Our Team
Merrylands Counselling is a client-focused, relational practice that aims to restore and empower. Our staff come from a variety of backgrounds and share a wealth of experience and expertise.
Employment Opportunity
Merrylands Counselling is a dynamic team of professionals. If you are a qualified Clinical or Registered Psychologist and are interested in the opportunity to join us, please send your CV and brief intro to admin@merrylandscounselling.com.au. Successful candidates will be asked to write a cover letter.
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Colleen Hirst
Clinical Psychologist / Family Therapist
Colleen is a clinical psychologist and family therapist who has worked in the counselling industry for over 40 years. Colleen’s warmth and relational style are complemented by her strengths-based approach to therapy. She is passionate in her clinical work to respectfully assist people in uncovering the strengths and hope that can become the vehicles for change. Key models in her approach to counselling include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy. Colleen has expertise in working with a wide range of issues, including depression, anxiety, panic disorders, phobias, trauma, domestic violence, addictions, sexuality, sexual abuse, grief, parenting issues, relationship issues and work-related stresses.
Colleen has extensive and varied clinical experience, having worked in drug and alcohol counselling, street youth work, adolescent counselling, prison chaplaincy, crisis accommodation and homelessness, mental health, family therapy and couple counselling. Colleen enjoys working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families.
Trista Li
Registered Psychologist
Trista is a registered psychologist who has a passion for working with neurodiverse children and adolescents on the autism spectrum, as well as issues such as ADHD, ODD, anxiety, depression, anger management, friendship difficulties, grief and loss, attentional and behavioural difficulties, and managing academic demands.
She enjoys teaching children skills to build their independence, increase emotional resilience and improve their social skills. Trista completed the Westmead Feelings Program 1 Facilitator course in 2021 and ran the program in 2022 and 2023 with children, teachers and parents.
Trista completed a psychology degree at the Australian National University and a Diploma of Counselling with the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. She also has a teaching degree from the University of Sydney.
Trista has over five years of experience working as a school counsellor and worked with families of a variety of cultural backgrounds. She has experience working with primary and secondary students, and students in special education settings for behaviour and mental health concerns.
Therese Davies
Clinical Psychologist
Therese has worked as a Psychologist for over 30 years. She has a strong commitment to helping individuals who are experiencing emotional distress learn helpful skills to move forward positively and achieve their goals. She has extensive experience working with adolescents and adults and has a collaborative and empathic therapeutic approach. She also enjoys providing clinical supervision to early and midcareer psychologists. Therese uses cognitive behaviour therapy, EMDR and other evidence-based treatment models. She works with individuals experiencing issues such as generalised and social anxiety, depression, ADHD, low self-esteem, anger management/ assertiveness, grief, trauma/PTSD and adjustment difficulties.
Therese has worked in a range of settings including adult and adolescent mental health, catholic schools, educational agencies, government departments such as Centrelink, Ageing Disability and Homecare and the Department of Education. She has worked with individuals with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disability, learning difficulties, brain injury, forensic clients and refugees. She is a member of the College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists, a Clinical Psychologist, and AHPRA approved Psychologist Supervisor.
Tina Moynihan
Clinical Psychologist
Tina is a Clinical Psychologist and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society. Tina has been in practice since 2019.
Combining both her knowledge of health and therapeutic intervention Tina brings a warm, respectful, and empathetic approach to therapy. She adapts individual therapy to align with the needs of her client, whether it be anxiety and worry, adjustment and interpersonal issues, grief and loss, trauma, or health issues related to advanced and chronic illnesses.
Tina uses a Strengths-Based approach which she compliments with other psychological modalities such as cognitive behaviour therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and compassion-focused therapy. She believes in creating a safe space to allow people to have their story heard and works alongside her clients to encourage a sense of awareness, and insight that can help to promote change.
Glenn Cameron
Registered Psychologist
Glenn is a psychologist, relationship counsellor and family therapist with over 18 years of experience working with individuals and couples struggling with aspects of their lives and relationships.
His experience in private practice covers a wide range of issues including relationship conflict, separation and divorce, parenting difficulties, issues around religious faith, mental health problems, domestic violence, grief and loss, and trauma. Glenn has also worked as a School Psychologist and loves to work adolescents and adults of all ages.
Being happily married for over 36 years Glenn is passionate about helping couples develop fruitful and rewarding relationships. He believes that when two people decide to work on their relationship, couple counselling offers a unique environment to change despair in to hope, allowing couples to reap the blessings that come from a respectful and loving relationship.
Glenn has broad experience working with survivors of childhood trauma including sexual and physical abuse. Memories of such events can sometimes lead to confusion and difficulties in life. Glenn wants everyone to know that trauma is not a life sentence, and that it can be healed. Along with techniques such as EMDR he uses somatic and experiential approaches to manage and process trauma. His warm and encouraging approach helps his clients make sense of the past, and find hope in the future.
Glenn is an associate member of the Australian Psychological Society and an AHPRA registered psychologist. Many of his clients are able to seek rebates or fee relief through Medicare, Workcover/CTP and Private Health Insurance.
Matthew Solomon
Registered Psychologist
Registered Psychologist
Matthew is an experienced, Registered Psychologist and member of the Australian Association of Psychologists.
With extensive experience working with individuals (both adult and children), couples and families, Matthew brings practice knowledge from his work in disability, education, child well being, family therapy and trauma management.
Matthew’s diverse work history includes roles as a Chaplain, a school counsellor, employee counsellor and cross cultural Psychologist.
