2025 Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy Conference Australia Lineup
OUR KEYNOTE & INVITED SPEAKERS
OUR KEYNOTE & INVITED SPEAKERS
Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro (she/her/hers)
Keynote Presentation on the Importance of Early Identification and Neuroaffirming Care
Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro is a Principal Research Fellow and Neurodiversity Affirming Psychologist at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University. She is co-founder of Australia's first 'Early Assessment Clinic' for autism, focusing on children under 3 years old. A/Prof Barbaro is a Sir Robert Menzies Scholar, past President of the Menzies Foundation Alumni, and Vice President of the Australian Society for Autism Research (ASfAR). She has won numerous awards for her work, including Best Translation of Autism Research by the Autism Cooperative Research Centre (2015 & 2016), the Business Higher Education Round Table Award for Outstanding Collaboration for National Benefit, Public Health (2019), and Autism Spectrum Australia's ARCAP Research to Practice Award (2022).
Dr Jamie + Marich (USA - she/they/we)
Keynote Presentation on Dissociation & Plurality as Neurodivergence
Dr. Jamie Marich (she/they/we) is a clinician, educator, and author with lived experience of a dissociative disorder. Founder of the Institute for Creative Mindfulness, Jamie specializes in trauma, EMDR therapy, expressive arts, mindfulness, and yoga.
They have authored multiple books, including Dissociation Made Simple and Trauma and the 12 Steps. Recognized for advocacy in mental health and LGBTQ+ issues, Jamie received the EMDRIA Advocacy Award (2019) and the NALGAP President’s Award (2015). Their personal story of living with a dissociative disorder was featured in The Huffington Post in 2023 and they are regarded as an interntional expert in the fields of dissociation, trauma, and EMDR therapy.
Sonny Jane Wise (The Lived Experience Educator - they/them)
Keynote Presentation on We’re All Neurodiverse: Innovations in the Paradigm
As an internationally recognised public speaker, author and advocate, Sonny is a leading voice on neurodiversity. Sonny wrote the first neurodiversity affirming DBT workbook which has sold over 70,000 copies worldwide and wrote the eye-opening book, We're All Neurodiverse. Both their talks and online work have contributed to organisations, mental health services and allied health services challenging neuronormativity and adopting a neurodiversity affirming framework around Australia and the world.
Katy Higgins Lee (USA-Virtual - she/her)
Understanding Giftedness and Twice Exceptionality: From Everyday Experiences to the Therapy Room
Katy Higgins Lee is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist in Northern California, USA who works with neurodivergent adults and couples, with a focus on Giftedness, Autism, and ADHD.
She provides Clinical Supervision, Consultation, and Continuing Education courses for therapists along with psychoeducation through social media and other speaking engagements. Katy is also a homeschooling/unschooling parent, writer, and gardener.
Marie Camin (she/her)
Barriers to Autistic Identification: Masking, Internalised Presentations and Clinician Related Factors
Marie Camin (she/her) is a Clinical Psychologist & Board Approved Supervisor dedicated to supporting and empowering the Autistic community through neurodiversity affirming clinical practice, supervision, advocacy, and research.In her clinical work, Marie identifies and supports Autistic clients at various stages of the lifespan. She has a particular interest in autism assessment, stress/wellbeing, Autistic burnout, giftedness, trauma, and avoidant/restrictive food intake (ARFID).
Marie has presented research on Autistic adults at the Australasian Society for Autism Research (ASfAR) and International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) conferences. She is a founding committee member of the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) AutVisory Group; established in 2022 to connect autism researchers with a diverse, representative group of Autistic community members to co-produce research.
Monique Mitchelson (she/her)
Understanding the Interplay of Neurodivergence and Physical Health Conditions: The Impact of Minority Stress and Trauma
Monique is an Autistic and ADHD Clinical Psychologist working in private practice, consulting, training and media. Monique has consulted on the National Autism Strategy and is Co-Director of Divergent Futures which offers Neurodiversity Affirming training for mental health professionals.
Monique co-hosts The Neurodivergent Woman Podcast, an Australian podcast with 1.5 million downloads that centres and showcases neurodivergent women from all walks as life. Together with Clinical Neuropsychologist Dr Michelle Livock, they combine clinical expertise with lived experience, aiming to provide free quality psychological information, whilst centring the voices of AFAB neurodivergent individuals.
