Our People

Anne Grogan

B.App. Sc. (Speech Pathology), MSPA, CPSP

Graduated From: I graduated from Sydney University and have been a qualified speech and language pathologist for over 40 years.

Favourite moment in therapy: I enjoy seeing my clients progress and achieve their therapy goals.
Clinical passions: I have extensive experience working with literacy, ADHD, and auditory processing difficulties using the Lindamood and Visualising Verbalising Programs to improve reading, spelling, listening, and comprehension skills. I have a particular interest in tongue ties, dyspraxia, and severe articulation disorders. I am also passionate about discussing the link between articulation difficulties and spelling deficits.
Further education: I have a background in providing therapy for severe speech sound disorders and dyspraxia, language disorders, and literacy deficits. I have completed professional development in the assessment and management of tongue ties and tethered oral tissues. I have completed the Lindamood Visualising Verbalising Programs, and the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® Program for Reading, Spelling, and Speech. The Sounds Write literacy program, the Orton–Gillingham structured literacy program. I have experience as a clinical educator and am passionate about supporting Speech Pathology students to meet their potential.
Fun fact or outside interest: I have been a speaker and advisor to the Down Syndrome Association. I also enjoy spending time with my family and four wonderful grandsons.

Anna McKenna

(B. Speech Pathology (Hons.), MSPA, CPSP

Graduated from: I graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (with Honours).
Favorite moment in therapy: I love when children run excitedly into our sessions, keen to try their hardest and work towards their goals. I feel lucky to have the chance to work with so many wonderful children and families and to be part of their therapy journey.
Clinical passions: I have extensive experience working in early intervention with a range of disabilities including Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and intellectual disability, as well as children presenting with developmental delay and general speech and language delay. I am particularly passionate about providing a holistic approach to early communication development and my specialist skills lie within early intervention.
Further education: I have completed further training in the use of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), the TEACCH approach, Hanen It Takes Two to Talk program, Key Word Sign, the use of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC), Floortime and Sensory Integration as well as the Pre-Lit and Sounds-Write literacy programs.
Fun fact or outside interest: I had the fantastic opportunity to live and work in Ireland for 10 years, where I met my husband and where my 2 daughters were born. Working with an Early Intervention team in Ireland cemented my love of working in Early Intervention. When not working I love spending time with family and friends.

Jasmine Harris

BSpHearingSc MSLP MSPA CPSP

Graduated from: I graduated from Macquarie University with a Masters of Speech and Language Pathology.
Favourite moment in therapy: There are so many wonderful moments to choose from! I love when a child completes some written work, looks back at what they have done, and is proud of what they have achieved. It is wonderful to see them excited and showing off their work to their parent.
Clinical passions: I am passionate about supporting preschool and school-age children with speech, higher-level language, and literacy difficulties. I have experience working within schools to provide assessment and therapy for both primary school and high school students with a range of language, speech, stuttering, social skills, and literacy difficulties. I also have significant experience and success conducting sessions remotely via the Internet (Teletherapy). My background includes working with clients with autism spectrum disorder, developmental language disorder, and clients with hearing impairments.
Further education: I have experience administering the Lidcombe Program for stuttering. I have completed workshops in Key Word Sign, Sounds-Write literacy program and have attended Speech Pathology Australia National Conferences to stay up to date with the latest research. I am passionate about continued professional development to ensure I am providing evidence-based practice in a functional and fun environment to support clients and their families.
Fun fact or outside interest: I am a keen reader and can quote pride and prejudice by heart.

Wendy Gracie

MA Lang Path, MSPA, MRCSLT, CPSP

Graduated from: I graduated from Reading University in the UK and have a master’s degree in Language Pathology and an undergraduate degree in Psychology.
Favourite moment in therapy: The smile on a client’s face when they achieve success in therapy for the first time!
Clinical passions: I have worked in Paediatrics in the NHS in the UK for over 20 years and moved to Australia in 2019. I have worked in a range of clinical, community, and educational settings, as well as in interdisciplinary teams with a range of client groups but I particularly love working with pre-school and school-age clients who have a Hearing Impairment, Language Disorder, and/or Speech Sound Disorder.
Further education: I have undertaken training courses in Speech Sound Disorders, Language Disorders, the Derbyshire Language Scheme, Shape Coding, working with the Deaf (parts 1 and 3), British Sign Language levels 1 and 2, Spalding ‘The Writing Road to Reading’ and Lindamood ‘Visualising & Verbalising’. I also have experience working with selective mutism.
Fun fact or outside interest: I love going for walks, going to Pilates, and spending time with my husband and two teenage children.

