Melissa is a professional and empathic Psychologist who is passionate about empowering her clients to live full, happy and meaningful lives. Aside from Gidget Foundation Australia, Melissa also works within her own private practice and has done for the past 9 years, with a particular focus on working with perinatal clients. Other areas of interest include life transitions, adjustment issues, relational difficulties, grief and loss, resilience, anxiety, and depression.

Melissa is passionate about supporting new parents to navigate all areas of the perinatal period such as pregnancy-related concerns, antenatal and postnatal depression, and grief and loss. Melissa provides a non-judgemental, caring and supportive space to work through any difficulties and challenges her clients may be experiencing.

Melissa utilises aspects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Solution Focused Therapy (SFT).

Rowena is a registered Psychologist and mother of two teenagers. She has been working in child and family health services for the past 23 years with comprehensive experience in perinatal mental health. Rowena also works for an early parenting service assisting parents adjust to the challenges of parenthood, treating perinatal depression and anxiety, facilitating parent-infant/toddler groups, father’s groups, Circle of Security Parenting programs, and meditation groups for staff and mothers. She is also an accredited Triple P facilitator.

Rowena’s therapeutic approach relies on evidence-based interventions that are attachment-focused and trauma-informed, underpinned by compassion and cultural sensitivity. She has a keen interest in schema therapy and self-compassion practices.