Senior Counsellor and Mental Health Occupational Therapist
B.Sc. (Hons) Occupational Therapy
Endorsed Mental Health Practitioner
AHPRA OCC0002166799
Child, Teen and Parent Counselling
Mel supports children and teenagers who are finding emotions, behaviour, anxiety, sensory experiences, relationships or everyday demands difficult to manage.
Her occupational therapy background helps her consider the whole picture, including your child's development, environment, routines, relationships and the way they experience the world. Parents are included so that support can make sense beyond the therapy room and within everyday family life.
The aim is not simply to manage difficult moments, but to help your child and family feel more understood, connected and equipped for what comes next.
Mel's Clinical Focus
Families often reach out to Mel when a child becomes overwhelmed quickly or has difficulty recovering after strong emotions, when anxiety, worry or stress is affecting school, friendships, family life or confidence, or when a child's behaviour feels difficult to understand and the strategies tried so far are no longer helping.
This can include ADHD, autism, AuDHD or sensory differences affecting everyday participation, emotional wellbeing or relationships, a teenager navigating identity, social pressure, academic expectations or family change, or communication that has become strained with family members caught in repeated conflict. Support always includes you as a parent, rather than expecting your child to create change alone.
Mel works in a calm, curious and non-judgemental way. She takes time to understand what could be contributing to the difficulty before deciding what support could be useful.
Support that considers ADHD, autism, AuDHD, sensory processing, emotional regulation, social experiences and the pressure of navigating tricky environments.
Support for behavioural difficulties, school stress and school refusal, understanding what could be contributing before deciding what might help.
Support for anxiety, depression and stress affecting everyday life, confidence and family relationships.
Support building self-confidence and navigating friendship difficulties.
Support for parent and child conflict, sibling conflict, and adjusting to separation within the family.
Support adjusting to chronic illness or other significant life changes.
Support processing grief and loss.
Getting Started
The first appointment is parent-only. This gives you space to explain what has been happening, share relevant family and developmental information and discuss what you hope will change.
Mel will then usually begin meeting directly with your child. Parent reviews are generally arranged after every four child appointments to discuss progress, respond to new information and consider what could help at home.
At times, Mel can recommend a joint parent-and-child session. She will discuss this with you before arranging it.
Teenagers can often attend counselling independently. Mel works in a family-inclusive way and will discuss what level of parent involvement is appropriate while respecting the young person's privacy and therapeutic relationship.
Parents can still be invited to participate when this is clinically helpful, with the purpose and boundaries discussed beforehand.
Credentials and Approaches
Clinical focus
Fees and Appointments
Who Mel works with
Children (5+ years), adolescents, young adults, parents and families.
Before You Book
For a younger child, choose Initial Parent Appointment. For a teenager, choose Teen Counselling. Existing clients should select the follow-up appointment Mel has recommended.
The first appointment for a child aged 13 and under is usually parent-only. This allows Mel to understand what has been happening before deciding on the most suitable next step.
Yes, and it happens often. One counsellor can work with a parent while another works with a child, or two children can each have their own counsellor. When more than one of our counsellors is involved, one of them holds the role of lead counsellor. They keep the overall picture of what your family is working towards, so the support stays joined up rather than running in separate directions. Families tell us it helps to know who that person is.
Eligible clients can claim a Medicare rebate when a valid referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan are in place. A referral is not required for private-fee appointments.
Mel's occupational therapy background informs her counselling approach, but she does not provide occupational therapy assessments or reports at Discovery Family Therapy.
Self-managed and plan-managed participants can use eligible NDIS funding. Discovery Family Therapy is not a registered NDIS provider.
A Little More About Mel
I have led child advocacy initiatives and developed mental health programs for children living with chronic illness. Returning to university at 35 to complete my Bachelor of Science with Honours in Occupational Therapy, after relocating internationally with a young family, is also one of my proudest achievements.
My work combines genuine understanding with practical direction. I consider the individual child, their relationships and the environments around them before building a plan with the family.
I regularly attend adult ballet classes at the WA Ballet. I started purely for the joy of it and stayed because movement and rhythm help me reset.
Book With Mel
For a younger child, select Initial Parent Appointment. For a teenager, select Teen Counselling. Existing clients can choose the follow-up appointment Mel has recommended.
Available in South Perth and online across Australia.