Monique also has teamed up with Jennifer Kemp to co-author "The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD” by New Harbinger which features a foreword by Sonny Jane Wise and has become a #1 bestseller on Amazon in the Autism category.
Sandhya Menon (she/her)
Lateral Inclusion: Why Representation and Culture is Important: Implications for the Therapy Room and Beyond
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Expert Panellist: Paediatric Practice, Disability, & Learning Differences
Sandhya Menon is an AuDHD Developmental Psychologist and Author of beloved books The Brain Forest, The Rainbow Brain and her new upcoming book, My Body's Power Pack. She helps guide children and families into early positive self-identity and a deep appreciation of their neurotype through assessment and educational services. Hailing from Singapore from a multi-cultural family, she reflects deeply on intersectional issues, insists on nuance and embraces the diverse aspects that form self-identity. Sandhya balances passion for social justice issues with deep rest, and enjoys reading in solitude, whale watching and happy stimming at the small things in life.
Yael Clark (she/her)
Clinicians as Changemakers: Social Justice and the NDA Movement
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Expert Panellist: Eating, Body Image, and Society: Unpacking Assumptions and Affirming Practice
Yael is an Educational & Developmental Psychologist who works mainly with OCD and Anxiety in Autistic/ADHDers of all ages. Yael provides consultancy and training to psychologists and other allied health professionals about clinical practice within the neurodiversity affirming framework. She is on the steering committee for the AAPi Neurodiversity Interest Group and is involved in research projects with The Kids Research Institute Australia and LaTrobe and Griffiths Universities.
Yael’s passion is building communities that are committed to affirming research and support in all matters related to Autistics. She is a former schoolteacher and has worked with children in schools and in therapy for over since 1991. As a mother and grandmother to neurodivergent children, and as an AuDHDer herself, Yael’s work is imbued with academic and clinical professionalism as well as humour and authenticity about lived experience.
In June 2024, Yael launched LOAPAC (League of Autistic Psychologists and Affirming Colleagues). LOAPAC is a professional association for psychologists who are committed to providing affirming care within a decolonising paradigm to Autistic and ADHD Australians and their families. LOAPAC advocates for its members to be recognised as the leaders in their field; the professionals to turn to for training, consultancy, assessment, and support.
Expert Panel Discussions and Other Guest Speakers
(In Alphabetical Order)
Anna Clark (they/them)
Expert Panellist: Paediatric Practice, Disability, & Learning Differences
Anna Clarke (they/them) is an openly Autistic and ADHD psychologist, play therapist, PhD candidate, and EMDRAA-accredited consultant. As co-director of Divergent Futures, Anna is dedicated to reshaping the mental health landscape through education, training, and consultation in neurodiversity-affirming practice. With a deep commitment to fostering environments where neurodivergent individuals can thrive, Anna’s work centres on promoting genuine understanding and systemic change. A sought-after speaker, Anna addresses critical topics, including trauma-informed care, managing power imbalances in therapy, responding to violent behaviours, and strengths-based approaches to treating eating disorders.
Anna co-authored a chapter in the Oxford Handbook of EMDR Therapy, focusing on neurodiversity-affirming approaches to EMDR for Autistic and ADHD clients. They are involved in other research projects and advocacy groups related to safe and affirming therapy for neurodivergent people. Anna’s professional background includes work in legal settings, Out of Home Care, and supporting individuals who have experienced sexual assault and family violence. Their clinical work focuses on supporting autistic and ADHD clients with presentations such as post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociation, anxiety, suicidal ideation, depression, and emotion regulation challenges.
Annelil Desille (she/her)
Expert Panellist: Eating, Body Image, and Society: Unpacking Assumptions and Affirming Practice
Annelil (Lil) is an AudHD registered clinical psychologist who integrates personal experience with evidence-based practice to support neurodivergent individuals. Their special interests include neurodivergence, mind-body connection, sexual health, relationships and intimacy, attachment, and spirituality.
She utilises her array of knowledge and passion for all things sex, relationships and intimacy to support neurokin with their ability to deepen and strengthen connections together. Lil has developed and created incredible resources, as well as events and courses that are tailored specifically to the AuDHD community. These events and resources have largely been complimented by our neurokin for their level of inclusivity, adaptability and resourcefulness.
