Victoria (Vic)

Caroline Anderson

Psychologist

As a former Olympian Caroline Anderson has unique insight into elite performance which she combines with her psychological understanding and professional experience.

Caroline is a registered psychologist and brings almost 20 years of experience working in a range of settings including sporting organisations, hospitals and private practice and is the director of Performance Edge Psychology, a high performance and wellbeing psychology clinic based in North Balwyn, Melbourne.  Caroline is the Performance Psychologist at the Victorian Institute of Sport (Diving, Cycling, ISPs) and has also worked as a senior consultant to the AIS Gold Medal Ready program and Mental Performance in Competition program. She contracts to The Australian Crickets Association and The AFL Players Association. Caroline has been a part of the AIS Mental Health Referral Network since it commenced in 2019.

Caroline is passionate about working with athletes at all levels by supporting and helping them to achieve their best both on and off the sporting arena.  She does this using current evidence based techniques and neuroscientific principles. Her specific areas of interest in therapy includes high performance/elite mindsets, performance anxiety, the assessment and treatment of depression and anxiety, relationship issues, sleep difficulties, trauma, burn out and stress.  She uses a variety of approaches including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Schema Therapy. She is warm and compassionate and always aims to be authentic and down to earth in her work.

Caitlyn MacKenzie

Psychologist

Caitlyn enjoys learning about and sharing her knowledge of the incredible power of the human mind.

Through her humour and down to earth attitude, she works with clients to help guide and empower them in navigating their own lives. She is a clinical psychologist who often draws upon techniques from ACT, Mindfulness, CBT, Narrative therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.

Caitlyn has an interest in working with eating disorders, anxiety, depression and general mental health and wellbeing, especially with young adults and athletes. Having being actively involved at a state level with both basketball (BigV) and football (VFLW), Caitlyn is a big believer that it is just as important to train our brain in strength and flexibility as we so often do with our bodies.

Elise Den

Dietitian

Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with a strong passion for supporting those with eating disorders.

Elise is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and ANZAED Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician (CEDC-D) who is committed to providing evidence-based, collaborative, nurturing and client-centred care to support her clients with eating disorders, disordered eating and body image concerns.

Elise has extensive experience working in eating disorder units in both public and private hospitals across Victoria and also co-founded her own private practice, OnCore Nutrition, where she provides a safe space to discuss beliefs, emotions and relationships around food and body. She is trained in ACT, FBT, DBT, CBT and MI and provides clinical supervision in the area of eating disorders.

Elise is particularly passionate about supporting elite and former athletes to challenge stereotypes and disordered eating behaviours, whilst optimising performance, mental health and physical well-being. Elise believes that full recovery is possible and through her insightful and compassionate counselling skills, she supports her clients to build and nurture a positive relationship with food and their body, both on and off the sporting field.

She has years of experience managing a range of different chronic diseases and practises from a Health at Every Size® (HAES®) lens to deliver evidence-based medical nutrition therapy.

Emma Steer

Psychologist

Clinical Psychologist dedicated to supporting young athletes in achieving optimal performance and positive mental health.

A highly skilled and experienced Clinical and Educational & Developmental Psychologist, Emma works with both amateur and professional athletes dealing with a range of mental health and performance-based issues. Emma works in private practice at Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre in Melbourne and heads the psychology services of one of Australia’s most well-regarded private girls’ schools.

Emma is an accredited Mental Health First Aid trainer and contributes as a facilitator to the AFL’s ‘Tackle Your Feelings’ program. A regular presenter on mental health related issues in children, adolescents and athletes, she has also completed an international study into the flourishing of adolescents and young people. Emma is a keen long distance runner and former triathlete.

