Meet the Team

Dr Catherine Matthews 

Senior Clinical Psychologist & Director
DPsych (Clin), BSc (Hons), MAPS, Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists

​Catherine is the Senior Psychologist and Director at Southern Child & Family Psychology. As a registered clinical psychologist with 20 years' experience working in child and family psychology, Catherine has worked in a range of clinical settings, including the Royal Children's Hospital, Monash Health Early in Life Mental Health Service, The Melbourne Clinic, and private practice.

Catherine is passionate about providing evidence-based treatment to young people and their families, working in a collaborative way to develop a shared understanding about what may be helpful. Catherine believes in the importance of a whole-family, whole-system approach, and provides parent work, family sessions, and school consultations, in addition to individual therapy, where appropriate. 

Catherine works with a broad range of presentations in young people aged 0-18 years, with a special interest in anxiety disorders (including OCD & separation anxiety), trauma, elimination disorders (enuresis and encopresis), attachment disorders and relational difficulties, and Neurodiversity (autism, ADHD, learning disabilities).

Catherine is also a board approved supervisor and has experience in providing professional supervision to both training and registered psychologists, as well as to training child psychiatrists, child psychotherapists, and allied health professionals.  

Catherine has lectured for Monash University's Doctor of Psychology program and Mindful's Developmental Psychiatry Course, and has consulted to Child Protection Services, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, and a number of non-government organisations.  

Catherine consults on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

To make an appointment, please call 9069 3199, or send an email via the link below. ​

Dr Megan Clark 

Psychologist, Clinical Psychology Registrar 
BAPsych/Physiology(hons), PhD (Psychology and Public Health), MPsych (Clin), Assoc MAPS
 
Meg is a Psychologist and Clinical Psychology Registrar.  She has a special interest in working with children, adolescents, and parents across a wide range of psychological difficulties including anxiety, depression, and neurodiversity.  Meg has over 10-years’ experience conducting developmental and diagnostic assessments with neurodiverse pre-school and primary school children. Meg believes in creating a safe and supportive space that allows clients to work through their challenges, empowering them to make positive change. Evidence-based therapeutic techniques are tailored to the clients’ individual needs and draw from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness based approaches. Meg is also passionate about working closely with parents to support the broader family unit.

Meg currently works Thursdays.​

​To make an appointment, please call 9069 3199, or send an email via the link below.

Lauren Kalisch

Psychologist, Clinical Psychology Registrar 
BSc (hons), Assoc MAPS 

Lauren is a psychologist and Clinical Psychology Registrar who has recently submitted her PhD in Clinical Psychology. Lauren has worked in the parent-infant, child and adolescent mental health sector for over 10 years, providing psychological support for anxiety, depression, parent-child relational difficulties and behavioural challenges. Lauren seeks to help children build resilience, regulate their emotions, and develop their own sense of self. She is passionate about supporting neurodivergent children through approaches that embrace and affirm neurodiversity, and values the opportunity to work with children who have experienced hardship. While Lauren draws upon evidence-based techniques including cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, play therapy and attachment-based therapies, her therapeutic approach is equally guided by each child’s needs, interests and strengths.
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Lauren currently works Tuesday-Friday.
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To make an appointment, please call 9069 3199, or send an email via the link below.
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Dr Michelle Lindsay-Dawe 

Clinical Neuropsychologist
DPsych (Clin Neuro), BSc (Behavioural), Post Grade Dip (Psych), MAPS, Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists

​Michelle is a Clinical Neuropsychologist with over 10 years experience in the assessment of children, adolescents and young adults. She has worked in a variety of hospital settings, including Acute Rehabilitation Units, The Royal Children’s Hospital Learning Difficulties Centre and The Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service.  Michelle has also worked in Acute Paediatric Inpatient Units and the Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry Team at Monash Early in Life Mental Health Service.

Neuropsychologists specialise in assessing a young person’s thinking skills and learning.  They have an in depth understanding of brain structure, function and dysfunction, and the effects multiple factors have on cognitive, behavioural and emotional functioning.  

Michelle has experience in the areas of:
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ADHD, Intellectual Disability, Learning Disorders, Autism)
  • Brain Injury (including mild TBI / Concussion)
  • Neurological Conditions (ADEM, Epilepsy, Encephalitis, Stroke)
  • Endocrine Disorders (such as Diabetes) 
  • Effects of Drug and Alcohol use 
  • Psychiatric Disorders including psychosis  
  • Trauma 

Michelle offers tailored cognitive assessments for young people aged 3 – 18 years. Assessments range from a basic cognitive (IQ) assessment to a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment covering multiple areas such as IQ, academic functioning, memory and attention. Assessments may be either diagnostic, to identify strengths and weaknesses, or to provide a baseline or track changes over time.

Michelle has a passion for helping young people and their families better understand the impact of cognitive difficulties and how to best utilise cognitive strengths.

To make a neuropsychology appointment, please send an email via the link below.  
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Dr Martin Tuszynski

Paediatrician
 
Dr Martin Tuszynski is a Paediatrician with wide-ranging expertise in child health, growth, development and behaviour.  Martin works in General Paediatrics and Paediatric Emergency at Monash Children’s Hospital, Clayton.  Martin's main private consulting rooms are located in Moorabbin, but he works closely with the Southern Child and Family Psychology team.  For more information, go to moorabbinpaediatrics.com. You can also make a paediatrician appointment online via the link below.

Dr James Meyer-Grieve

Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist 
MBBS MPM FRANZCP (Certificate Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
 
Dr James Meyer-Grieve is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist with specialist experience in child neuropsychiatry, behavioural disorders, and psychotherapy.  His psychotherapeutic experience extends from anxiety and mood disorders to more complex presentations of social/emotional difficulties.  He has worked for over 20 years in public psychiatry, and took the clinical lead for the development of Monash Children’s Endeavour Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry team and The Oasis Child Neuropsychiatry Inpatient Unit.  He is an Adjunct Lecturer at Monash University, and provides State-Wide training for the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders through Melbourne University’s Mindful program. 

To make a psychiatrist appointment, please send an email via the link below. 

Esther Harris

Administrative Manager
BA (Hons), PGDip (Modern Languages)
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Esther has worked in administration for many years in various settings, including a
kindergarten, an accountant’s practice, a vet surgery and allied health. Before coming to
Australia from England in 2004, Esther lived in Germany and Russia. She is fluent in
German and speaks conversational French. Esther manages reception as well as the operational functions of the practice.  Esther is often your first point of contact with Southern Child and Family Psychology, and she will help you in any way she can.
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