The Bright Minds Hub Team

Our multi-disciplinary mental health team come from a variety of educational, disability, mental health and allied health backgrounds. Many of our team have lived experience within the neurodivergent sphere, either being neurodivergent themselves or having family and friends who are. All of us work within an inclusive neuroaffirming and trauma-informed framework aiming to support young people and families to live an authentic flourishing neurodivergent life where difference is not considered broken or needing to be fixed.

All Bright Minds Hub staff have qualifications and registrations with their governing bodies, insurance and current police and working with children checks. The Bright Minds Hub staff can work individually, or with your existing care team, to offer therapeutic supports via your NDIS or via private funding. The Bright Minds Hub team are committed to ongoing individual and peer supervision, and professional development so that we can continue to evolve our knowledge and understanding as practitioners.

The Bright Minds Hub offers psychological assessments including School Readiness, Autism, ADHD, Cognitive, Educational and Adaptive Behavioural Functioning. Please enquire via info@thebrightmindshub.com or call the clinic.

As a tradie turned mental health practitioner, Tim recognised the urgent need to build bridges over the gaping chasms of mental health misunderstandings and stigmas, and became passionate about exploring the difficulty many males have in navigating the rough seas of life including family dilemmas, marital hiccups, and emotion regulation. Tim has a special interest working with males of all ages to explore behaviour change, including self esteem issues, anger, vulnerability, anxiety and life transitions including separation, divorce, parenthood and aging. Tim works with individuals from primary school age + and employs a trauma-informed approach drawing on therapy modalities such as solution-focused therapy and motivational interviewing.

When it comes to our young champions, Tim is on a quest to ignite the spark of creativity and unveil the superheroes within. Drawing from his play therapy training, he inspires kids to celebrate their mightiest strengths, teaching them to don their capes and “be their own superhero.” Tim specialises in guiding males aged 10 and up, harnessing the power of board games, play therapy, video games, craft, and art. He delves into the realms of Dungeons & Dragons (though he’s humbly treading as a newbie), video game therapy and uses action figure crafting to navigate the vibrant world of positive psychology. For his mature clients, he engages with them at their point of need, helping to navigate the challenges they encounter.

For those seeking an extra sprinkle of magic during the school holidays, Tim transforms The Bright Minds Hub into a superhero sanctuary with the “Creative Minds Workshop” and the “Psychology of Superheroes Workshop.” Tim’s vast superhero (and supervillain) knowledge rivals the archives of the Batcave itself. From the pages of comic books to the reels of cinema, there’s no cape or mask he isn’t familiar with.

New clients are welcome although places are very limited.

Kate Banfield, our Accounts/Administration Manager and Practice Manager, is the clinic operations superhero at The Bright Minds Hub. She is the customer service nucleus of the Hub; handling intakes, queries, invoicing, quotes and scheduling for our clients and therapists alike. If you have a question, Kate will either know the answer or will know who to ask. Kate is a smiley, kind-hearted being who has the perfect welcoming energy for everyone contacting The Bright Minds Hub. Kate’s secret talent is having the most amazing knack of finding precious and unique things at op shops.

Joy works as a Masters level qualified Art Therapist, Synergetic Play Therapist and Counsellor with the team at Bright Minds Hub and runs the Open Art Therapy Studio Program for Adults. Joy is also our intern supervisor. Joy brings together her passion for visual expression and empathic listening. Making marks or building objects can offer us a way of sharing what may be difficult to talk about. As art therapy does not require any artistic skills, it is available to all as a way of witnessing and listening to ourselves and each other.

Joy brings a wealth of lived experience and more than 30 years working with children, families, and adults. She warmly welcomes connection and supports clients as they work to reach their goals.  Her work is firmly supported by Positive Psychology and the Circle of Security framework; recognising our strengths and building our capacity to meet life challenges including trauma, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and challenges associated with being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world. Joy specialises in early childhood interventions, working with clients and families of all ages offering family, sibling and individual therapy.

