Important Notice Regarding COVID-19
Before your appointment, please read about our COVID-19 precautions.
Unfortunately we are currently unable to accept new clients as our practice is at full capacity.
Francesca Carpenter
Psychologist, Practice Director
B Soc Sci (Hons), BA (Washington, USA)
Francesca Carpenter graduated from the University of Washington (Seattle Washington, USA) with a 4-year Bachelor's degree majoring in Psychology. She then went on to study at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW and received a First Class Honours in Social Sciences.
Francesca is the Director of Excel Psychology. She is a registered Psychologist with about 10 years experience in providing psychological therapy. Before moving to Brisbane in 2013, she lived and worked in the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland for 25 years. Francesca has experience working with people of all ages with a variety of issues. She has general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia, full membership with Australian Psychological Society (MAPS).
Often people feel an initial reluctance to consult a Psychologist. Francesca is committed to helping clients feel at ease so they can talk freely about the issues in their lives. Once the issues are discussed, it is much easier to begin to change how we see the problem or to develop new strategies for coping and change. Francesca approaches every situation with care and compassion. She listens with a view to understand the situation and offer strategies that are tailored to the individual and situation. Francesca is committed to providing effective therapy that supports clients to grow and improve their skills.
Francesca provides therapy to children, adolescents, adults and elderly people. She works with people across a variety of issues such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Stress
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- Coping strategies
- Anger Management
- Assertiveness
- Insomnia/Difficulty with Sleep
- Relationship Issues
- Workplace bullying
- LGBTI Issues
- Domestic Violence
- Childhood abuse
- Sexual assault
- Self-esteem
- Grief and loss
- Coping with serious health issues
- Panic attacks
- Coping with infertility
Antonia Alessi
Psychologist
Antonia is a Registered Psychologist with a Masters of Professional Psychology. She is known for her approachable, caring, and kind demeanour. She has a passion for understanding individual concerns and experiences. Antonia aims to support individuals not only to survive challenging life experiences, but to thrive and to move forwards towards achieving their goals. Antonia enjoys working with people of all ages and stages including children, adolescents and adults. Antonia has knowledge and skills to support people living with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, social difficulties, learning difficulties, low self-esteem, low confidence, worry, stress and more. Before moving into private practice, she worked within government and non-government systems including the unemployment and disability sectors, as well as learning environments with children.
Antonia prefers to apply a Person-centred, Strengths-based approach in tailoring services to the person’s unique preferences, strengths and needs. She enjoys using a variety of evidence-based therapeutic models including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Creative therapies such as art and music, as well as Let’s Talk Intervention for parents with a mental illness, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-focused therapy. Antonia is a member of the Australian Psychological Society.
Bridget Bowe
Bridget is a psychologist who holds full registration with AHPRA and is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society. Her approach is empathetic, calm and client-centred. Bridget has experience working with a variety of issues including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychosis, personality disorders, trauma, grief & loss and relationship difficulties. She has worked in diverse settings, across both the private and public mental health sector, and also had an established former career in child welfare and parenting services.
Bridget draws on a range of therapeutic approaches in her work, including cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), schema therapy, mindful self-compassion, and positive psychology.
Bridget believes in taking time to build a trusting, collaborative relationship and is of the perspective that therapeutic change comes from developing insight into how past and present experiences contribute to problematic behaviours and relationship patterns.
Bridget has a special interest in
- relationship and attachment difficulties,
- complex trauma,
- psychosis and
- perinatal mental health.
Bridget is also interested in research issues around recovery models of care, which emphasize resilience and agency and aim to empower individuals to create and live meaningful and contributing lives.
Bobbi Dobson-Patterson
Clinical Psychologist
Bobbi Dobson-Patterson is a Clinical Psychologist with 20 years’ experience in the public and private sectors, working with people experiencing difficulties with adult AD/HD and related issues, chronic pain and illnesses, addictions, mood disorders, grief and loss, trauma, relationship difficulties, and adjustment difficulties.
Her training and background are in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Interpersonal Psychotherapy.
She uses a lifespan development approach, taking care to view her clients’ problems within the context of their age and stage, as well as their unique situation.