Lucinda Longstaff

(Luci)

BSpHearingSc MSLP MSPA CPSP

Graduated from: I graduated from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Speech, Hearing, and Language Sciences, and from the University of Sydney with a Master of Speech and Language Pathology. I also completed a Graduate Certificate of Disability Practice in 2020.
Favourite moment in therapy: I am passionate about supporting children and their families to achieve their communication goals making therapy an enjoyable experience.
Clinical passions: I have experience in providing therapy for speech sound disorders, language, literacy, social communication, and stuttering. I have experience providing both individual and group therapy targeting early literacy development, and language and speech sound difficulties.
Further education: I have completed professional development in developing phonemic awareness, reading, spelling, and speech using the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® Program for Reading, Spelling, and Speech.
Fun fact or outside interest: I am an excellent baker and enjoy making gourmet cakes!

Kathleen Lawler
(Kath)

(B. Arts (Hons.), MSLP MSPA, CPSP)

Graduated from: I graduated with a Masters of Speech and Language Pathology and Bachelors of Arts (Honours) – both from the University of Sydney.

Favourite moment in therapy: There are many because working with children and their families is a joy! One that stands out is a teenage boy spontaneously standing up in a social skills group and enthusiastically telling his peers, “Trust me guys, these tips really work for making friends!”.

Clinical passions: I love supporting preschool and primary school children with Language and Literacy learning. I also really enjoy working with children with Speech, Social Communication, and Stuttering difficulties.

Further education: I have completed further education in the assessment and treatment of literacy, language, speech sound, social communication, and fluency disorders. I have completed the Spalding Method (Multisensory Instruction in Language Arts), and Sounds-Write programs for Literacy development; The Hanen Centre’s It Takes Two to Talk for early language development and The Lidcombe Program for childhood stuttering. I have also completed further training in neuro-affirming social skills for children and adolescents using the theory of social thinking.

Fun fact or outside interest: I have a beautiful King Charles Cavalier dog named Leo who met lots of my clients online during COVID! I have three young adult children and love to swim as much as I can near my home on the Northern Beaches.

Reception

Our receptionists Janiece Bate, Megan Brown, and Sheree Bownes are available to take your calls and answer your queries about your child. Janiece and Sheree have been working in our practice for a number of years and have an excellent understanding of business management and the needs of clients.

Caroline Fewtrell

(B. Speech Pathology (Hons.), MSPA, CPSP)

Graduated from: I graduated from the University of Newcastle Australia with an Honours of Speech and Language Pathology.
Favourite moment in therapy: My days are made up of lots of rewarding moments. I particularly enjoy it when a late-talking child uses a new word for the first time.
Clinical passions: I enjoy working with children with ADHD, ASD, and other disabilities. I find working collaboratively with parents to set family-centered goals particularly rewarding. I am passionate about supporting families to upskill in communication strategies and educating them on optimizing their child’s language and communication outcomes. My clinical interests include working with late talkers, early language development, social skills, speech sound disorders, and parental education. I am also a clinical educator passionate about supporting speech pathology students.
Further education: I have completed further training in child feeding therapy (Sarah Starr Feeding Course), and social skill therapy for young adults (PEERS - Young Adults). Early language development and late talking (Hanen - It takes two to talkKey Word Sign and non-verbal communication supports—Rapid Syllable Transition Training (REST) therapy for Apraxia of speech and the IDL computer program. I have also completed further training in PROMPT and trauma training in an educational setting.
Fun fact or outside interest: I enjoy spending time with my dog Gus and husband and going on adventures.

Caroline is currently on maternity leave and is not taking new clients.

Erinn Lyon

(B. Speech Pathology (Hons.), MSPA, CPSP)

Graduated from: I graduated from The University of Newcastle Australia with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours)
Favourite moment in therapy: It's hard to pinpoint one particular moment but it's always a wonderful feeling knowing you've contributed to a child's confidence, success, and sense of pride, always with a laugh along the way!
Clinical passions: I am passionate about the assessment and management of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders, particularly the education of parents in their ability to recognise OMDs even in infancy. I am also a clinical educator and enjoy assisting Speech Pathology students in meeting their clinical practice goals and establishing strong career foundations.
Further education: I have completed further education in the assessment and management of literacy, language, and orofacial myofunctional disorders. These include the AOMC foundation course in Orofacial Myology – Treating Oral Dysfunction Across the Lifespan, Understanding the Orofacial Complex – pre-certification course, Seven Steps to Writing Success, Spalding Method (Multisensory Instruction in Language Arts), Key Word Sign (Basic Certification), Breathe, Feed, Eat & Sleep – 2-day workshop. I have also completed the PROMPT Motor Speech Training.
Fun fact or outside interest: I love spending quality time with my family and friends, getting lost in unfamiliar cities, eating delicious food, and reading books by the ocean.