Emma implements practical, evidence based psychological treatment approaches and strategies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Positive Psychology and general psych-education. Emma has specific expertise in dealing with athletes presenting with anxiety, depression and eating disorders. Emma also works with athletes to develop optimal performance, self-confidence, resilience and general self-efficacy. Other areas of Emma’s expertise include;

• Clinical management of mental health issues
• Learning and developmental disorders
• Pain management related to illness or injury
• Building positive relationships
• Development of social and emotional competencies Social media & cyber safety

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t - you’re right”

Henry Ford

Daniel Dymond

Psychologist

Helping athletes navigate their way through the unique environment of high performance. From Struggling to Flourishing - Daniel will work closely with you to achieve the outcomes you want.

Daniel is committed to assisting athletes fulfil their potential through cultivating a performance mindset that stands up to the rigours of elite sport.

Daniel works in mental health and performance every day and understands the pressures and opportunities that occur in these intense, unique environments.

Daniel combines up-to-date neuroscience and psychology with performance strategies used by the most successful athletes and coaches and delivers this in an energetic, creative, and easily digestible way.

Some of Daniel's success with his clients have included: Olympic qualifications, World Championship medals, WTA tour titles, world records, national titles, and executive/high performance job attainment.

Daniel received both his honours in psychology and postgraduate Masters in Applied Psychology (sport) from the University of Queensland, Australia. He also holds an honours degree in Sport Science from Exeter in the UK.

Daniel is currently the director of The Performance and Sport Psychology Clinic and works for Adelaide Crows in AFL. He is the Golf Australia psychologist for Victoria and SA. He consults to elite tennis players, Olympians, pro boxers, and medical professionals.

Life is a game of incomplete information. The brain doesn’t like that very much - to learn how your brain deals with this, and work on how best to respond, is key to flourishing. This MHRN network is a great way to support athletes in their quests.

Jacquie Harris

Psychologist

Jacquie joined the MHRN as a Psychologist with a background assisting a diverse population (veterans, Indigenous Australians, first responders, childhood sexual abuse victim/ survivors) across several states, with issues including:

• mood disorders
• anxiety disorders (including OCD)
• transition/adjustment concerns (eg, injury, deployment, retirement)
• post-traumatic stress disorder

In her private practice in Thornbury, she is also expanding to the following presentations:

• disordered eating and body image disturbances
• sleep concerns
• chronic pain
• disability and health adjustment concerns

Jacquie utilizes a variety of approaches (EMDR, Schema Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, CBT, DBT-skills), working collaboratively with individuals to address the issues they bring to the therapy space.

She is available both via telehealth and face to face for appointments, with a wheelchair-accessible premises.

John Ruecroft

Psychologist

I am an experienced clinical psychologist with a compassionate and collaborative approach, and I provide a safe and non-judgemental space for people to confidently discuss their most personal matters.

Drawing on evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Schema Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), and Mindfulness practices, I take a holistic approach to consider the various elements of people’s individual circumstances.

Integrating many years of personal experience using mindfulness practices with my clinical experience and expertise, I work with people to develop self-awareness and self-acceptance, to assist them in both discovering and living in alignment with their truest values, and improving their wellbeing and quality of life.

I have experience in various psychology settings in both the Private and Public sectors, including University Counselling and Psychological Services, Inpatient and Outpatient Clinical Mental Health, Forensic settings, Alcohol and Other Drugs, and Private Practice.

Justin Trounson

Psychologist

Justin is an Indigenous clinical psychologist and Director of his own private practice in Melbourne. He also works as the Community and Wellbeing Psychologist for the Richmond Football Club which supports the Korin Gamadji Institute and Bachar Houli Foundation. He completed his PhD (Clinical Psychology) degree at Swinburne University and has worked as an academic, researcher and clinician in both private and community mental health spaces.

Justin works with a wide range of clients and has experience working with First Nations peoples, people from diverse cultural backgrounds and LGBTIQA+ communities among many others. He uses a broad range of approaches dependent on the unique needs of his clients including CBT, ACT, Schema Therapy and Narrative Therapy. He has helped people experiencing depression, anxiety, OCD, substance issues, gambling issues, PSTD, relationship issues, trauma and chronic pain. He has also helped people in relation to working in high performance spaces, maintaining performance and managing stress or pressure

Justin has been a consultant psychologist and worked with Richmond Football Club, Melbourne Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club, the AFLPA, AFLCA and he has assisted Tackle Your Feelings with redesigning their program to ensure cultural appropriateness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. He has also spent time working within the Justice system within both juvenile and adult correctional settings. He is currently an adjunct research fellow at Swinburne University where he has worked as an academic for many years, a member of the APS and an endorsed clinical supervisor.