Dr Lauren Roche
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)
Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours I)
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology / Master of Science
Lauren is an endorsed Clinical Psychologist, with a special interest in adults and older adults adjusting to changes in health and loss.
Lauren has a background in the application of psychological therapy to persons experiencing medical illness and mental ill health. Lauren has worked in hospital settings and in private practice, providing therapy to adults under Medicare or who access their Employee Assistance Program. In addition to working at Excel Psychology, Lauren currently works within a public hospital psychiatric setting for adults and older adults who experience chronic mental illness.
Lauren is available for psychological therapy for persons over the age of 18. Lauren has experience working with persons with low and elevated moods, anxiety, stress, traumatic experiences, relationship difficulties, self-esteem, adjustment to sudden life changes, grief, losses and adjustment to changes in physical health.
Lauren has a gentle and empathic stance and is informed by psychodynamic principles. She applies cognitive-behavioural, acceptance and commitment, mindfulness-based, schema and dialectical-behaviour therapies. Approaches are guided according to patient preference and a collaborative exploration of the role of personality and past experiences on current circumstances. In particular, Lauren aims to identify the presence of repetitive, maladaptive patterns from the past and explores the possibility of new and more effective ways of being. Her primary aim is to ultimately address personal meaning and purpose in order to improve mental wellbeing.
Dianne Wheare
Dianne is a General Psychologist, fully registered with the Psychological Board of Australia (AHPRA). She has 18 years' experience working in the public and community sectors across diverse fields. She is passionate about the interactions of physical and mental health and the ways in which psychology can incorporate a holistic approach to overall health and mental well-being.
Dianne offers a warm, compassionate approach to psychological counselling. She adopts evidence based therapies, including cognitive behaviour therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and schema focused approaches to assist you in maximising your quality of life.
Dianne has experience working with children, adolescents and adults from diverse backgrounds who are encountering problems with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. She is also experienced in addressing stress management, parenting difficulties, grief/loss and adjustment difficulties to life's events and changes. Dianne has a special interest in perinatal depression and anxiety and recently completed her post graduate certificate in this area.
Melanie Cormack
Psychologist
Melanie's passion and purpose is to help you effectively address and resolve mental health conditions of a traumatic nature that are chronic and debilitating in your life. Earlier events in our life tend to have an effect on our current thoughts, feelings and behaviours and often play out in our relationships with others and how we interact with our world. Even small emotional events within our childhoods repeated enough times can have a cumulative impact on us affecting our beliefs about our self, the world and relationships. With this in mind Melanie will work with you to explore the origins and development of current emotional and or behavioural problems. With a clear plan developed together she will use Schema Therapy and EMDR (other therapies may be incorporated as needed) to help you address, resolve and change patterns that are currently affecting your ability to live your best life.
For information on how EMDR can help please visit the EMDRAA website.
For information on Schema Therapy visit this website.
Schema therapy and EMDR can help resolve:
Chronic emotional problems
- Depression / Mood swings
- Anxiety / mood disorders
- Difficulties controlling Anger/Rage
- Uncontrollable Anxiety/Panic attacks
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Difficulties with relaxing/sleeping
- Addictive / self-destructive behaviours
- Phobias
- Emotional eating / weight issues
- Self-image problems
- Constant feelings of worthlessness/helplessness
Early life Trauma
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Verbal criticism/abuse
- Witnessing parental conflict
- Witnessing abuse toward parent/sibling
- Living with parent with physical/mental illness
- Living with cold/distant/neglectful parents
- Bullying in school or home
Recent Trauma
- Spousal abuse
- Vehicle accidents
- Workplace bullying
- Sudden termination/loss of employment
- Debilitating personal/workplace injury
- Victim of crime
- Sexual harassment/stalking
Andrea Crane
Master of Psychology (Educational & Developmental)
Andrea Crane is a Psychologist, with Master of Education and Developmental Psychology. She worked for many years with disabled children and others with learning difficulties in school settings. In recent years she has focused her practice on adults with depression, anxiety, complex mental illness and special needs (chronic illness and chronic pain). Andrea is bilingual, Spanish being her native language.
