MYF MURPHY (SHE/HER) | Director of Hobart Wonderings

Senior Mental Health Occupational Therapist, Family Therapist, Children & Teens Yoga Teacher

Myf is an experienced Occupational Therapist and Family Therapist. She graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy). After many years of practicing family therapy skills, Myf has now completed her Masters in Clinical Family Therapy. She is an AHPRA registered Occupational Therapist and a member of the professional body, Occupational Therapy Australia. Myf is endorsed under the Better Access to Mental Health Medicare Scheme to provide Focused Psychological Strategies.

Myf has held senior roles in child and adolescent mental health services in both Hobart and Melbourne and working across these services for 18 years.

Myf has been a Principal Researcher in a project looking at the effectiveness of Single Session Family Therapy, she has co authored a paper, a book chapter and has presented at International conferences.

Myf has undergone additional training and supervision in the understanding of developmental psychiatry and family based therapies. She is trained to provide the evidence based interventions such as Family Based Treatment for Eating Disorders, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and parenting programs, including Tuning into Kids, Tuning into Teens and Circle of Security parenting. Myf is also a trained children and teens yoga instructor.

Myf has supervised and managed other clinicians and values continuing professional learning to meet the needs of the families she works with using the most up to date evidence based practices.

BEC SECOMBE (SHE/HER) | Clinical Team Lead

Bec is currently on extended leave from Hobart Wonderings for 2024.

Senior Paediatric Occupational Therapist, Arts Therapist & Children & Teens Yoga Instructor.

Bec is an experienced Occupational Therapist and Arts Therapist. She graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) and a Master of Health Science (Paediatric Occupational Therapy) in 2013. She is an AHPRA registered Occupational Therapist and a member of the professional body, Occupational Therapy Australia. Bec is endorsed under the Better Access to Mental Health Medicare Scheme to provide Focused Psychological Strategies.

Bec has held a range of positions as an aquatic therapist, art therapist, university educator, arts and spirituality centre manager and access and diversity coordinator in addition to occupational therapy. She is trained in sensory processing approaches, handwriting support, motor planning and praxis, acceptance and commitment therapy, Ross Greene CPS model amongst others.

Bec has presented at international summits in sensory health and autism, and provides content for online autism training and neurodiversity modules. She also loves to support other therapists with clinical supervision, and newly diagnosed autistic parents.

Bec is an experienced therapeutic group facilitator, and her passion is facilitating workshops and webinars on neuro-affirming approaches, parenting PDAers, sensory inclusion in schools, and working alongside teachers and teachers assistants.

In 2017 she graduated with a Graduate Diploma in Arts Psychotherapy, and loves to support children and families in using art processes to explore thoughts and emotions that lead to positive change. Bec is also a trained children and teens yoga instructor and loves exploring her own neurodivergent neuro-type.

 
 

NIELS VELTKAMP (HE/HIM)

Senior Social Worker

Niels is a Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Social Worker. Niels graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Social Work and has since had extensive additional training and experience. Niels is endorsed under the Better Access to Mental Health Medicare Scheme to provide Focused Psychological Strategies.

Niels is skilled at the assessment and treatment of mental health challenges for young people and their families. He is an experienced therapist with post graduate training in developmental psychiatry, Circle of Security parenting, family therapy, among others. Niels has been trained in the use of evidence-based therapy including cognitive behaviour therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy.

Niels loved his time working at Headspace as a therapist with 12- 25 year olds and he coordinated The Bush Adventure Therapy group program for teenagers.  He later joined The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Hobart, as a therapist and member of the family therapy team. His time with CAMHS then moved to a senior clinician role with the CAMHS Inpatient Team at the Royal Hobart Hospital, working on the Paediatric Wards and Emergency Department.

Niels takes a relaxed, relational approach in his work with young people and their families and can quickly assess what is going on for a young person. He is collaborative and systems minded, meaning he thinks about the effect of mental health difficulties on all the areas of a young person and their family’s life. 

LAUREN GREIG (SHE/HER)

Mental Health Occupational Therapist

Lauren is an experienced Mental Health Occupational Therapist. She graduated in 2013 with a Master of Occupational Therapy Practice after previously completing a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Psychology and Sociology). Lauren is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and is a proud member of the Occupational Therapy Australia Association (OTA). Lauren is also endorsed under the Better Access to Mental Health Medicare Scheme to provide Focused Psychological Strategies.

