Ascending Psychology has a team of passionate and experienced psychologists both in-person and via telehealth to meet your needs. Explore our page and find the right psychologist for you. Otherwise, our friendly reception team can make recommendations based on availability and experience.

Cassandra Burford

Clinical Psychologist

Cassandra joined the Ascending Team in 2022. She works with adult individuals (online) and couples (in-person). Cassandra enjoys supporting clients across all ages and stages of adult life. She provides both brief and longer term therapy depending on client needs and goals. Cassandra works with people experiencing mood and anxiety disorders, substance use issues, grief and loss, relationship difficulties (including parenting), challenges managing emotional distress adjusting to change. She also works with clients navigating physical illness or injury whether it be temporary, chronic or life limiting.

Cassandra is interested in relationships, and how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world. Curiosity is her most valued tool in therapy. She enjoys working with clients to identify automatic and rigid patterns of thinking and behaviour that maintain suffering, and supporting them to find more flexible ways of being in the world. Because sometimes if you don’t bend with the breeze you break! Cassandra can help you balance accepting what you need to, changing what you can, and going for a life worth living.

For Individuals: Cassandra draws on the therapeutic frameworks of CBT, DBT and ACT to provide a variety of skills and strategies to assist clients with their challenges. Also trained in EFT (emotional freedom technique).  Learn more about online therapy with Cassandra HERE

For Couples: Cassandra provides Gottman Method Couples Therapy. (Level 2 trained). Learn more about couples therapy HERE

Available: Couples therapy: Monday (In-person, Ascending Clinic)

Individual therapy (Online): Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. After hours appointments also available.

Dr Libby Quinn Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Libby Quinn

Senior Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Libby Quinn is senior clinical psychologist who has dedicated her career to deeply understanding the challenges that women face in today’s complex and demanding world. With an unconditional regard for the fears, stressors and responsibilities held by women, Libby draws on her 8 years of university training, coupled with her 15 years of clinical practice to provide compassionate and effective care tailored to meet the unique needs of her clients.

Libby’s work is grounded in a strong foundation of humanistic and positive psychology principles and is inclusive of evidence-based approaches of Acceptance and Commitment therapy, Dialectical Behaviour therapy, Schema therapy and Emotion focused therapy. At the heart of Libby’s practice is her commitment to providing a nurturing environment where women feel deeply understood and valued. She recognizes the inherent struggles and pressures that accompany womanhood, particularly in roles such as being a mother. Libby’s approach is grounded in creating a space where women can explore their emotions with gentleness and kindness, free from judgment or expectation.

With her wealth of experience, Libby empowers women to embrace their strengths, cultivate resilience, and find joy and fulfillment in life. With her guidance, women can navigate transitions and responsibilities with confidence and self-assurance, knowing they have a trusted ally by their side every step of the way.

Available: Monday & Thursday

Angela Jones

General Psychologist

Angela works with the Ascending Psychology team as a generally registered psychologist. While Angela arrived later in life to psychology, she arrives at the clinic with ample life experience, genuine warmth, and an urge to better the world around her by listening and learning with others. Angela offers an emotionally safe space to just be, and by drawing on the structure and practical strategies provided by a range of therapeutic approaches to ensure sessions address the unique needs of each person. Given Angela’s prior experience working with those harmed by violence, her approach to therapy is trauma-informed and trauma-based. As part of this, Angela offers EMDR therapy amongst other modalities.

Angela welcomes clients from across the lifespan presenting with a broad array of life’s difficulties and adversities including anxiety and depression, grief and bereavement, those subjected to family violence, trauma, forced adoption, suicidality and more. Angela is also available to complete assessments for those wishing to better understand their cognitive or neurodivergent profiles.

Prior to psychology, Angela forged a working life in law at community legal centers, as a facilitator of youth justice conferences, and as a university educator. Outside of work, she is likely to be found in her garden, cycling on the beach or paddleboarding.

Available: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Susan Hodgkinson Provisional Psychologist

Susan Hodgkinson

General Psychologist

Susan brings her warmth and compassion together to benefit every client. She has over 15 years’ experience in the Disability, Community and Child Protection sectors, working across diverse settings including community group home facilities. Susan has strong experience in supporting families, foster carers, and young people to live their best life; to work collaboratively and thrive.