Annie Crowe (she/her)
Expert Panellist: Eating, Body Image, and Society: Unpacking Assumptions and Affirming Practice
Annie Crowe is a human rights lawyer, advocacy coach, and founder of NeuroAccess, specialising in neurodiversity, accessibility, and systemic change. With a background in law and government combined with her own lived experience as a neurodivergent individual, she works at the intersection of policy, psychology, and advocacy to dismantle barriers that prevent neurodivergent and disabled individuals from fully participating in society.
Through her work, she collaborates with psychologists, researchers, and organisations to bridge the gap between clinical understanding and real-world accessibility, ensuring that individuals who think and feel differently are not only supported but truly included.
Caroline Burrows (she/her)
Expert Panellist: Neurodiversity and Leadership
Caroline Burrows (she/her) is an Accredited EMDR Trainer and Consultant based in Melbourne, with a background in social work and psychotherapy. She has 20 years of experience across hospital, community, medical, and university settings and is the Owner and Director of Mindful Living, leading a team of EMDR therapists.
A proud late-diagnosed ADHDer, Caroline is passionate about neurodiverse-affirming approaches in both therapy and leadership. She is committed to creating workplaces where people can come as they are, feel accepted, and have their strengths recognised and harnessed. Her personal experience of navigating neurodiversity alongside leadership responsibilities shapes her interest in how neurodivergent professionals can thrive in leadership roles.
Caroline is known for her quirky, energetic style, great sense of humour, and down-to-earth approach to training and leadership. She has trained hundreds of mental health professionals across Australia and internationally, supporting them to integrate EMDR therapy into their clinical practice with confidence, particularly when working with trauma and complex presentations.
Caitlin Hughes (she/they)
Expert Panellist: Paediatric Practice, Disability, & Learning Differences
Caitlin Hughes (she/they) is a multi-exceptional (Autistic, ADHD, Gifted) Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW). Through their private practice, Cathartic Collaborations, Caitlin offers neurodiversity affirming therapeutic support to Autistic, ADHD, and twice- or multi-exceptional folks. Passionate about fostering growth in others, they support other Social Workers in developing their neurodiversity affirming practice. As a published researcher and PhD candidate focused on Autistic mental health, Caitlin combines academic and personal insights to drive change. They also co-host, Divergent Dialogues, a podcast dedicated to educating others about Neurodivergent mental health through the lens of lived and professional experience.
Christina Schmidt (she/her/hers)
Expert Panellist: Complex Trauma, Identity, and Intersectionality
Christina Schmidt (she/her/hers) is a Black African-American-Australian multicultural and multidialectal AuDHD woman who proudly embraces her identity in all facets of her work and advocacy. As the owner of Free to Be Me Speech Pathology, she supports paediatric and adult clients with neuroaffirming care that honours individual communication needs and strengths.
Beyond her clinical work, Christina is a passionate racial, cultural and disability advocate, weaving her lived/living experiences and professional expertise to create meaningful impact. She lives, works, plays and creates on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri People in Naarm (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), and is deeply committed to amplifying diverse voices and stories.
Claire Britton (she/her/hers)
Expert Panellist: Paediatric Practice, Disability, & Learning Differences
Claire Britton is the Founding Director and Principal Occupational Therapist at Neuroinclusion based in Perth, WA. She leads a neurodiverse team that embodies the ideal neurodiversity-affirming environment for their clients, employees and wider community across Australia.
With extensive experience in schools, private practice, and community settings, Claire combines her professional and personal neurodivergent insights to promote best practices that support neurodiverse clients' success in authentically thriving.
Denise Abreu (they/them)
Expert Panellist: Neurodiversity and Leadership
Den Abreu is a proud Person of Colour and identifies as NeuroQueer (ADHDer, Genderfluid, and Queer). They are a Counselling Psychologist, Psychology Board Approved Supervisor, and Psychosexual Therapist. In 2019, Den founded Haven Psychology, a trauma-informed, sex-positive, and identity-inclusive practice with locations in Meanjin (Brisbane) and Naarm (Melbourne). As a supervisor, Den enhances clinical skills through role-plays, curiosity, and compassion, emphasizing ethical decision-making, self-reflection, deliberate practice, and traumainformed, culturally responsive identity-inclusive and affirming care.
