Meet the Team - Benchmark Psychology

Shaunagh Pugh

Clinical Psychology Registrar
Provider number: 6649891L

Depression
Cognitive Assessments
Self-Esteem and Body Image
Anxiety and Panic
Grief and Loss
Adjusting to Life Transitions
Young Adults (18-25)

Shaunagh is interested in understanding her clients on a holistic level and recognises that each client brings their unique lifestory into the therapy room. As such, creating a client-centred and collaborative therapeutic relationship is an important part of Shaunagh’s therapeutic style. She has a particular interest in working with young adults and adults, as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Holly Smallbone

Clinical Psychology Registrar
Provider number: 5934581T

Depression
Social skills
Child and adolescent
Emotion regulation
Interpersonal and relationships difficulties
Adjustment difficulties

Holly enjoys working with individuals of all ages and across a range of different backgrounds. Holly has a warm, empathic and non-judgmental therapeutic style and aims to build strong and trusting therapeutic relationships. She believes that a strong client-therapist relationship is key for therapeutic change.

Michelle Hansen (Elle)

Clinical Psychology Registrar
Provider Number: 6331131J

Young people
Anxiety
Depression
Self-esteem
Stress Management
Work-life integration and balance

Elle enjoys working with people across the lifespan and has a strong interest in supporting young people. She strives to create a warm, supportive, and person-focused environment to allow for exploration and support of the person’s concerns. Elle has a particular interest in working with people to help manage anxiety and mood difficulties and to build self-esteem.

Dr Alice Gornall

Clinical Psychologist
Provider number: 6142551H

Grief and loss

Parenting

Depression

Anxiety

Sleep problems

Relationship difficulties

Low self-esteem

Adjustment difficulties

Alice recently completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Monash University in Melbourne before relocating to Brisbane to complete her clinical registrar program with Benchmark Psychology. Alice draws upon a range of evidence-based therapeutic techniques including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy and Schema Therapy to develop a deep understanding of each individual client to help them achieve meaningful and lasting positive change.

Dr Elizabeth Torbey

Clinical Neuropsychologist
Provider Number: 5828291X

Bachelor of Psychological Science (Hons I)
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology)
Endorsed Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Neuropsychologist
Board-approved supervisor

Elizabeth completed her postgraduate studies through the University of Queensland and has dual qualifications in the areas of clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology. She has considerable experience in treating complex clinical and neuropsychological cases within the public health setting, having worked within multidisciplinary teams in several major hospitals across South-East Queensland and Melbourne.

Her experience as a clinical psychologist has included providing Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) interventions to assist clients with mood and anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders, and other neuropsychiatric issues. Elizabeth has a particular interest in providing evidence-based psychotherapy to clients experiencing psychological, cognitive, and/or behavioural changes associated with neurological conditions (e.g. acquired brain injury, neurodegenerative disorders).

Dr Alex Gardner

Clinical Psychologist
Provider number: 5636192J

Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders
Low mood
Depression
Management of suicidality
Self-esteem
Grief and loss
Parenting and parent-offspring difficulties
Interpersonal relation difficulties (e.g., coping with rejection, attachment difficulties)
Appearance concerns and disordered eating
Personal and occupational adjustment difficulties

Alex works primarily with children, adolescents and adults experiencing emotional difficulties (e.g., mood, anxiety, low self-esteem, grief and loss, adjustment challenges) and interpersonal problems (e.g., parent-child conflict, difficulties with peers, dealing with rejection and romantic relationship difficulties). He is passionate about working with young people and helping all clients feel sufficiently motivated to engage in change within an atmosphere of warmth, understanding and compassion.

Andrea Richardson

Clinical Psychologist
Provider Number: 6319993H

Perfectionism and self-criticism
School and work anxiety
Health anxiety
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Phobias and panic
Adolescent and young adult coping skills

Andrea completed her Master’s of Clinical Psychology in Darwin. She later moved to Brisbane to continue her career and enjoy the milder weather. She has experience working with adults and adolescents with both mild and complex mental health issues. Her special interest areas include anxiety and anxiety-related disorders, emotional regulation, and self-criticism. Andrea’s approach is to be person-centred and recovery-oriented, always on the background of a solid evidence-base. For Andrea this means finding a balance that fits for the individual between being guided by her clients whilst providing clarity and thoughtful insight, always noticing and nurturing the strengths and resources they already have. Andrea commonly uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focussed Therapy. Andrea is passionate about helping people reduce their suffering and work towards their values.