As well as painting, drawing and experimenting with art stuff, Joy loves getting out into nature and not so long ago climbed Mt Snowdon in Wales. Joy’s secret talent is gathering interesting art supplies and coming up with new ways to integrate art into therapy. You should see the art cupboards at The Bright Minds Hub!

New clients are welcome although places are extremely limited.

Kelly Bettridge, employed at The Bright Minds Hub as a Provisional Psychologist under the supervision of Dr. Naomi Malone, brings previous experience as a counsellor, primary and secondary school teacher specialising in literacy, learning, and behaviour interventions, and a certified yoga instructor. She also holds certification as a Circle of Security group facilitator and leverages her lived experience as an AuADHDer, with several neurodivergent children, in her clinical work. Registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA), Kelly is a member of several professional organisations, including the Applied Neuroscience Society of Australasia (ANSA), the International Society for Autism Research, the Therapeutic Horticulture Association, and is an Associate Member of both the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPI) and the Australian ADHD Professionals Association.

Kelly employs a neuroaffirming, trauma-informed approach using evidence-based interventions such as DBT and ACT, mindfulness compassion-based therapy, solution-focused therapy and bibliotherapy. She incorporates elements of “geek/pop culture therapy” like Lego Therapy, Dungeons and Dragons, Pokemon, Harry Potter and a dedicated Bright Minds Hub Minecraft Realms server for video game therapy (other games are available). Her sessions focus on supporting neurodivergent clients navigate a neurotypical world, working with clients and families aged 5 and older, exploring differences instead of deficits aligning with the social model of disability. Outside of therapy, she offers professional development training for teachers on neurodivergent-specific strategies, speaks publicly on fostering self-advocacy in neurodivergent youth and regularly writes content and runs webinars for the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.

Kelly is extensively trained in assessments including Autism, ADHD, educational, cognitive, and school readiness assessments. Kelly’s favourite activity is to watch sci fi movies with her German Shepherd Odin.

Kelly is not currently taking new clients but a waitlist is available for both assessments and individual sessions.

Bookings are not able to be made online for provisional psychologists.

Journeying through the realms of alphabets, Aramaya Wilson is our literacy luminary, specially tuned into the unique wavelengths of neurodivergent young scholars. With two enlightening years under her belt working with primary and early secondary pupils, she’s crafting new chapters in play-based literacy learning interventions every day.

A firm believer in meeting children right where they flourish, Aramaya artfully intertwines evidence-based practices like Sounds Write with play based and interest based learning. With dedicated training from the Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation and a perennial presence at the Australian Autism and ADHD conferences, she’s ever-expanding her repertoire of tools to unlock the potential in every young mind. Aramaya works with primary school aged clients and takes secondary school aged clients on a case by case basis.

Outside the classroom, Aramaya harbours a dream of being the guardian angel to every feline on this planet. If you’re lucky, you might just catch a note or two from her – a classically trained vocalist, she’s rumoured to give Disney Princesses a run for their money with her enchanting voice.

New clients are welcome although places are very limited.

Navigating both the virtual and real world, Harrison Ring is more than just a qualified youth worker. With a special focus on young people aged 10 to 22, Harrison has a unique gift for reaching out to the neurodivergent community. As you embark on journeys in The Bright Minds Hub Minecraft Realms server or get absorbed in the lore of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, Harrison is right beside you, guiding, listening, and understanding. He is our very own celebrity gamer as he is a Super Smash Bros sensation boasting a ranking of 16th in Victoria!

Being part of the gaming landscape since he was young, Harrison’s love for video games has transformed into a therapeutic tool. He’s known for creating fun, innovative game sessions tailored to each individual’s needs and goals. His experience spans from working diligently with at-risk youth to supporting those with disabilities. And in case you’re wondering about the man behind the game console, Harrison’s got a whimsical side too – he’s quite the charmer when it comes to befriending snails and bugs. Harri works with clients aged 10-22 years.

Harrison is on leave until September 2024.