Our Team

All of our team have special interest and experience in neurodevelopmental and behavioural disorders in children and adolescents.

​Dr Berlinda Yeoh
Developmental Paediatrician
MBBS (Hons 1) USyd, FRACP, MPH

Dr Berlinda Yeoh is a specialist developmental and behavioural paediatrician who is passionate about supporting children and adolescents reach their fullest potential. She has extensive experience and specialises in managing learning, developmental and mental health disorders, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder, Specific Learning Disorders, Anxiety and Depression in children and adolescents. She graduated from medicine at University of Sydney in 2000 (1st class honours) and did her Paediatric specialist training at both the Children's Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick. She is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, member of the RACP Chapter of Community Child Health and the Neurodevelopmental and Behavioural Paediatrician Society of Australasia. She has a completed a Master of Public Health at the University of NSW.
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​Dr Yeoh previously worked for over a decade at Royal Far West, Manly, leading a multidisciplinary team supporting children from remote and rural NSW communities with complex developmental, behavioural and mental health disorders in the context of complex social circumstances and trauma exposure. She has now worked in private practice for over 10 years, previously working at the Sydney Developmental Clinic specialising in learning, ADHD, behavioural and emotional disorders prior to establishing the Child Development Clinic in 2018.

Dr Natasha Fernandez
Paediatrician
MBChB FRACP

Dr Natasha  Fernandez graduated from the University of Auckland in 2006 and has enjoyed the diversity of training in Paediatrics across different areas across Australia, including Perth, regional Western Australia and the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick. She also completed a fellowship year in paediatric Acute and Chronic Pain which remains an area of interest for her. She is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Neurodevelopmental and Behavioural Paediatric Society of Australia. 

She has a special interest in behavioural and learning disorders in children, in particular,  ADHD, Anxiety, specific learning disorders and mental health disorders. She gained experience in this field while previously working in a tertiary child development unit specialising in the assessment, diagnosis and management of behaviour and learning difficulties. 

Her passion for children’s health is long-standing and she is committed to practical healthcare and building lasting relationships with her patients and their families. Natasha believes in a multidisciplinary approach in achieving the best outcomes for each child.

Dr Pooja Kashyap
Paediatrician
MBBS MD FRACP

Dr Pooja is a paediatrician committed to working with families to maintain the health and wellbeing of children. She has over 14 years of experience and is an academic gold medallist trained in General paediatrics with special interest in developmental and behavioural paediatrics, focusing on Autism Spectrum Disorder, intellectual disability, anxiety and Specific Learning Disorders. During her paediatric training, she worked across different paediatric centres across NSW including the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Royal North Shore Hospital. She also spent time gaining experience in the department of psychological medicine working with children and adolescents with complex behavioural, developmental, mental health and specific learning disorders. Her research includes “Developmental Disabilities in Indigenous Children in rural NSW’. She is currently appointed at Gosford Hospital as a Paediatrician.

​She continues to be actively involved in medical student teaching and holds a conjoint lecturer position at UNSW, Rural Clinical School. She has previously served as an examiner for medical students at University of Newcastle. 
Outside of work, Pooja enjoys reading, classical music and spending time with family.

Dr Geoff Crawford
Paediatrician
MBBS FRACP GradDipArts

​Dr Crawford is a consultant Paediatrician who has specialised in the assessment of children and adolescents with learning and behaviour concerns. He is a graduate from the UNSW, a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians and a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. He has a Graduate Diploma in Arts from the University of Wollongong.
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He worked for 10 years at the multidisciplinary Serfontein Clinic, the first of its kind specialising in the assessment of children with ADHD. Since 2002 he has worked in his private practice in Sydney CBD and does outreach clinics in the Hunter district and in Wollongong. He looks after his patients into early adult life.

Dr Conni Knebel
Developmental Paediatrician
MD FRACP

​Dr Knebel is a specialist in Developmental and Behavioural Paediatrics with an interest in, neurodevelopment disorders, cognitive profiling, learning difficulties, attachment and parenting, developmental delay, FASD, Autism, ADHD and anxiety.
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Conni is a Staff Specialist Developmental Paediatrician at the Westmead Children’s Hospital. She completed her paediatric training at the Sydney Children’s Hospital after graduating in Germany. There, she also commenced her training in paediatrics and neonatology at the University Children’s Hospital in Munich. Conni has worked in many countries around the world and many services in the greater Sydney area. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience working with patients, families and services in the community.  

She is undertaking research in the field of developmental surveillance and children affected by substance use. Dr Knebel is a member of the Neurodevelopmental and Behavioural Paediatric Society of Australasia. She is trained in formal Autism assessment tools as well as developmental assessment tools and diverse parenting programs such as Circle of Security. Her approach is comprehensive, thorough and strengths based.

