Finding the Right Practitioner for You
Vicky Hamey
Individual and Couples Counsellor; Clinical Supervisor
Qualifications: Master of Counselling, Teaching Diploma, Clinical Supervisor Accreditation.
Vicky is a skilled counsellor with over 25 years experience. She partners with clients using person-centred and emotionally focused approaches, empowering clients to develop self-awareness and insight into their emotional world.
Vicky has a breadth of experience working with a diverse range of clients including individuals and couples across all age groups. In particular, Vicky works with many couples struggling with ongoing disagreements and poor communication which, in turn, result in perpetual cycles of hurt and disappointment. Once entrenched in this negative pattern of behaviour, many couples find it impossible to recover without professional help. Vicky relies on emotionally focused techniques and family systems concepts to support couples and help them to understand and address the key issues at the heart of their difficulties.
Vicky’s empathic approach enables her clients to deeply explore and recover from long-standing issues and impasses. The insights clients gain enables them to experience themselves more positively and to find deeper connections in their lives. Vicky is experienced in integrating spiritual considerations into her therapy and in working with issues such as addiction, anxiety, workplace difficulties, communication, assertiveness and parenting.
Vicky offers clinical, pastoral and work supervision.
Vicky is a Clinical Member and Supervisor of the Christian Counsellors Association of Australia (CCAA) and PACFA .
ONLINE COUNSELLING also available with Vicky!
For an appointment, contact Vicky at vicky@solutionschatswood.com.au or call/text 0409 926 904.
Lyn Abery
Analytic Psychotherapist and Counsellor
Qualifications: Diploma of Adult Psychotherapy, Graduate Diploma of Counselling (Honours), Diploma of Adult Education, Mental Health Certificate.
Lyn is a highly qualified analytic psychotherapist with over 25 years’ experience working with individuals and couples in therapy. Lyn has a unique ability to reach people who feel very lonely and isolated and struggle to find and maintain fulfilling and safe relationships. She has a wonderful way of helping everyone feel at ease with her gentle, caring and empathic approach. Lyn provides her clients with the encouragement they need to effect positive change in their lives, often well beyond what they thought themselves capable of.
Analytic psychotherapy involves helping people explore deeper emotional places, where the roots of many psychological problems exist, in order to address ongoing struggles at their core. Lyn likens the process to constantly plucking at a problem weed in your garden which, frustratingly, continues to grow back, inhibiting the growth of the surrounding flowers. It takes more effort to dig up the weed at its roots but the results are permanent and allow the rest of the garden to heal and flourish.
Lyn has a lifetime of experience in health care and the corporate sector, having worked with many different types of people from different backgrounds. In addition to her role as a psychotherapist, Lyn has worked as an adult educator, trainer, mentor and manager, bringing a wealth of knowledge, patience and understanding to her work. For more information go to http://www.lynabery.com.au
Lyn is a Clinical Member of the International Association of Relational Psychoanalysts and Psychotherapists (Australia).
ONLINE COUNSELLING only available with Lyn!
For an appointment, contact Lyn at lyn@solutionschatswood.com.au or call/text 0402 087 127.
Ros Knight
Clinical and Counselling Psychologist; Supervisor
Qualifications: Master of Clinical Psychology, Diploma of Hypnosis, Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
With over 30 years of clinical and counselling psychology experience, Ros assists clients with a range of mental illness and counselling needs. Working with a broad range of clients, including adolescents and young adults through to couples and older adults, Ros has a particular interest in helping clients with anxiety, depression and trauma.
She has a passion for helping people develop the skills and strategies to grow and to interact with their worlds more confidently and effectively. Ros is also highly skilled at helping clients set and work towards long term goals as a coaching psychologist.
Ros is endorsed as a Clinical and Counselling Psychologist and eligible for Medicare Rebates.
Ros is a supervisor of 25 years’ experience and an approved Supervisor for Psychology with the PSYBA.
