A bit of background…
I grew up in Melbourne and moved to Ontario, Canada for university undergraduate education.
On return to Australia, I commenced post-graduate studies and gained a Masters Degree through the University of New England (UNE) in Armidale NSW.
While studying for this degree I held the position of one of two Honorary Psychologists with Victoria SES, travelling throughout the State and providing education and emergency psychological support in trauma scenarios confronted by SES and other emergency services. These included motor vehicle accidents, natural disasters, and search & rescue scenes, among others. It was cutting-edge psychological intervention at the time, and my wonderful colleague and mentor Ms Patricia Murdoch was awarded the Order of Australia for her work.
Shortly after graduating from UNE, I moved to Goulburn NSW to undertake the position of Psychologist at the Southern Area Brain Injury Service (SABIS). It’s a small team of rehabilitation professionals servicing an area from the Southern Highlands to the Victorian border. I commenced doctoral studies through La Trobe University in Melbourne and worked with rural families contending with the challenges of traumatic brain injury.
On attaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) I continued at SABIS and was also appointed as a Clinical Lecturer at ANU, teaching the course Introduction to Clinical Neuropsychology for the clinical doctoral programme within the Research School of Psychology. I am also a regular lecturer at the NSW Police Academy.
At the same time, I commenced as Visiting Psychologist to Royal Darwin Hospital, conducting neuropsychological assessment clinics there and at Palmerston Regional Hospital. I also undertook assessments for a wide range of agencies in NT, including in Alice Springs.
I continue to travel throughout the Southern Region, working with injured individuals, their families, health professionals, and others in brain injury rehabilitation. I visit NT on a regular basis, and other regions as requested.
I have published articles in academic journals, presented at national and international conferences, and contributed chapters in textbooks in Indigenous Health (Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice) and in Criminology (Policing Vulnerability).
The role of Captain of a NSW RFS Brigade continues to challenge as we constantly train for and respond to emergencies. Upgrading qualifications in nationally recognised courses in fire emergency response and emergency management keeps me busy as well.
The work side of life is balanced by my love of cheesemaking, with rounds of home-made feta, edam, and camembert ageing nicely in my fridge! I am also a qualified barista so the coffee flows well too. As a keen skier, I am lucky to have travelled to some of the most beautiful mountain regions in the world. We particularly love ski-touring the backcountry of northern Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan, and the big-mountain areas of BC in Canada.
It’s always nice to come home though, and we feel very lucky in Goulburn to be central to the areas we most enjoy – the bush, the snow country, the coast, and capital cities.