Key models in Matthew's approach to counselling include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, and Narrative Therapy. Matthew has expertise in working with a wide range of issues including depression, anxiety, panic disorders, phobias, trauma, domestic violence, addictions, victims of crime, sexual abuse, grief, parenting issues, relationship issues and work related stresses.
Matthew has been married for 45 years, has 4 adult children and 2 grandchildren.
Denise Piercy
Registered Psychologist
Denise is a Registered Psychologist and an associate member of the Australian Psychological Society.
She is passionate about enabling individuals to overcome their personal and emotional difficulties through respectful and supportive psychological intervention and counselling.
Denise has experience working with adolescents and adults and works from a strengths-based perspective incorporating aspects of a range of therapeutic modalities to motivate change, and facilitate awareness, acceptance and hope in her clients.
Kim Thompson
Registered Psychologist
Kim is passionate about helping people of all ages thrive. She is especially passionate about helping children, adolescents and their families, having worked with this demographic for over 20 years.
A Registered Psychologist and Member of the Australian Psychological Society, Kim uses a range of therapeutic treatments to engage and respectfully support clients including Interpersonal Psychology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Family Systems Therapy.
Kim has worked in residential youth care, adoption and permanent care, child protection and over the past 13 years as a School Counsellor in the Independent Education Sector. She has experience in working with anxiety, phobias and panic disorders, depression, self-harm, grief, trauma, sexual abuse, anger management, domestic violence and parenting issues. She understands that life can throw all sorts of complicated challenges at us, which require us to draw on many different supports to navigate our way through.
Robyn Smith
Registered Psychologist
Robyn is a psychologist who has been working in the field for 10 years. Her interest in psychological practice includes working with children, their parents and siblings, and people who have a disability, chronic pain issues, grief and loss, adjustment issues, depression and anxiety.
Her psychology experience includes working with children with sensory impairment, their parents and siblings; chronic pain management in a group and individual setting; and general counselling.
Prior to working as a psychologist, Robyn worked as a childhood educator/director for 21 years and in the disability and social services sector for 5 years.
Robyn utilises an eclectic psychological approach to therapy tailored to the clients’ needs. She predominantly utilises Cognitive Behavioural Therapy along with Strengths Based and SolutionFocused Brief Therapy. Her warm and respectful approach assists clients to feel confident to challenge themselves to make positive change. A good dose of humour is also prescribed during therapy.
Tracy Hadden
Registered Psychologist
Tracy is a psychologist with over 15 years’ experience who is committed to helping individuals and couples cope successfully with the challenges they face. She uses a strength-based approach together with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy and Motivational Counselling. Her approach is also guided by training in trauma informed strategies, Narrative Therapy and Schema Therapy. Tracy has also undertaken training in the Gottman Method for couples counselling, and is an accredited provider of the Cool Kids anxiety management program.
Her experience working with adults, couples, children and adolescents dealing with depression, anxiety, panic, phobia, trauma, domestic violence, grief & loss, parenting issues and work stress, has helped her develop great understanding and compassion. Tracy has worked with individuals with learning difficulties, ADD, ADHD, and autism spectrum, in her many years as a School Counsellor in co-educational primary and secondary schools.
Prior to that Tracy worked in the disability sector supporting families with a child with a disability and helping those in crisis move forward. For many years she has run anxiety management groups and parenting groups, and volunteered on telephone crisis lines and with Prison Fellowship.
Tracy regularly works with clients between the ages of 6 and 70 who have been referred under Medicare, EAP, NDIS, Workcover, CTP insurance, and the Clergy Assistance Program.
Kay Honeyfield
&
Rosemary Puntillo
Reception / Admin
Our wonderful admin team are here to help you with your enquiries. We pride ourselves on our empathy, compassion, and patience. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Claudia Chakar
Couple and Family Counsellor
Claudia has over 20 years of clinical experience, including working with Relationships Australia as a senior Couple and Family Therapist, where she supervised and led a team. Claudia continues to provide her expertise and clinical supervision to other Therapists.
She has a particular interest in helping couples, families, and individuals understand the unhelpful way they communicate, which often leads to conflict. She also has extensive experience working with estrangements and conflict in adult families, as well as helping parents navigate complex situations where neurodiversity may be present.
Claudia is a trauma-informed therapist with a background in mental health. With expertise, she incorporates trauma themes with a relationship lens. This greatly benefits couples who have experienced a trauma such as an affair or other betrayal, significant loss, health diagnosis and all types of drug and alcohol addictions.
Claudia is a “Child Inclusive Consultant” for children whose parents are in the process of separation, mediation or Court proceedings. Claudia says, “I find it highly rewarding when I can help couples manage separation in a healthy way which reduces the impact on children”.
Claudia has trained in Systemic Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Solution Focused, Emotionally Focused Therapy and uses Gottman interventions in her work. She is known for bringing extensive knowledge and a lovely warmth to her work. However, as well as her warmth, she has a direct interventionalist style – which means clients receive direct guidance and help for their relationship problems.
Claudia is a mental health Therapist, a Clinical Supervisor, and a parent.
Qualifications and Professional Memberships
Masters in Counselling (UWS)
Bachelor Degree of Social Work (UWS)
Post Graduate Diploma in Rehabilitation Counselling (USYD)
Child Inclusive Training
Prepare and Enrich Facilitator
Member PACFA – Registered Clinical Counsellor
Claudia’s fee is $150 with no medicare rebate.
Contact Us
Admin Hours
Monday–Friday
8.45am–5.45pm
Phone
Phone: (02) 9760 1110
Location
11 Lowe Street
Merrylands NSW 2160