They collaborate with health professionals to develop these skills as part of their professional DNA. Den focuses on complex trauma, dissociative disorders, and supporting multiply neurodivergent and marginalized groups using a social model of health and disability, anti-oppressive practice, and the Power Threat Meaning Frameworks. Den is widely sought after for supervision, training, consultations, and conference presentations to health professionals, professionals in other fields, organizations, and community groups on a variety of topics.
Liam Spicer (he/him)
Conference Host & Expert Panellist: Neurodiversity and Leadership
Liam Spicer (he/him) is a multiply neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD, Gifted) Psychologist, Academic and Researcher who currently holds a position as a Senior Lecturer at the Cairnmillar Institute coordinating and teaching the Postgraduate Certificate in Trauma Informed Care. Liam is passionate about training, research, and collaboration with other neurodivergent individuals in the Neurodiversity Affirming Space. Liam has been a presenter at International and National conferences on the topics of EMDR, Schema Therapy, Autism, ADHD and Grief and has delivered guest webinars and trainings for EMDRAA, AAPi, Headspace, APS, and other organisations and practices.
Liam has been the recipient of the University of Tasmania Vice-Chancellors Leadership Award, and has received an academic commendation for industry experience and service. Liam has been a contributor to the Routledge International Handbook of Child and Adolescent Grief on the topic of Youth Suicide and his current PHD at Curtin University, Perth is focused on the use of Schema Therapy for Prolonged Grief. Liam has published in top academic journals such as Frontiers in Psychiatry, Frontiers in Psychology, and Psychotherapy Research including his recent paper with colleagues on Understanding Early Maladaptive Schemas in Autistic and ADHD individuals which has gained widespread international attention. Liam has several other current projects underway with other colleagues in the Neurodiversity space, and loves being a part of clinicians gaining new knowledge and being a part of wider social change and inclusion.
Louise Gilbert (she/her)
Expert Panellist: Neurodiversity and Leadership
Louise Gilbert (she/her) is a dynamic speaker, author, and executive coach who has partnered with organisations across Australia for over 15 years. As both a neurodivergent leader and passionate advocate for workplace evolution, Louise developed the 'Three Pedals of Excellence' model, integrating performance, growth, and wellbeing to drive sustainable success. Her recently published book, 'Make Work Work for You', unpacks 27 powerful leadership practices that equip individuals and teams to achieve excellence whilst embracing cognitive diversity. Louise's expertise has been recognised by Forbes and leading Australian media outlets, and in 2023, she was named one of the Top 50 small business leaders.
Drawing from her lived experience and professional expertise, Louise specialises in helping leaders and teams reimagine how work can work for everyone. Through her extensive work coaching neurodivergent leaders, she's developed contemporary approaches that challenge traditional workplace paradigms, helping organisations tackle modern challenges from improving collaboration in hybrid environments to preventing burnout. Her approach combines practical wisdom with deep insights into how diverse minds can work together effectively, fostering workplaces that celebrate and harness the power of neurodiversity.
Mish Kumar-Jonson (they/them/theirs)
Expert Panellist: Complex Trauma, Identity, and Intersectionality
Mish, a Dissociative Identity Response [DIR] System that is neurodivergent, non-binary, queer and a mental health social worker of colour works and lives on Woiwurrung Wurundjeri and Bunuroung Country of the Mighty Kulin Nation. Mish is the chair and principal practitioner at The Iceberg Foundation; a mental health charity supporting BIPOC Neuroqueer humans and in addition runs a private practice and consults on a range of boards to support thriving LGBTIQAPSB+ and Neurodivergent communities.
Through an anti- oppressive lens and a commitment to decolonising mental health practces, Mish supports people within the intersections of neurodivergence, BIPOC narratives, Queerness and the impacts of ableism on the disabled communities. Outside of work Mish loves writng poetry, fostering kittens and constantly rearranging their home to sneak more plants into their home without their wife noticing!
Dr Miro Rainsford (he/they)
Expert Panellist: Complex Trauma, Identity, and Intersectionality
Dr Miro Rainsford (he/they) is a counsellor, clinical member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, and early career researcher in the behavioural sciences. They are based in nipaluna/Hobart, lutruwita/Tasmania, on the unceded lands of the palawa people. Miro has worked in a variety of settings including private practice, government and nongovernmental organisations in the employment, disability and family violence sectors including providing counselling for those affected by the Disability Royal Commission.
