Hi, and welcome to Perfect Sense Counselling, as a dedicated Practice Manager with over 13 years of experience in the medical field, I specialise in optimising operational efficiency and enhancing patient care. I love to grow and develop businesses into strong and successful entities. With a mix of empathy and expertise I feel I am a confident and respectful manager.
Beyond my professional commitments I am a proud mum to 2 grown children. I enjoy exploring my creative side and I love spending time with my partner and 2 beloved fur babies either relaxing at home or camping.
Hi I’m Karen, I have previously held a number of frontline positions in the 9 years of growing Perfect Sense Counselling with Tracey, I have now transitioned into the accounts manager role. I’m enjoying seeing our team grow our practice into an even more amazing place to work. Seeing people come through our practice and overcoming there challengers really does warm the heart.
When not at work I have a wonderful supportive husband, and I am the mum of three amazing adult sons and 3 beautiful granddaughters. I love to cook, cruise and garden. Gardening really is my happy place.
Erin Young is the Lead Psychologist/Therapist at our practice, bringing over a decade of experience in allied mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) services. As a registered psychologist with AHPRA, Erin specializes in AOD counselling and psychological assessment for individuals grappling with severe substance use issues, and she adeptly addresses dual diagnosis scenarios involving co-occurring disorders such as Depression, Anxiety, and PTSD.
Erin’s work is defined by her deep commitment to improving mental health outcomes through a people-centric and compassionate approach. She excels in forging strong therapeutic relationships and employs a diverse array of evidence-based cognitive and behavioural interventions. Her expertise includes Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Contingency Management, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Trauma-Informed Therapy.
Beyond her professional life, Erin is a devoted mother to four adventurous and energetic boys, who continuously inspire her personal growth and resilience. Her dedication to both her family and her clients reflects her unwavering passion for fostering positive change and supporting those in need.
I’m Steph, I have 3 children one of whom recently made me a grandmother in May. I’m a bit of a homebody and my favourite thing to do is be with my children and my grandchild. Simplicity is important to me.
After going through hard times, such is the human condition, I decided to put that to good use and use it to help other people to see that despite suffering, there is value and potential living inside of everyone and none of us are worth more or less than another. I am Degree Qualified specialising in Counselling. I am approved to work with Victim Services and Workers Compensation Clients along with Christian Counselling. I am clinically registered with Psychotherapists and Counselors Federation of Australia.
I relate well to people from all walks of life and have empathy for those facing hardship. My preferred modalities are Humanistic, Psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. In addition to these, I understand that our lifestyle factors have a heavy influence on our mental health, and that all the parts of us are connected and influenced by each other. Small things like sleep, diet and exercise are crucial foundations to our overall well-being.
Above everything, I believe that human connection is one of the most valuable healing tools and we all deserve the opportunity to have our story witnessed. Nobody should have to endure adversity alone, no matter how big or small.
Meet Tony, who is currently engaged and lives in Southern Lake Macquarie. With a rich heritage of Austrian-Dutch descent, Tony is fluent in both languages and is a proud father of two grown daughters.
Tony brings nearly 40 years of experience as a psychotherapist to his practice.
His professional journey has seen him make significant contributions in various fields, including:
Child Protection
Adult and Juvenile Corrections
Mental Health
Tony’s primary areas of expertise are:
Borderline Personality Disorder
Schizophrenia
Anxiety/Depression
Christian Counselling
Specific Phobias
He has also completed a thesis on “People with Mental Illness Living in Squalor Conditions” and written a paper on “The Effects of the Full Moon on Human Behaviour.”
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Tony has represented Australia in both swimming and water polo, showcasing his diverse interests and dedication.
Stephen is an experienced Psychologist. Although he has years of experience with Child and family issues though he currently sees people from their late teens through to their 80s.
Stephen has a practical and positive approach, especially in the areas of Trauma, complex depressive and anxiety conditions, personality disorders, recovery from cycle of abuse and working with people with developmental conditions such as Autism.
Stephen is very experienced working with complex Workcover cases and referrals from your GP under a Mental Health Care Plan. He also sees couples for relationship therapy.
Hello, my name is Natalie. I am a qualified Social Worker with experience working with children and adults from all walks of life. I have lived and worked in several places throughout NSW including the Central West, and Sydney; Brisbane and have more recently moved to the Lake Macquarie area.
My passion is supporting individuals who have experienced trauma and other challenges of life by taking a holistic and person centred approach utilising but not limited to CBT, DBT, strengths based and solution focussed therapy.
I believe in building a meaningful, supportive and positive therapist relationship that empowers you to feel safe, believe in yourself and a bright future.
When not at work I enjoy spending time with friends and family, exploring the many beautiful beaches around our coastline or trying a new recipe.
After graduating in Psychology, Frida completed a master’s degree in Health Psychology. She worked for 15 years as a psychologist, starting in primary schools and kindergartens, then moving on to private clinics and social services as an adult and adolescent psychologist. Additionally, Frida, who trained in theatre and acting, has performed in plays, conducted Creative Drama Group activities and theatre workshops, and written theatre plays for children and youth.