​Dr James Wickramasuriya (Wick)
Psychiatrist
MBBS (Syd.) FRANZCP Cert Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

​Dr James Wickramasuriya (Wick) is a specialist Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatrist with 20 years’ experience in treating emotional and behavioural difficulties, including by telepsychiatry.  He graduated from the USyd in 1999 and trained at the St Mary’s Hospital, London and in Sydney at the Institute of Psychiatry at Redbank House, Rivendell Adolescent Unit and the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Dr Wick is a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and a member of the Faculty of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr Wick worked for over 16 years as Senior Staff Specialist at Redbank House in-patient Child, Adolescent and Family Service and was Clinical Director of Adolescent Services. Currently he also works at Royal Far West, Manly; as Senior Consultan at Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District; and the Black Dog Institute Randwick, where he is furthering his interest in difficult-to-diagnose and manage complex mood disorders.
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Dr Wick’s specialist interests includes behavioural & complex anxiety/mood disorders and management of complex childhood trauma. He utilises treatment modalities informed by medical, family systems, attachment, behavioural, cognitive, psycho-dynamic and trauma-informed theory. He works with family members together and individually and collaborates with other professionals.

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​Psychology Team

Jessica Staniland
Psychologist (Clinical)
​BPsych (Hons) MPsych(Clinical)

​Jessica is a warm and engaging Senior Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience  in the area of child and adolescent development, mental health and wellbeing. She  takes a supportive and collaborative approach in working with the child directly, as well as with their family, school and involved professionals.  

Jessica has expertise in diagnostic assessment of learning disorders,  ADHD, Anxiety, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and mental health disorders. She is competent in delivering individual and group interventions using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy and parent behaviour management training.   

Jessica is an author and award winner in the Autism field, supporting the wellbeing of children with ASD and reducing the associated stigma.  She also has experience in supporting children in isolated areas access psychological support. She has participated in research projects with the University of Sydney and Macquarie University exploring the effectiveness of online therapy for Conduct Disorders and Anxiety Disorders.

She is a nationally registered Clinical Psychologist with AHPRA, and is an approved supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia. ​

Mary Nguyen
Psychologist
BSc (Psych), PDDip (Psych)

Mary is a friendly and passionate psychologist who is committed to providing care and support to children and families to optimise their learning and mental health needs. Mary achieves positive outcomes through understanding the individual needs of children through the implementation of evidenced based interventions. She is competent in delivering Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Creative Therapy.

Mary has gained extensive experience in working with culturally diverse children, adolescents and families. Her expertise lies in delivering tailored individual therapy specifically in the areas of, but not limited to, Anxiety, Depression, Anger Management and Behavioural Management. She has facilitated numerous group programs tailored to social skills and assertiveness training for children.
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Mary is a nationally registered psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), and is an associate member of the Australian Psychology Society (APS).

Amber Stapleton
Psychologist
​BA(Psych) PGDIP(Psych) MA(Psych)

Amber is a warm and approachable psychologist who aims to provide a collaborative approach by working together with the child, parent, and other health care professionals to ensure the best outcome for the child and family.

Amber has gained experience working at the Sydney Developmental Clinic working with children and adolescents with learning difficulties, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and other behavioural presentations.
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​Amber has experience in administering psychological assessments, including IQ/cognitive testing and academic testing. Amber has a special interest in providing psychological interventions for children and adolescents experiencing a range of difficulties including anxiety, depression, anger, behavioural problems, developmental difficulties, social skills, and relationship problems.

​Amber is a nationally registered psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Jaclyn Heinrich
Psychologist (Provisional)
BSc, BSc-Psych(Hons)

Jaclyn is a Provisional Psychologist who completed her Bachelor of Psychology Degree at Adelaide University, graduating with first class honours. She has continued her studies at University of New South Wales, currently completing a Masters Degree in Forensic Psychology. Jaclyn is also a fully qualified solicitor and has chosen to focus on the area of child and adolescent Psychology as a career. 

Jaclyn is conscientious, hard working and passionate about improving awareness of mental health. She is committed to working with young people and their families to assist them to reach their full potential, with a strength-based approach personalised for each client and reinforcing support networks. 

Jaclyn is interested in supporting children with diagnoses of ADHD, ODD, anxiety and mood disorders. She is experienced in conducting a range of psychological assessments which lead to providing evidence-based interventions. Jaclyn likes to take a fun approach to learning, therapy and assessment. She likes to contribute to a happy work environment and keeps up to date with trends to ensure she can connect with her clientele. Jaclyn believes we each learn differently and to be able to reach our full potential, we need to know how we learn best. Most importantly, Jaclyn believes in lifelong learning and focusing on the positive.

