Our Practitioner Community
The consultants at Harris House are independent practitioners, with individual experience and areas of special interest.
Melanie Backwell
Melanie is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker currently working with people of all ages through her business, BeWell Counselling and Wellbeing. She specialises with children, adolescents, parents and families, being familiar with the complexities that can come with the adolescent cohort, and can tailor her practice to meet the needs of the client and their family.
Melanie is committed to her clients and enjoys connecting with people to build a trusting, therapeutic relationship. She strives to meet the needs of the individual through various techniques, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and play therapy. Melanie's services include individual therapy, parent consults, and family therapy.
Melanie holds a Master of Social Work from Deakin University, a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) also from Deakin University, and is an accredited member of the Australian Association of Social Workers.
Services Available
Melanie's specialty areas include Adolescent and Child Psychotherapy, anxiety, emotion regulation, depression, Autism Spectrum Disorder, relationships, social skills development, grief and loss, anger management, LGBTIQI+, trauma, and clinical supervision.
Melanie has been providing professional services in Geelong for over 10 years. She has extensive experience working with children and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and is confident in her skills to support them and their families. Melanie has the capacity to provide support to individuals and families in a face-to-face or telehealth capacity, in the client's home, or in the community.
Clients are able to access mental health care plans through their GP or Paediatrician, which allows up to ten sessions per calendar year that are claimable through Medicare.
Clients are able to utilise NDIS plans (self-managed or plan-managed).
Clients are able to access Melanie's services privately without a referral and without a Medicare rebate. These sessions are unlimited.
Contact Details
Email melanieebackwell@gmail.com
Phone 0424 240 486
Sophie Buckle
Sophie is a skilled therapist specialising in supporting children, adolescents, and parents facing a variety of social and emotional challenges. She provides a range of services, including parenting consultations, child and adolescent psychotherapy, and family therapy. Sophie's therapeutic approach is tailored to each individual, integrating techniques from Psychodynamic Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Family Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Play Therapy, and Mindfulness. With experience in both short-term and long-term therapy models, Sophie adapts her methods to best meet the unique needs of her clients.
Sophie is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and holds a Master of Social Work from LaTrobe University, a Master of Mental Health Science and Child Psychotherapy from Monash University and is a member of the Child Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Association of Australia. Sophie has over 10 years experience working in both the public and private sector.
Services Available
Clients are able to access sessions for psychological therapy via their GP or Paediatrician for a referral for a Medicare Mental Health Treatment Plan for up to ten sessions per calendar year, or they are able to access services privately (without a referral and without a Medicare rebate). Sophie also accepts clients with NDIS plans or self-managed referrals.
Contact Details
Email sophierbuckle@gmail.com
Call 0448 286 667
Website https://www.halaxy.com/profile/sophie-buckle/psychotherapist/524991?clinic=483511
Lauren Flood
Lauren is a registered Clinical Psychologist and provides evidence-based psychological interventions to individuals 18 years and over.
Lauren loves having the ability to help people better understand themselves and their relationships, and achieve improved self esteem and quality of life through psychotherapy. She has experience working with children, adults and families, and enjoys using attachment theory to understand and treat adult psychological issues.
She aims to create a safe, comfortable and nurturing environment for her clients, and has a friendly and relaxed interpersonal style. She works eclectically, tailoring her approach to individual needs, and strongly believes that a good therapist-client relationship is the cornerstone of the most effective therapy. The therapies she most often uses are Schema Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), & Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Services Available
Lauren offers 1:1 therapy in person or via telehealth, and is based at
our Belmont location.
In order to see Lauren, you will need a GP or Psychiatrist referral.
Medicare Plans and Private Health insurance are accepted, as are most
self-managed NDIS clients.
(Bulk-billing is not available)
Contact Details
Email contact@laurenfloodpsychology.com.au
Phone (Voicemail & Callback only) 0413 144 693
Website www.laurenfloodpsychology.com.au
Melissa Hulme
Melissa is a clinical psychologist with a deep passion for supporting children, adolescents, and their families, carers, and guardians. She also works with adults, providing assessment and therapeutic support for Autism, ADHD, and Anxiety. With over fourteen years of experience, Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science (Psychology), a Graduate Diploma of Psychology, and a Master of Psychology (Clinical), and has completed a Clinical Psychology Registrar Program specialising in child and adolescent mental health, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
In her practice, Adeline and Myrtle Psychology, Melissa brings experience from her time working with the Royal Children’s Hospital, Gateways Support Services, various school settings, and in private practice. She has also worked closely with universities to support provisional psychologists during their placements, providing structured supervision, professional mentoring, and on-the-ground guidance within group and individual learning contexts.
Melissa’s therapeutic approach is integrative and developmentally attuned, neuro-affirming, and deeply relational. She works in ways that help children and young people feel safe, understood, and genuinely engaged, often incorporating playful, creative, and strengths-based activities that match each child’s age, stage, and individuality. At the heart of her approach is a clear goal: to help young people - and their families - understand themselves, their experiences, and their neurotype, so that support feels meaningful, empowering, and aligned with who they are.