Tegan Mallett
Bachelor of Psychology
Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology
Tegan is a Registered Psychologist with skills in working with adults, adolescents and children and has growing interests in supporting people living with a variety of issues. She has a kind, caring and compassionate approach to health and healing and is passionate about understanding individual perspectives. Tegan has worked in a range of government and non-government agencies before moving into private practice over a year ago. She has knowledge and skills in Child and youth mental health, parenting, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, social difficulties, and more general complaints like worry and stress.
Tegan aims to teach people how to handle challenging moments in life and get connected with what you want, and need, to live a rich and meaningful life. She has trained in a variety of therapeutic models including Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Tegan is also trained in Circle of Security (COS), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Family Therapy and Strengths-based approach. Tegan is an Associate member of the Australian Psychological Society.
Charlotte O'Donnell
Clinical Psychologist
Charlotte is a Brisbane based Clinical Psychologist who holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and has been registered with the Psychology Board of Australia since 2004. Charlotte works with adults and has a broad range of clinical experience in public and private mental health settings including
- EAP services with The Mater Hospital & Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) and several large private corporate organisations
- clinical services in Primary Care settings,
- Sexual Health and HIV Psychology Service (Qld Health),
- University Clinics and Lifeline face-to-face counselling services.
Charlotte has experience in helping individuals with a broad range of clinical issues including
- mood and anxiety disorders,
- trauma reactions,
- sleep problems,
- stress,
- grief and loss,
- mid-life transition issues,
- parenting advice,
- adjustment difficulties,
- low self-esteem,
- relationship distress,
- interpersonal problems,
- LGBTI and gender variance issues.
Charlotte draws on evidence based treatments such as Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness-based therapies and Schema-focused cognitive therapies. She has a warm and compassionate approach to working with clients and strives to harness each person’s strengths to help achieve lasting change.
Memberships
- Australian Psychological Society (APS)
- APS College of Clinical Psychologists
Important Note
Charlotte does NOT do medico-legal, Centrelink (including NDIS), immigration, injury or compensation reports.
David Norman
Clinical Psychologist
David Norman is a Clinical Psychologist who uses a warm and approachable style to help with a range of issues including: depression, anxiety, interpersonal difficulties, self-esteem issues, life transitions, anger, and grief and loss. He has had training and experience in a variety of evidence-based treatments and sees clients from ages 17 and over.
David is particularly interested in working with people who feel that they have become disconnected from a more meaningful, fulfilled, and authentic sense of themselves. He works empathically and collaboratively with individuals so that they can understand and experience themselves and others in a way that helps bring a greater sense of meaning, awareness, connection, and tranquillity to their lives.
David uses an integrative treatment style, utilising therapeutic strategies where appropriate, such as acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, schema-focused therapy, interpersonal therapy, and emotion-focused therapy. He is a member of the Australian Psychological Society.
Michelle Galati
Michelle Galati is a Registered Psychologist who is passionate about working with individuals to improve the quality of their lives. Michelle approaches therapy in a collaborative manner to address important issues that allow clients to reach their full potential and to create a rich, full and meaningful life.
She creates a safe, professional, warm and comfortable atmosphere to help people grow and reconnect with themselves to live more confidently and joyfully. She strives to approach each individual in a non-judgmental and open-minded way in talking about any life situations people may be going through. She is ethical and competent in her work practices using various therapies to assist with a multitude of life issues.
She draws on life experience, evidence based approaches, and years of experience working with a diverse range of individuals to assist with a variety of mental health and life issues.
Michelle uses ACT, CBT, DBT, Schema Based Interventions, Positive Psychology approaches, Gottman Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy (for couples) and Interpersonal Therapy, to assist with:
- Suicide prevention
- Trauma Informed Interventions
- LGBTIQ+ issues
- Anger Management
- Anxiety Disorders and issues
- Personality and Mood disorders
- Depression and depressive disorders
- Addictions
- Life Transitions
- Stress & Burnout
- Self-esteem
- Phobias
- Panic attacks
- Bullying
- Motivation issues
- Communications skills
- Relationship issues
Felix Frain
Felix Frain,
Practice Manager
Fortitude Valley
Spring Hill
Excel Psychology
© 2019 Excel Psychology