In 2016, Frida migrated to Australia with her husband and son, starting a new life in a completely different culture. For a year, they travelled across Australia in their caravan, forming a deep and heartfelt connection with the sacred lands and ancestors. While adjusting to a new country, she worked in various fields and eventually regained the right to work in her profession as a registered psychologist.
In her practice, she applies approaches and philosophies from Person-Centred Therapy, EMDR Therapy, ACT, CBT, Erikson Solution-Focused Coaching, and Mindfulness.
She provides support to adults on issues such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, loss and grief, challenging emotions, and awareness. Her interests include art, nature, permaculture, yoga, meditation, qi gong, theatre, singing, and dancing. She loves spending time in nature with her husband, her 16-year-old son, and their dog Gaia.
As an integrated person cnetred therapist, I am interested in working in the trauma space including with adult survivors of childhood violence, abuse and neglect, victim/survivors (adult and young people) of domestic and family violence and sexual violence. I am also passionate about supporting my people within the LGBTQIA+ community with affirmative counselling around gender and sexuality. Part of my work includes generalist counseling for wellbeing and working with grief and loss. I am growing my practice in couples counselling.
How long have I been practicing: around 10 years phone and video only
Interests and fun facts: loves bubble tea, my dogs, reading and bushwalking.
Amaryllis is a Psychologist at our practice, bringing over 7 years of experience in mental health across acute psychiatric, workplace rehabilitation, community and private practice settings. Prior to this, Amaryllis studied physiotherapy and served in the military for 2 years in a combat-related role. As a Registered Psychologist with AHPRA and a Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), Amaryllis specialises in complex trauma, neurodiverse presentations, and she adeptly addresses dual diagnosis scenarios involving co-occurring disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, mood, personality and substance use disorders.
Amaryllis considers herself a “People’s Psychologist” with her deep commitment to assisting her clients to achieve their goals in an emphatic, non-confrontational and non-judgemental way. She excels in forging strong therapeutic relationships and employs a diverse array of evidence-based cognitive and behavioural interventions. Her expertise includes Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and incorporates some elements of Schema Therapy (ST) and Virtual Reality (VR) where appropriate.
Beyond her professional life, Amaryllis is a sporty person (cheerleading, tennis and hopefully netball) who also enjoys delving into the realm of anime and Cosplay. Though Amaryllis’ family is over 6,200km away, she visits them and maintains regular contact with them. Her dedication to both her family and her clients reflects her unwavering passion for fostering adaptive changes and supporting those in need.
Jane Lumley is an AHPRA registered psychologist who provides psychological counselling and support for children (12 years or older), teenagers/adolescents and adults. Jane offers a warm, friendly, and respectful client- centred approach. She offers evidenced based treatment that is tailored to each client to assist with a wide range of presenting issues including depression, stress, anxiety, adjustment difficulties, trauma, grief and loss.
Jane has experience in, Child / Paediatric Community Health settings, Sexual Assault Counselling, Psychiatric Inpatient care, Counselling for general psychological problems.
Jane has the following Qualifications and Memberships; Registered Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) (Honours), Charles Sturt University, Graduate Diploma of Psychology, Charles Sturt University
Some of the treatment approaches Jane likes to utilise are a variety of therapeutic modalities, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness techniques, Schema Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Brief Solution Focused Therapy (BSFT), Trauma Counselling (including Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence).
Jane provides services to, Adults, Adolescents / Teenagers (13-18 years),Children (12 years of age or older) with a wide variety in, Trauma Counselling and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), Domestic Violence, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, Emotional Dysregulation, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Self-Esteem, Sleep or Insomnia, Mood Disorders and Emotional Disturbance, Medicare, Private Health Insurers, NDIS, NSW SIRA provider.
Jane is passionate about supporting and helping each client to work towards resolving and managing their unique issues and work towards living a more peaceful and positive life.
Meet Sarah, our dedicated Administration Assistant who brings a wealth of experience and a community-focused spirit to our team. Balancing her roles as a mother, wife, and active member of the Rural Fire Service (RFS), Sarah’s expertise in office management is complemented by her passion for community engagement.
With many years of experience in an office setting, Sarah excels at fostering connections and ensuring our administrative processes run smoothly. Outside of work, she indulges her love for reading, writing, and delving into true crime podcasts. Sarah’s commitment to both her professional responsibilities and personal interests makes her a valued and multifaceted member of our team.
Hey there! I’m Jayme, and i thrive in the world of administration. When I am not keeping things organised at work, you can find me enjoying quality time with my family and our furry friends. I have a passion for opal mining – there’s nothing quite like the thrill of uncovering a hidden gem! I also love outdoor activities and exploring new places, whether its hiking, camping, or just a fun day out. Life is all about balance, and I strive to make the most of every moment!