Louise Ebbrell
Psychologist (Provisional)
​BSc, BSc-Psych (Hons)

​​Louise is a provisional psychologist completing her training with the Child Development Clinic. Louise has extensive experience working with children and adolescents throughout the UK, Asia and Australia in both mental health support roles and as a teacher. She holds an honours degree in psychology from the University of Liverpool, UK.
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Louise is a warm and friendly clinician with a passion for supporting children and families to reach their potential and be the best they can be. She has a strong interest in supporting those with learning and academic difficulties, anxiety, depression and self-esteem issues. She places high value on fostering a holistic approach to intervention and delivering evidence based treatment that makes a difference to the health and well-being of young people and their families.

Louise loves nature, yoga, travel and when she's not working, you'll find her taking advantage of Sydney's many beautiful beaches and running after her own energetic toddler!

Kate Wilson-Woolley
Psychologist (Provisional)
​BArts/BSci (Psychology)(Hons)

Kate is a friendly and warm provisional psychologist who is passionate about supporting children and their families to reach their potential. Kate has been working with children and families for the last 10 years.
 
Kate completed her 4 year psychology undergraduate degree at the Australian National University, focusing on developmental and social psychology. She has done further training in Attachment-focused intervention, and supporting families in the postnatal period. Kate is currently working towards general registration as a psychologist, working at the Child Development Clinic and for a not-for-profit organisation that supports children with learning difficulties. 

Helen Myung
Psychologist (Provisional)
​BPsycSci (Hons), MProfPsych

Helen is a provisional psychologist working towards her full registration with the support of the Child Development Clinic. She has completed a Bachelor of Psychological Science with honours at the University of New South Wales and Masters of Professional Psychology at University of Western Sydney and is a member of the Australian Psychology Society (APS).

Helen has a particular interest and passion in working with children, adolescents, and their families for them to better manage challenging behaviours and increase their quality of life as a family. Her areas of interest are anxiety-related disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, anger management, behavioural management, and parenting style management. She draws from evidence-based modalities to tailor an individual treatment including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-based therapy, Creative therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Helen is also able to offer therapy in both English and Korean, and works confidently with diverse cultures and in situations where cultural awareness and appreciation are essential.

Lauren Ehrenfeld
Psychologist (Provisional)
BPsych (Hons)

Lauren is a Provisional Psychologist who completed her Bachelor of Psychology at Macquarie University. She is currently undertaking her PhD and Master of Clinical Neuropsychology at Macquarie University. Her research examines the relationship between mood, cognition, and inflammatory mechanisms, with a particular focus on depression and suicidality.

​Lauren also conducts research at Neuroscience Research Australia where she has examined sex differences in cognition and changes in cognition across the lifespan. 
Clinically, she has extensive experience in neuropsychological assessment, with a particular focus in the impacts of mood, Post-traumatic Stress, and Traumatic Brain Injuries on cognition, and the differential diagnosis of Specific Learning Disorders, Intellectual Disability, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Lauren is competent in delivering Cognitive Remediation Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.  

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​Administration Team

Laura Boswell
Practice Manager​

​Laura is our highly experienced, friendly and approachable practice manager who is dedicated to supporting our patients and their families with dedication, efficiency and sensitivity. She works behind the scenes to continue to improve our processes to ensure our patients and their families’ experience at our practice is positive and well supported.

She has a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning from Canterbury University, New Zealand and has worked as a manager in the early childhood and education industry in New Zealand for 6 years prior to joining us. She is passionate about child development and is committed to supporting our families and clinic team.
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Laura loves spending time at the beach with her family and taking advantage of Sydney's beautiful parks and cafes.

Rochelle Thompson
Receptionist​​

Rochelle is one of our welcoming receptionists, who is understanding and respectful.  Being confident, calm and capable, she is dedicated to producing positive patient outcomes and delivering exceptional customer service.

Before joining us, Rochelle spent 25 years working as a national manager in magazine publishing, including parenting magazines and children's titles. She is passionate about using all resources available to support our clients and our team.

Rochelle is a movie buff, loves good food and enjoys skiing, camping and holidaying with her family and friends.
  

Sarah Sullivan
Receptionist​​

Sarah is one of our warm and welcoming receptionists. Sarah is dedicated to ensuring clients feel supported and cared for during their time at the clinic. 

Sarah has come from a customer service background as a long haul flight attendant based in New Zealand. She is passionate about caring for children. 

Sarah enjoys cooking healthy food, spending time at the beach and being with family and friends.  

Director - ​Paul Therkelsen
​MBA (exec), BEHons (Electrical), BSc(Com Sci), GDAppFin