His interests include:

• High performance in sport
• Anxiety and depression
• Trauma recovery
• Resilience
• Working with clients from diverse backgrounds

Katie Wood

Psychologist

Katie is a clinical psychologist with over 20 years experience working in private practice as well as other mental health settings.

She works with individuals, couples, and families using a range of evidence-based approaches with the goal to support mental health and wellbeing, personal growth, and healthy relationships.

Katie has been a consultant psychologist for the Bendigo Academy of Sport, and is an accredited Tackle Your Feelings Psychologist. She is an Associate Professor in Psychology at Swinburne University where she works part time. Katie is a member of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, and an endorsed clinical supervisor. Her interests include:

• High performance in sport
• Twin psychology
• Child and adolescent mental health
• Anxiety and depression
• Trauma recovery
• Resilience.

Rachelle Porter

Psychologist

Rachelle Porter is a Clinical Psychologist with more than 15 years of experience working in mental health within the private and public sector.

Rachelle has worked in an inpatient unit, community mental health services, mental health worker in a jail, and now works in private practice in Melbourne.

Rachelle works from a trauma informed framework, providing a nurturing environment to explore and work through difficult issues, assisting clients to enhance wellbeing and optimise functioning. She draws from a variety of psychological models in her work with adolescents and adults, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Mindfulness, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Systemic, and Sensory Motor Psychotherapy.

Areas of interest include:

• anxiety
• mood disorders
• stress management and coping
• self-esteem issues
• trauma
• relaxation
• relationship issues

Rachelle has worked with the Mental Health Referral Network since it's inception in 2019.

Ranjit Menon

Psychiatrist

One of the leading sports psychiatrists in Australia with extensive involvement across a variety of sporting organisations.

Dr Menon is a consultant psychiatrist specialising in mood and anxiety disorders. He has an Advanced Certificate in Consultation Liaison Psychiatry and is also a leading sports psychiatrist. He is the current Chief Psychiatrist of the AFL and  the Director of Mentalogue Clinic, which specialises in the care of athletes and other patients with mood and anxiety disorders. He is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at University of Melbourne and an Adjunct Research Fellow at Monash University. He is also the Secretary of the Executive Board of the International Society for Sports Psychiatry.

Dr Menon has worked and researched extensively with mood and anxiety disorders and has published several peer reviewed publications. He has a keen interest in improving the care of patients suffering from mood and anxiety disorders as well as reducing their morbidity. He has been closely involved in the care of elite athletes associated with AFL, AFLW, Cricket Australia and AIS.

Tony Glynn

Psychologist

Performance and Clinical Psychologist based in Melbourne.

Tony has been undertaking both performance and clinical psychology roles for 20 years since completing Masters degrees in Sport and Exercise Psychology and Clinical Psychology.

He has worked with professional sporting organisations and teams such as the Geelong Football Club, Tennis Australia, the Melbourne Vixen’s, Sailing Victoria, and the Victorian Men’s and Women’s Cricket Teams. In addition to his work with professional sporting organisations he consults with a range of athletes at the senior, and development levels for Olympic sports. Tony has also worked specifically as a Clinical Psychologist in mental health services in Australia and the UK. This experience has extended to children, adolescents and adults, and he currently works part time at The Royal Children’s Hospital as a Senior Clinical Psychologist.

The AIS is leading the way to provide athletes easy access to a group of professionals offering expertise in mental health and wellbeing. Providing the option for athletes to meet with a Psychologist in a safe, confidential way independent of their sport is an amazing initiative, and one that is proving to be hugely beneficial for Australian sport.