For an appointment, contact Ros at ros@solutionschatswood.com.au or call/text 0411 152 999.
Lorena Portocarrero
Registered Counsellor
Qualifications: Master of Counselling, Master of Arts in Philosophy, Bachelor of Behavioural Science
Lorena is a registered counsellor with a background in both counselling and philosophy. She offers a safe, collaborative space where clients can pause, feel heard, and explore their experiences — moving toward helpful decisions and growth grounded in meaning and hope. Her approach is person-centred and shaped by empathy, curiosity, trust, and deep respect for each person’s story.
Lorena works with adults and young people navigating a range of life challenges. Her practice draws on evidence-based modalities including Person-Centred Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), and Psychodynamic Therapy. She is particularly interested in how we find meaning, manage emotional distress, integrate painful experiences, and connect with others during times of difficulty, uncertainty, or overwhelm. Her work is guided by each client’s pace, values, and what feels most helpful to them.
With nearly twenty years of experience in pastoral care and community work, Lorena welcomes clients from all backgrounds and walks of life. For those who wish to explore their faith experience in therapy, she offers a space that is respectful and inclusive.
Lorena offers sessions in person at Chatswood or online, in English and Spanish. She is a member of PACFA and the Christian Counsellors Association of Australia (CCAA).
IN PERSON and ONLINE, SPANISH speaking sessions available.
For an appointment, you can contact Lorena at
lorena@solutionschatswood.com.au or call/text 0487 714 063.
Erin Mitchell
Adolescent Counsellor and Parent Coach
Qualifications: B.Mus; Grad Dip Counselling; member ACA
Erin is an adolescent counsellor, parent coach and family therapist. She believes in the value of learning healthy coping skills early in life; children who are able to cope in healthy ways will be more resilient and manage stress better as adults.
Erin’s first degree was a Bachelor of Music from the Conservatorium of Sydney. Her later counselling studies included majors in Child Development, Effective Parenting, Conflict Resolution and Family Therapy.
She have been influenced by John Gottman’s work on Emotional Intelligence, the field of Positive Psychology and the pioneering work of Haim Ginott. As well as working in private practice, she is an accredited facilitator of Tuning into Kids, an emotion coaching program designed for parents to create better interpersonal relationships with their children. She runs weekly children’s group workshops and is a private children’s coach for Resilience in Kids. Erin regularly facilitates small group parenting workshops and presents parenting seminars in schools all around Sydney. For more information go to https://www.erinmitchell.com.au/
ONLINE COUNSELLING also available with Erin!
For an appointment, contact Erin at erin@solutionschatswood.com.au or call/text 0400089902.
Grace Foo
Individual and Couples Counsellor
Qualifications: Master of Counselling, Bachelor of Business (Accounting),
Grace values each individual’s unique journey and is dedicated to empowering her clients to make a difference in their lives. She works with a wide range of issues from anxiety and depression, grief and loss, life’s adjustments and transitions, the exploration of self-identities and with a special interest in psychological traumas and relationship matters.
Grace’s warm and empathic approach provide a safe space in promoting personal growth and development in her clients. Grace emphasises on the whole person, working from a client-centered and emotionally focused approach. She collaborates with her client in an active process of self-discovery, whilst also utilizing a variety of research validated therapies that best suit her client’s needs. Grace is also genuinely interested in helping couples grow deep soulful relationships, journeying with them through the challenges from premarital through to the different stages of family life.
Grace has worked for many years in the corporate world and understands the demands and challenges one faces in high pressured work environments. She also has vast experiences in pastoral care and ministry leadership.
Grace is a provisional member of the Australian Christian Counselling Association (CCAA). and ACA.
ONLINE COUNSELLING also available with Grace!
For an appointment, contact Grace at grace@solutionschatswood.com.au or call/text 0424805778
Brenda Felix
Individual and Couples Counsellor, Family Therapist.
