Our Psychologists
Meet the Moonee Ponds Clinical Psychologists and learn more about the services we provide
Clinical Psychologist
Hanife’ is an experienced and compassionate Clinical Psychologist. She specialises in working with children, adolescents and adults.
She has completed a Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology on Borderline Personality Disorder. Hanife works with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, perinatal depression, chronic worry, panic attacks, phobias, grief, sleep problems, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Hanife also sees individuals suffering from eating disorders bulimia and binge eating disorder. Hanife makes a concerted effort to help her clients understand and make sense of their experiences. Hanife utilizes evidence based therapies:
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Hanife has a warm and collaborative approach, with the aim of supporting and empowering her clients to achieve their goals in therapy.
Mishelle Baji
Clinical Psychologist
Mishelle has over 10 years of experience working as a clinical psychologist, in academic settings, in the community, in Drug and Alcohol Service and private practice.
She specialises in the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, and depression. She uses evidence-based therapy such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Mindfulness. Mishelle is also experienced in working with clients who face various psychological barriers in the workforce.
She believes in working together with the client on therapy goals, balancing change with validation, and obtaining and incorporating regular feedback. She is also a registered supervisor.
Michele Waters
Psychologist
Michele specialises in DBT and working with children. She is highly experienced in leading group therapy and family therapy sessions. Michele is trained and skilled to treat a wide variety of mental health issues, in adolescents and adults.
Kayla Pengelly – On Leave Until October
Psychologist
Kayla is a board registered Psychologist with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. She enjoys working with and has a history of experience with children, adolescents, parents and adults, in private practice, school settings, as well as public community health settings.
Kayla has a particular interest and experience working with anxiety disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, stress, PTSD, low self-esteem, grief and loss, anger and emotional regulation issues, relationship issues (individual) and more.
Kayla’s therapeutic approach is individualised depending on the clients’ presenting concerns, however she often draws from a number of evidence-based therapies including, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT).
She also ensures that she provides a warm, empathetic and non-judgemental space for clients. She encourages open and honest communication to ensure her clients feel comfortable in sharing and discussing their thoughts, feelings, behaviours and overall experiences each and every session.
Dr Emma Baker – Away on sabbatical
Psychologist
Emma is a registered Psychologist who completed her Master of Clinical Psychology. While completing her studies, Emma developed her clinical skills in a variety of settings including public community health teams.
Emma has extensive experience in the assessment of common childhood neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. She has a particular interest and experience working with neurodiverse individuals, and individuals presenting with anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and emotion regulation challenges.
Emma provides a supportive and non-judgmental environment for her clients. She uses a range of evidence-based interventions including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness.
However, she believes in a collaborative and client-centered approach, tailoring her approach to the individual needs of each of her clients.
Blair Keys
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Blair is a board-registered Clinical Neuropsychologist with a Masters degree in Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology) from the University of Melbourne. He has diverse experience as a neuropsychologist across a variety of settings, including major Victorian hospitals and outpatient clinics.
Blair specialises in working with children and adolescents. As a paediatric neuropsychologist, he provides neuropsychological assessments for the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD, Autism, and Learning Disorders (e.g., Dyslexia). He also specialises in Behavioural Support Planning for those with difficulties regulating their behaviour and emotions.
Blair takes a client-centered and evidence-based approach to his work while providing a compassionate and non-judgemental space for his clients. He strongly values diversity and strives to help clients to improve their quality of life through his practice.
Dr. Meg Clark
Psychologist
Meg is a general psychologist who has a passion for working with children, adolescents, and their families with a particular interest in parent-child relationships, anxiety, and emotion regulation difficulties.
Meg provides evidence-based interventions for a broad range of psychological concerns including anxiety disorders, mood disorders, social communication challenges, relational and attachment difficulties.
Meg has over 10 year’s experience conducting developmental and diagnostic assessments of common neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.