Lauren has worked for several years in major public health networks in both inpatient and community settings. She has experience working with people throughout the lifespan; including parents and infants, children and adolescents, and older adults. Lauren is a big believer in neurodiversity-affirming approaches.  She had been trained in the use of cognitive behaviour therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy and sensory modulation approaches to support self-regulation. Lauren gains an immense sense of satisfaction when collaborating with individuals, their families and other supports to increase empowerment. She enjoys promoting positive change and recovery to assist individuals to reach their fullest potential.

Lauren has a great appreciation of nature and especially enjoys the opportunity to go hiking. She also loves a wide range of arts and crafts, including painting, drawing and macrame. She enjoys supporting others to engage in their own passions and meaningful occupations.

CHLOE JORGENSEN (SHE/HER)

Paediatric Occupational Therapist

Chloe is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist. She has progressed quickly and gained extensive training since graduating with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in 2017. Chloe is an AHPRA registered Occupational Therapist and specialises in working with children between the ages of 2 and 13, and is expanding her knowledge to support older teenagers.

Chloe has practiced in NSW and Tasmania and has experience in providing holistic trauma-informed services and working with children who have difficulties with anxiety, modulating attention, sensory processing, school learning, play and social-emotional learning, motor and organisational skills and sleep and feeding.

Chloe is family centred and delivers interventions that are always trauma informed, strengths based and empowering for the child and their family/caregivers. Chloe’s therapy sessions are play-based and fun for the child and their families. Chloe has undergone extensive training in sensory processing, Trauma Informed Practice, sensory based motor presentations and relational play based therapies. Chloe is also expanding her knowledge to support children with eating and feeding challenges.

Chloe is a true believer of the power of Occupational Therapy when working within a Trauma Informed framework. Occupational Therapists understand how trauma can be coded in the body at a subconscious level, bringing about differences in behaviours. Chloe is passionate to understand the child ‘under the surface’ and deliver a holistic intervention that supports their best ability to achieve their Occupational goals.

TESS VERRIER (SHE/HER)

Therapy Assistant 

Bach. Fine Art (COFA- 2012), Masters of Education (completed components of). 

Tess graduated in 2012 with a Bachelors of Fine Art and has begun her Masters in Education (Secondary). 

Tess is a very enthusiastic Therapy Assistant who aims to support young minds and their families through their developmental progress. 

Tess has worked as a Student Learning Support Officer in New South Wales Schools over the past five years where she uses her compassion and understanding of advanced skills in classroom management, differentiations, understanding individualized needs of students, including the implementation of individual educational programs and individual transitional programs, respect and awareness for oneself and others.

Tess has worked as a Mentor and Facilitator for a Bush School organization in the Northern Rivers, where she specifically designed programs for children of all ages to develop powerful skills of confidence, self-respect, accountability, curiosity and resilience that are transferable in everyday life. 

Tess has completed a variety of educational studies with the Stronger Smarter Initiative that promotes positive relationships, understanding and teachings from the First Nations People.

Tess has a great passion for nature, the arts, family and learning through play. She enjoys the outdoors and spending quality time with friends and family, listening to music and making art. 

ANITA FROST (SHE/HER)

Occupational Therapist

Anita is especially interested in helping young people to improve their wellbeing and enjoy life.  This might mean working directly with a young person and/or collaborating with parents, teachers and significant others.

Anita enjoys exploring all the occupations each young person has and problem solving with them to make things better. These occupations might include being a family member, a student, a sports person or friend and they might involve being gender or neuro diverse.  Exploring how we process sensory information from the environment and how we can use sensory experiences to enrich us, is especially interesting to Anita. 

Prior to having a long break, Anita worked in many different fields of occupational therapy. However, focusing on the mental health of young people is now her passion. 

 
 

KAT BURKE (SHE/HER)

Client Administration Support

After spending 12 months in Far North Queensland, Kat has returned home to beautiful Hobart.

Kat has extensive experience in administrative roles and she is eager to apply and expand her skills at Hobart Wonderings.

She understands how daunting it can be to navigate unfamiliar environments, and she prides herself on ensuring everyone's experience is the best it can be.

In her downtime, she loves spending quality time with her family and friends, usually you’ll find her on the play equipment with the kids or joining in on the imaginative play. She utilises knitting as her go-to mindfulness technique, and on occasion, you may spot her wearing one of her creations!