Brianna Tuckerman

(Bri)

BSpHearingSc MSLP MMHP MSPA CPSP

Graduated from: I completed an undergraduate in Speech, Hearing, and language science, and a Masters of Speech and Language Pathology through Macquarie University. I also completed a Masters of Mental Health Practice through the University of New England.
Favourite moment in therapy: I love to hear how my families have incorporated more play into their daily routines or developed games to hit their therapy targets. I also enjoy watching my adult patients meet their communication goals and feel more confident engaging in the wider community.
Clinical passions: My clinical passions include working collaboratively with patients and their supports to achieve their goals. I also enjoy implementing therapy targeting social skills, stuttering, voice disorders, speech sound development, and Orofacial Myology Therapy (OMT). I enjoy working with patients to neuro-affirming social skills goals that will improve their quality of life. I also have a particular interest in working across the lifespan in the assessment and treatment of clinical voice disorders and Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs).
Further education: I have pursued further education in the assessment and treatment of clinical voice disorders, stuttering, motor-speech difficulties, myo-facial disorders, and literacy. Including Sounds Write literacy intervention, Lidcombe Stuttering Program, Myo Munchee Practitioner Program, Myo Munchee Bebe Protocol, Hanen - it takes two to talk, LSVT Loud (Parkinson’s voice treatment), AOMC foundation course in Orofacial Myology – Treating Oral Dysfunction Across the Lifespan, REST apraxia treatment, 7 Steps to writing success. I have also sought further education in working with transgender and gender-diverse individuals. I have also completed further training in neuro-affirming social skills for adolescents and young adults and am a PEERS® Certified Provider. I also regularly attend the Speech Pathology Australia National Conferences to keep up to date with the latest research.
Fun fact or outside interest: I have written several articles and appeared in Podcasts for Speech Pathology Australia (SPA). I also enjoy pottery and ceramics in my spare time.

Yasmin Sekula

(Yas)

B. Speech Pathology MSPA CPSP

Graduated from: I graduated from Australian Catholic University with a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology.
Favourite moment in therapy: My favourite moment in therapy is watching my patients succeed and gain confidence in their communication and literacy goals.
Clinical passions: My clinical passions include working with speech sound disorders, early language therapy, and literacy across the lifespan. I have experience working with a variety of populations including those with developmental language delay, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and childhood apraxia of speech. I also have experience providing therapy in small group settings and running school readiness programs.
Further education: I have undertaken numerous professional education courses targeting language, literacy, and speech sound development and assessment. Such as Cracking the ABC Code (literacy intervention program) and Hanen's It Takes Two to Talk (early language stimulation therapy).
Fun fact or outside interest: I enjoy keeping active through swimming, running, and bike riding. I am a keen camper and love exploring the National Parks.

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Tess McLean

B. Education (Primary)

Tess McLean is a Primary Teacher with ten years of experience working in different primary schools including Kincoppal Rose Bay and Queenwood School for Girls. Tess provides specialist tutoring for all of the Key Learning Areas but is particularly passionate about supporting students with Literacy and enhancing their writing skills. Tess uses the Seven Steps writing program to inspire students to not only improve their writing skills but also to develop a love for writing. This program isolates writing skills into individual steps to ensure that students don't get overwhelmed with writing the whole piece. Tess works with students both individually and in groups and allows students the time to enhance specific skills, such as planning and editing, which the classroom curriculum doesn't always allow time for.

Lauren Brincat

MSuicidology Griff BA(Psych)Hons BEd(Sec:HumSocSc) Syd MAPS JP

Graduated from: I completed a Master of Suicidology at Griffith University/Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention in 2019. My undergraduate studies were at the University of Sydney, completing a Bachelor of Education (Secondary Teaching) and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology Honours) in 2009. I became a generally registered psychologist through the Australian Health Practioner Regulation Agency internship program.

Favourite moment in therapy: I love those "aha" moments where a young person gains insight into their worries and problems allowing them to work towards meaningful change.

Clinical passions: I love supporting the transition to primary school and high school for children with specific learning difficulties and helping to communicate to schools and teachers what a client's strengths and needs are.

Further education: I have interest in the collaborative assessment and management of suicidality in adolescents and have been working on sharing my passion with a wider workforce of psychologists in new south wales, particularly in rural areas where there are limited specialist therapy provisions.

Fun fact or outside interest: I love musicals and plays. Art can speak to the human condition in a way that sometimes words can quite capture (and that's coming from someone who uses 'talking therapies' everyday!).