Melissa is registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA), holds endorsement as a clinical psychologist, and is a Board-Approved Supervisor for clinical endorsement. She is also a member of the Australian Psychological Society, the Australian Association of Psychologists, and the Australian Clinical Psychologists Association.
Services Available
Services include therapy for children and adolescents, comprehensive psychological assessments across the lifespan (cognitive, learning, autism and ADHD), supportive parenting guidance, clinical supervision for psychologists, and consultation services for schools and organisations.
Melissa offers face-to-face sessions at Harris House in Belmont, school visits, and Telehealth appointments. Clients can access her services through NDIS, Medicare, or privately.
Contact Details
Email ampsychoffice@gmail.com
Phone (Voicemail & Callback only) 0490 881 554
Taylah Loader
Taylah is a registered psychologist who has experience working with people across the lifespan, from children to older people. She provides evidence-based treatment for a range of mental health conditions, with a particular interest in anxiety disorders, relationship and interpersonal difficulties, parenting skills building, and neurodivergence.
Taylah enjoys utilising a person-centred approach to connect with clients to meet their individual goals. She will tailor her approach to meet you where you are on your therapeutic journey, and she welcomes the opportunity to provide understanding, support and guidance in helping each individual build understanding of themselves, their relationships, and their circumstances.
Taylah is trained in the use of a range of evidence-based therapies, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills, and she has particular interest in the administration of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy.
Overall, Taylah’s practice utilises an attachment lens in practice, and employs a strong focus on the therapeutic relationship as a tool for change.
Services Offered
Taylah is currently accepting referrals for clients between the ages of 8 and 12, and over the age of 18.
Taylah offers 1:1 therapy in person and is based at the Belmont location.
Taylah accepts Private Paying, Medicare, Private Health Insurance and NDIS (Self and Plan Managed Participants Only).
(Bulk-Billing is not available)
Contact Details
Email taylah@interlinkpsychology.com
Website https://interlink-psychology.squarespace.com/
Call 0490 881 554
Kelly Seignior
Kelly is a Speech Pathologist and the Director of Kelly Seignior Speech Pathology. She graduated in 2006 in Leeds, England, working at the Department of Education in England and the NHS across 3 NHS Trusts. Here she worked in hospitals, rehabilitation centres, MND clinics, community clinics, a Specialist Language Unit, Mainstream and Specialist Schools as well as being the lead Speech Pathologist for 3 brand new Child and Family Centres. Alongside this, in 2008, Kelly set up her own private practice working as an Independent Speech Pathologist in the UK. Upon arriving in Australia in 2010, Kelly worked in an Early Intervention Team, originally only planning to stay for 6 months before staying for almost 7 years. This formed her clinical progression into ASD assessments. Kelly then continued in her own private practice role that had been set up in 2012 and now specialises in autism assessments, as well as holding a small caseload.
Kelly has been fortunate to work under the supervision of Helen Rippon, Speech Pathologist and Illustrator of the popular Black Sheep Press worksheets, undergo training at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering and complete training in Hanen, Social Thinking, Talkability, Floortime DIR and administering the ADOS and Orofacial Myofunctional Assessment and Therapy.
Services Available
Kelly’s passion lies in supporting babies and children with orofacial myofunctional disorders and assessing/supporting children with speech/language and ASD assessments, guiding them on their next pathway.
Clients are able to utilise NDIS plans (self-managed or plan-managed) and also access services privately without referral.
Contact Details
Email kellyspeechie@gmail.com
Phone 0433 462 565
Cate Teague
Cate is a credentialled Adult and Infant Mental Health Nurse with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses www.acmhn.org
She has recently completed her Masters in Health (Perinatal & Infant Mental Health) at Federation University. She also brings with her over 30 years experience of Midwifery and Maternal & Child Health Nursing, ensuring a depth of knowledge in all things perinatal.
Having worked in Inpatient Mother and Baby setting for the last 10 years, she is highly experienced in mother-infant therapeutic interventions, perinatal adjustment and infants who may be unsettled.
Services Available
Cate is presently offering a variety of programs tailored to newborn infants (0-3 months) that includes infant massage, developmental play and ways to understand your individual infant while holistically supporting parents in their transition to parenting.
For infants over 4 months of age, she can also offer the Watch, Wait and Wonder program which is a gentle intervention for parent-infant dyads to enhance bonding, improve infant sleep, tantrums, and developmental difficulties. To learn more: www.watchwaitwonderdownunder.com
For clinicians, Cate has completed Clinical Supervision training with Centre for Psychiatric Nursing Research and Practice (CPNRP) and is available as a provider for any clinicians working in the perinatal and infant mental health space.
Clients can access sessions directly via email to discuss packages and medicare options.
Contact Details
Email catethenurse@outlook.com