Miro’s clinical practice focuses on the intersection of complex trauma, queerness and neurodivergence. They have a passion for providing person-centred, trauma-informed and affirming therapy for the LGBTIQA+ and neurodivergent communities, as an openly out transmasculine-nonbinary practitioner. Miro centres lived experience in his work, drawing on his own experiences as well as listening to, learning from and elevating the voices of others in these communities. Their therapeutic approach is integrative, working primarily with EMDR and trauma-informed approaches with an intersectional perspective. Miro’s research focuses on memory and cognition, and on factors influencing court decisions regarding the gender-affirming medical care of transgender children and young people.
Modiule Lawson (she/her)
Understanding Deaf Trauma and Systemic Issues in Deaf Healthcare
Modiule Lawson possesses extensive multicultural experience working overseas and now in Australia, assisting clients with therapeutic Counselling online and face-to-face. Modiule has a Bachelor of Counselling, is a member (level 3) of the Australian Counselling Association and Associate Member of the EMDRAA. She is qualified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprogramming) and has a Dipl. Of Nutrition. She has experience on the topics of Trauma, PTSD, Weight Management, Nutrition and Chronic Health issues.
Through her professional and lived experience as a Deaf person, she uses theoretical principles such as Person-Centred Psychotherapy and Existential Psychology. She uses an integrated approach utilising different evidence-based theories of Counselling, which blend together to work in the most effective way for clients. In her spare time she enjoys surfing, cooking, vegetable gardening, Yoga, and Meditation.
Margo White (she/her)
Expert Panellist: Eating, Body Image, and Society: Unpacking Assumptions and Affirming Practice
Margo is a Certified Practising Nutritionist and the founder of Whole Body Nutrition. Her practice specialises in supporting Neurodivergent individuals of all ages, genders, and backgrounds to cultivate an emotionally healthy relationship with food.
As a proud AuDHDer and mother of two, Margo understands the challenges that both her clients and their families are navigating when they present to her in the clinic. Her passion stems from her lived experience with an eating disorder in her youth and the limited information available to herself and her family when it came to understanding her feeding differences.
Margo has developed a unique style of practice that draws from a neuro-affirming, trauma informed and lived experience lens. She gently encourages her clients to understand and accept that there are different ways of eating and takes the time to validate all sensory feeding differences, which further builds on their therapeutic relationship.
Olivia Boer (she/her)
Expert Panellist: Paediatric Practice, Disability, & Learning Differences
Olivia Boer (she/her) is an Autistic and ADHD clinical psychologist and co-director of Healthy Mind Centre Launceston, a group allied health private practice in Northern Tasmania. Olivia has a strong interest in neurodiversity affirming practice and supporting clinicians feel confident and competent when working with neurodivergent clients. Olivia also enjoys engaging with and training professionals, organisations and the broader community to help develop knowledge and cultural change around supporting neurodiversity, disability, trauma, and intersectionality.
She has presented at numerous conferences and workshops on these topics and is a respected clinical supervisor and consultant. Olivia has maintained a strong interest in working with neurodivergent children and their families, in both the assessment and therapeutic spaces throughout her career.
In addition to her clinical work, supervision and training, Olivia is the allied health (psychology) representative on the Primary Health Tasmania (PHT) Clinical Advisory Council and the psychology representative on the PHT Allied Health Network Advisory Group. She is also the most recent past State Chair of the Australian Psychological Society Tasmania Branch. In her free time, Olivia enjoys hanging out with her family, miniature crafting, tending to her indoor plant jungle and collecting cool rocks.
Dr Ozgur Yalcin (he/him)
Expert Panellist: Neurodiversity and Leadership
Dr Ozgur (Oz) Yalcin is a Clinical Psychologist and Director of ANIMA Health Network, a clinical psychology and neuropsychology practice in WA. He has held several leadership positions, including therapy manager at a private psychiatric hospital, and has served as WA State Chair of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists. In addition to his professional expertise, he brings a unique perspective as someone who has lived with ADHD, being diagnosed later in life. This dual perspective allows him to bridge the gap between clinical practice and personal experience, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges individuals with ADHD face, including those in leadership positions.