Dr Jennifer Wilson

Clinical Psychologist
Provider Number: 4717583B

Couples therapy
Parenting
Depression
Anxiety
Adjustment to life changes
Children’s mental health
Child behaviour problems
Clinical Supervision

Jenni’s PHD research focused on the development of children’s thinking and reasoning skills, and the role that temperament plays in children’s mental health. Jenni combines evidenced-based treatments with a compassionate approach, and aims to work with each person’s strengths to help people achieve lasting change.

Cherie Dalton

Senior Clinical Psychologist
Provider Number: 25659595A

Coping with relationship break-up
Life transitions
Grief and loss
Anxiety
Mental wellness for working professionals
Work-life-study balance
Self-esteem and confidence
Health issues and adjustment to medical conditions

Cherie is a warm and experienced Clinical Psychologist. She takes a passionate interest in working with adults who seek to improve wellbeing in the areas of work-life balance, adjustment to early career, coping with study and navigating life transitions. She is particularly interested in assisting people with anxiety, romantic break-ups, return to the workforce, care for aging parents, adjustment to early work and new graduate positions and moving through the process of grief and loss.

With a deep understanding of a range of therapeutic approaches, she utilises Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). Cherie works predominantly with short-medium term treatment toward agreed-upon goals to help you reach a sense of wellbeing.

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Dr Alison Bocquée

Clinical Psychologist
Provider number: 401437BK

Children and Families
Parent- Child Relationship
Anxiety and Trauma
Sleep Issues
Mood Disorders
Family Problems
Clinical Supervision

Alison is a Clinical Psychologist and has over 15 years’ experience working in Brisbane-based government and private community and inpatient settings with individuals across the lifespan, presenting with a range of mental health concerns, developmental conditions, and those with dual or more complex presentations.

Dr Vanessa Spiller

Clinical Psychologist
Provider Number: 4064178X

Anxiety in adults and adolescents
Trauma
Adjustment and life transitions
Grief and Loss
Parenting Support (for neuro-atypical young people)
FASD including education and consultancy
Clients who identify as LGBTQIA+
Supervision including group/team supervision

Working as a clinical psychologist for over 20 years Vanessa is a feedback informed therapist (FIT) who believes that therapy should be designed and adjusted to fit the client’s individual needs and personal preferences. Vanessa is experienced in working with adults and adolescents using an integration of various evidence-based approaches including CBT, ACT, and Solution-focused therapy. Vanessa is particularly passionate about working with parents of neuro-atypical young people such as those with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and complex multiple diagnoses (ODD, ADHD, ASD) using brain-based strategies and approaches.

Dr Rebecca Frost

Director
Clinical Psychologist
Provider Number: 4842583H

Couples therapy
Parenting Support
Personality disorders
Sexual Dysfunction
Anxiety in adults and children
Child behaviour issues
Pre and post-natal concerns
Giftedness in children

Rebecca has experience helping individuals and families with a range of problems. She believes in supporting strong relationships of all types, including couples as well as parents and their children. Rebecca has recently completed her PhD, researching the distress couples experience as a result of sexual desire problems and has an interest in helping people with a variety of sexual dysfunctions and disorders.

Dr Aaron Frost

Director
Clinical Psychologist
Provider Number: 2818133A

Clinical supervision
Consultancy
Career mentoring
Trauma
Sexual dysfunction
Behavioural problems in children
Personality disorders
Early psychosis

Aaron is a Clinical Psychologist and Director of Benchmark Psychology. He has worked in both research and clinical settings, where he has developed expertise in a range of different presenting problems. Aaron is also a STAP accredited supervisor and has been a supervisor for both Griffith and the University of Queensland.