of Clinical Psychology program. 

He provides therapy using a cognitive behavioural framework and a conversational approach that integrates humour, empathy, and compassion. He draws on techniques from multiple therapeutic modalities to deliver therapy tailored to the strengths and adversities of each individual he works with. 

Lachlan is passionate about working with neurodiverse individuals and has a particular interest in providing assessments for conditions that fall under the umbrella of neurodiversity, such as ADHD and specific learning disorders.

Adriana Draganidis

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Provisional - Psychologist

Adriana is a dedicated provisional psychologist, who is currently completing her Master of Psychology (Clinical) program at ISN Psychology. Adriana is predominantly trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) but has gained valuable experience working with various therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

 

In addition to her clinical pursuits, Adriana is actively engaged in a PhD program at Monash University, where she explores the intricate dynamics of body image, eating disorders, and the impact of social media campaigns.  She has a special interest in eating disorders and body image issues, and is being trained in the specialist treatment modality, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders. 

 

Adriana is passionate about inclusivity and diversity, and aims foster and warm and empathetic therapeutic environment. Adriana has a particular interest in working with adolescents and young adults experiencing body image concerns or eating disorders as well as neurodivergent individuals.

Lauren Rizzo

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Provisional Psychologist

Lauren is a provisional psychologist currently completing her final year in the Master of Psychology (Clinical) at ISN.  She has worked with diverse populations and has gained valuabe experience working in a community clinic, working with neurodivergent children in therapy, and working to support vulnerable families and their children.  Lauren is passionate about her clients welfare and wellbeing, and advocating for diversity.  

 

Lauren is committed to delivering evidence-based treatments and strongly believes in a collaborative and flexible approach when working with clients. 

Veronica Chen

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Provisional Psychologist

Veronica is a provisional psychologist currently completing her final year of the Master of Psychology (Clinical) program.

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Veronica has past experience working in a variety of roles with children, adolescents, and young adults and hopes to expand her knowledge working with adults. Veronica has predominantly had experience working with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and is developing her skills at the ISN Kew Clinic in Eating Disorder specialized CBT. Her background in power lifting and competitive dance have led her interest and understanding in working with eating disorders and their diverse presentations.


Outside of eating disorders, Veronica is also passionate about working with neurodivergent individuals and creating inclusive and open spaces for clients to work collaboratively towards their goals.

Peter Casdorff 

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Provisional Psychologist

Peter Casdorff is a provisional psychologist in the final year of his Master of Clinical Psychology. 

 

With six years of dedicated service to individuals on the autism spectrum, Peter combines a deep passion for mental health with practical experience in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). His approach is evidence-based, tailored to support individuals with empathy and inclusivity.

 

Peter's clinical practice is informed by a commitment to understanding each client's unique challenges, aiming to foster a supportive and empowering therapeutic environment. As he progresses in his career, Peter remains focused on professional development and contributing significantly to clinical psychology and the well-being of his clients.

Tony Glynn
Emma Nicholls
David Williams
Catherine Panayi
Matt McGregor
Professor Paolini
Yirui Wang
Lachlan
Dr Michelle Noonan
Barny
Laura Kennan
Adriana
Lauren
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