Her therapeutic influences incorporate postgraduate training in mindfulness practices with compassion-focused therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy. Her focus enables exploration of what it means to be human, empowering her clients in their journey towards self-compassion and acceptance.

Susan is informed by her own life experience, developing skill in a strengths-based and person-centred approach. She works to uncover your personal resources to help you connect with ways of living with meaning and fulfillment.

Susan is an associate member of the Australian Psychological Society.

Available: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Kate Rothe

Clinical Psychologist Registrar

Kate is a Clinical Psychologist Registrar who grew up in the Northern Rivers region, giving her strong ties to the local community.

Her experience spans private practice, school, and residential rehabilitation settings allowing her to connect with clients across all backgrounds. She enjoys seeing a broad range of adult presentations including anxiety, PTSD and trauma, substance use and addiction, grief and loss, neurodivergence (including Autism and ADHD), and workplace, health and relationship issues. She is also available to conduct comprehensive psychological and cognitive assessments.

Kate uses a warm, supportive, and collaborative style with a focus on building a caring, trusted, and respectful therapeutic space for her clients. She draws from a range of evidenced based, trauma informed therapies to individually tailor treatment plans and build on the strengths of the individual, in order to promote insight, personal growth, health and wellbeing. She also has training in somatic (body) therapies including Clinical EFT (‘tapping’ or psychological acupuncture), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), and the Flash Technique.

Kate brings a wealth of diverse professional and life experiences to her psychology practice. Her previous twenty-year career in business services and consulting allows her to combine practical problem-solving with compassionate care to help her clients navigate life’s challenges.

Available: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

Kate Rothe Clinical Psychology Registrar

Dr. Sierra van Wyk

Director, Senior Clinical Psychologist

Dr Sierra van Wyk is a warm and experienced clinical psychologist who understands the challenges life can present. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma, or a general sense of being lost, Sierra provides a safe, non-judgmental space for you to explore and make sense of your experiences.

Drawing from a blend of therapeutic approaches, including psychodynamic, attachment, and relational work, Sierra tailors her support to meet your individual needs. If practical strategies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or mindfulness techniques are helpful for you, these can also be integrated into your sessions. Together, you’ll uncover and understand the patterns that keep you feeling stuck, so you can move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

Sierra believes that therapy is about creating a space where you feel heard and supported, where you can build the self-awareness needed to break free from old habits and find new, more fulfilling ways to engage with yourself and others. Her goal is to help you develop a deeper sense of self-understanding and a toolkit of skills that empower you to live the life you want.

If you’re seeking a space to heal and grow, whether in one-on-one therapy or through process group sessions, Sierra offers a compassionate approach that adapts to you.

Dr Sierra van Wyk is available as an expert witness in family court proceedings, available to conduct parenting capacity and capacity to change assessments.

Available: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Sierra is not currently accepting new patients. 

Dr. Christopher Zurawic

Director, Senior Clinical Psychologist

 Christopher can help if you experience problems in living – if you are struggling to create a satisfying and meaningful life.  Your fear and anxiety can overwhelm you and make you want to control everything or hide away.  You may not feel lovable, and this feeling can be devastating.  Your relationships with yourself, others, and the world may be strained and fractured.  But you don’t have to live with fear or shame, and you don’t have to be alone. Over time, Christopher will help you look forward to getting out of bed in the morning.  You will build a meaningful life where you can say yes to each day.

One-on-one therapy with Christopher is about having someone who you can talk to about anything at all, who understands you deeply and supports you, and who stays committed to being with you through life’s ups and downs.  One-on-one therapy is where you go to be cared for and to become who you are.

Process group therapy with Christopher is about finding acceptance and belonging, and experiencing how to create deep, meaningful relationships that last.  Process group therapy is where you go when you’re ready to find your place in the world.

Psychotherapy literally means “to attend to the soul”. Christopher draws from the areas of therapeutic care that have the human being at their core, including person-centered, existential and contemporary relational dynamic theories.  Christopher does not see psychotherapy as a process where he is a mechanic and you are a machine. The foundation of his work is a commitment to supporting you in affirming your existence within the beautiful journey called life.

Christopher holds a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology, a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology, and a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Philosophy from the United States. Christopher is a Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP), recognized by the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists.  Christopher is also a board approved clinical supervisor by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA). He is licensed as a clinical psychologist in both Australia and the USA.

Available: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Christopher is not currently accepting new patients.