He has presented and conducted workshops on various topics, including schema therapy, ADHD, and complex trauma, and has contributed as a guest on several podcasts. Dr. Yalcin has made significant contributions to the field through his research and publications including in the neurosciences, psychometric assessment, and Schema Therapy. Notably, his PhD focused on developing the YSQ-R, an internationally used questionnaire for assessing early maladaptive schemas in schema therapy.Currently, Dr. Yalcin is an adjunct research fellow at the EnAble Institute, Curtin University, and was recently awarded the Australian Psychologist of the Year 2024 at the Allied Health Awards.
Sherry Lee Smith (she/her)
Expert Panellist: Eating, Body Image, and Society: Unpacking Assumptions and Affirming Practice
Sherry-Lee Smith is a psychologist, co-developer of the Neurodiversity Affirming Schema Therapy Model (STAND), an ANZAED credentialed eating disorder clinician, and an accredited EMDR consultant. She is also a practicum facilitator for accredited EMDR training and offers advanced training in EMDR, eating disorders, body image, and dissociation and the director of the Phoenix Holistic Health Centre.
Sherry’s practice is focused on working holistically with clients facing complex and interwoven challenges, including trauma, dissociation, body image issues, eating disorders, and neurodivergence. Known for her creative and integrative approach, she blends EMDR, schema therapy, and other evidence-based modalities to tailor interventions for complex presentations.
Sherry is passionate about advancing trauma and attachment informed approaches and neurodiversity-affirming approaches in the treatment of eating disorders, body image and dissociation. She provides training, and consultation, to help clinicians refine their skills in working with complex trauma and neurodivergent presentations.
Steph Robertson
Expert Panellist: Complex Trauma, Identity, and Intersectionality
Steph Robertson is an experienced multiply-neurodivergent occupational therapist, speaker and advocate. With a passion for neurodiversity-affirming practice. Steph draws on both her professional and lived experience to deliver trauma-informed support to neurodivergent individuals and their families.
Through her work, she empowers individuals, parents, therapists and educators to foster understanding, self worth, and connection within the neurodivergent community and facilitate trauma recovery. Steph delivers impactful talks, trainings, and resources designed to support the shift to a more inclusive and affirming world for all!
Tahlia Blow
Expert Panellist: Complex Trauma, Identity, and Intersectionality
Tahlia (she/her) is a proud Aboriginal, queer, and neurodivergent Social Worker and EMDR clinician with a commitment to supporting LGBTQIA+ young people. With extensive experience in trauma-informed care, she integrates intersectional, affirming practices into her work, ensuring that therapy is responsive to the unique challenges faced by marginalised communities. Tahlia’s research focuses on using EMDR to address the cumulative impacts of trauma and minority stress, with a particular emphasis on trans and gender-diverse youth.
She is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within both therapeutic practice and the broader professional landscape, creating spaces that are safe, empowering, and affirming for all individuals.
Dr Xi Liu
Expert Panellist: Complex Trauma, Identity, and Intersectionality
Dr. Xi Liu (they/them) is a queer, neurodivergent Clinical Psychologist, internationally recognized for their work in Telehealth and LGBTQIA+ wellbeing. As the first Chinese- speaking Advanced Certified Schema Therapy trainer, Xi supervises mental health practioners in China and Hong Kong, while offering training across Australia and New Zealand. Co-founder of SchemXcollective, Xi integrates intersectional, queer, feminist, and neurodivergent-affirming frameworks to address societal and cultural factors influencing mental health. Their expertise has been pivotal in adapting Schema Therapy for marginalized communities, and they are currently working with EMDR therapists on certain projects regarding the integration and adaptations of both Schema Therapy and EMDR.
Xi is passionate about advancing equity and inclusion in mental health, using creative arts to demystify therapy through both academic and creative writing. Their performance
project, In Session, presented at the Sydney and Adelaide Fringe festivals, combines therapy and performance art for an immersive exploration of the therapeutic process. Xi trained under Dr. Jeffrey Young, founder of Schema Therapy, and their Sydney-based practice focuses on trauma, grief, relationships, mood disorders, idenity conflicts, and gender affirmation through utilising both Schema Therapy and EMDR.