Meet Our Team

Principal Psychologist and Director:

Catherine Asciak

Catherine CameronEducational and Developmental Psychologist, MAPS., FCEDP.

Catherine is an endorsed Educational and Developmental Psychologist and Clinical Psychology Registrar with over 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents and families. She has worked in various settings, including NSW and Canberra disability services, as well as within the catholic and independent school systems.

Catherine is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and a Fellow of the College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists.

Catherine has extensive experience in a range of psychological assessments and evidence-based interventions for young people, including those with disabilities.

As a clinician, her approach to working with families is open and sensitive to their individual needs. Sessions are always collaborative, and she encourages the involvement of parents and families when possible. 

Catherine is passionate about sharing her skills and experiences with others. As such, she dedicates a large part of her practice to the training and development of psychologists who want to increase their skills when working with children and their families. Catherine’s role as Principal Psychologist involves supporting the other psychologists on the team to ensure that a high-quality service is consistently delivered.

Catherine also provides psychological assessments and interventions to adult clients seeking support from our service.

 

Registered Psychologists:

 Emily Hudders

Emily is a Clinical Psychologist who has worked at Asciak and Associates since 2022. Before that, she completed a six-month placement at our practice and worked in early intervention services.

Emily completed her Masters of Clinical Psychology at Western Sydney University and is a full member of the Australian Psychological Society.

Emily works part-time and has a particular interest in working with neurodiverse populations. She has over seven years of experience working with children and young people with Autism, ADHD and developmental delays. Emily has also completed additional training in conducting assessments of Autism, cognition, and difficulties with attention and learning. This is an area in which Emily has a particular interest.

Emily works with children and young people of all ages and backgrounds using an individualised approach adapted to each client’s needs. She draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) whilst providing clients practical skills to develop and maintain relationships, solve problems and persevere in the face of adversity. Importantly, Emily collaborates with caregivers extensively, as well as teachers, other health professionals and family members, to meet the needs of her clients.

In a session with Emily, you can expect a safe and calm space to discuss your concerns, and have the chance to laugh, have fun and learn something new.

 

Sophia Stanford

Sophia Stanford is a registered psychologist and clinical registrar who works part-time at our practice. She completed her Clinical Masters degree at Western Sydney University, which included 18 months of supervised practice at our clinic between 2022 and 2023. She has experience in completing a range of psychological assessments for children and young people and has also completed Autism assessment training. Sophia has experience providing psychological intervention and support to neurodiverse clients. Sophia has completed additional training in delivering social skills programs. She is keenly interested in collaborating with families to support young people in nurturing their mental well-being and building meaningful relationships with their peers. 

Sophia has previous experience working with clients as a crisis telephone counsellor. She has also worked with clients experiencing severe mental health difficulties as part of her training at Blacktown Hospital’s mental health ward.  This led to her additional interest in supporting clients facing trauma, psychosis and suicidal ideation. Sophia draws from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Narrative Therapy in her work with clients. She also enjoys working collaboratively with families to improve the well-being of her clients.

 

Elle (Ellie) Cooper

Ellie is a registered psychologist who completed her Master of Clinical Psychology at the University of Canberra. As part of her training, she worked at a university health clinic, secondary school, and private practice. Ellie enjoys working with children, adolescents, and adults. She has training and experience in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and cognitive assessments for a range of neurodevelopmental concerns (e.g., including ADHD in adults and dyslexia).

Ellie works with her clients to develop treatment goals that align with their unique needs, goals, and strengths. She aims to create a warm, safe environment where clients can gain a greater understanding of themselves and build life-long skills to overcome challenges and enhance their well-being. Ellie works within a neurodivergent-affirming framework and values the lived experience of individuals and their families living with mental health challenges. She is particularly interested in working with a range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, and challenges relating to ADHD and autism.

Administrative Staff

Shannon Brown

Our friendly receptionist, Shannon, can assist you with your enquiries. Shannon has extensive experience in medical administration and, therefore, has the skills to answer questions that you may have about your appointment. Shannon may ask you about your concerns to provide information on appropriate services.


Student Placements

Asciak and Associates is committed to the training and development of psychologists who have a passion for working with children, adolescents and their families. As such, we often have registered or provisionally registered psychologists completing the final stages of their training here with us. As experienced professionals, we believe it is vital to share our skills, knowledge and experience to increase the community’s access to quality psychological services for children now and in the future.

A provisional psychologist has provisional registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and works under the supervision of a board-approved supervisor. A provisional psychologist will typically have completed a 4-year sequence of study comprising an undergraduate degree and an additional honours degree or graduate diploma in psychology.

Asciak and Associates only accept provisional psychologists undertaking an additional Master’s degree in Psychology. Our provisional psychologists must also have a genuine interest in working with young people. They must have some previous work experience in the field. As such, the provisional psychologists who successfully secure a placement with us need to demonstrate a high degree of knowledge in assessment, psychological theory and research.

All clients are notified when we have a student joining the team. Sessions with students or a provisional psychologist can be a cost-effective way of accessing additional psychological support. Clients are encouraged to speak with reception if they wish to discuss this as an option.

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