Qualifications: Master of Counselling, Ad Dip in Counselling and Family Therapy (Christian)
Brenda has extensive experience working with adults, young persons, and families in different settings. She adopts an integrative, holistic, and relational approach to counselling and psychotherapy, which incorporates person-centred, emotionally focused, family systems, trauma-informed, cognitive-behavioural, mindfulness, and other evidence-based therapeutic modalities.
Brenda has a passion to support and empower people from diverse backgrounds who are facing their unique life challenges. She has a special interest in working with multiracial families and mixed marriages. Her aim is to provide a safe space and a collaborative environment where she can walk alongside her clients and help them to be all they can be.
Brenda can speak fluent English and Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin).
Brenda is a Member of PACFA and the Christian Counselling Association of Australia (CCAA)
ONLINE COUNSELLING is also available with Brenda!
For an appointment, contact Brenda at brenda@solutionschatswood.com.au or call/text 0493 238 090
Melanie Ambrose
Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and Separation Coach
Qualifications: Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Science (maj Psychology), Graduate Diploma Family Dispute Resolution, Graduate Diploma Practical Legal Training, Graduate Diploma Christian Counselling, AMDRAS Mediator.
Melanie is an Accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner and a Nationally Accredited Mediator with qualifications in psychology, counselling and law. She is well placed to support and understand the emotional, practical and legal needs of clients after separation. With almost 10 years of experience mediating with hundreds of clients, Melanie is skilled at guiding clients through their parenting and property mediations.
Having worked with children as an educator in the past, as well as being trained in child inclusive mediation, Melanie works hard to keep her clients child-focussed with in-depth understanding of the developmental stages of children and the complexity that often faces co-parents after separation. Property matters are managed carefully, enabling clients to obtain the support and advice needed to take an often overwhelming chapter of their lives and enter into an efficient, calm and focussed space to resolve disputes fairly and equitably, in everyone’s best interests.
Melanie’s passion lies in the belief that, with support, people can come through difficult challenges with enhanced understanding, skills and resilience. Every family is unique, and tapping into the expertise of parents and combining that with well-informed insights and tailored processes provides a space for families to move from a place of broken-ness to a new chapter as their best selves.
Melanie also works in a team lead role for a not for profit Family Dispute Resolution service provider, supporting and supervising her team in their roles.
Melanie is available online and face to face at Chatswood or Warriewood after hours Monday – Thursday and during business hours on Fridays and Saturdays.
For an appointment, contact Melanie at call/text 0456669277
Go to Melanie Ambrose Dispute Resolution for more information
Kate Kempe
Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, Northern Beaches and North Shore Family Law Mediation
Qualifications: Bachelor of Laws (Hons), Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) (Hons), Graduate Diploma Family Dispute Resolution, Graduate Diploma Practical Legal Training, AMDRAS Mediator.
Kate’s background in psychology and law has helped her recognise the emotional and financial toll that prolonged litigation can have on parties, motivating her to resolve disputes efficiently and harmoniously.
Kate has a passion for parenting matters. In her role in the Northern Beaches and North Shore Family Law Mediation Team, Kate is dedicated to assisting parents in working towards resolutions that are in the best interests of their children. Kate works hard to maximise efficient communication and to minimise any existing or potential conflict between the parties to protect the children from the potential harm of prolonged exposure to the legal process.
In property matters, Kate is mindful of resolving disputes fairly and efficiently but aims to give her clients the best possible outcome to maintain their lives and build their future. Kate ensures that all aspects of the financial settlement are dealt with transparently and is sure to create practical and sustainable settlements.
Kate is experienced in mediating both parenting and property matters and works hard to assist parties as they attempt to find agreement. In this environment, she is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and confidential space where parties can come to address their conflicts and find resolutions. Kate understands that every family and every dispute is different and therefore, adopts a personalised approach to mediation.
Kate is available for appointments online and face to face at Chatswood or Warriewood during business hours Monday – Thursday.
For an appointment, contact Kate call/text 0420381717.
Go to NBNS Mediation for more information.