Healing Connections Psychology

Get to know Healing Connections Psychology

From Healing Connections Psychology's website.

• Our approach

  Healing Connections Psychology embraces a compassionate, evidence-based approach that centres on creating a nurturing, safe, and empathic space for clients. The team works collaboratively with each person to discover their unique experience and design individualised solutions, drawing on approaches such as acceptance and commitment therapy, schema therapy, EMDR, internal family systems, attachment-focused therapy, compassion-focused therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive-behaviour therapy, and cognitive-behaviour therapy. Sessions typically last 50–60 minutes and are tailored to each client's needs, with the understanding that everything needed for healing already exists within the person—therapy helps unlock the skills and knowledge to work through life's challenges. The therapeutic relationship itself is central, with the psychologist nurturing a safe, supportive connection where clients learn to heal through connections within themselves and with others.

• Meet the team

  The team consists of Dr Francene Hemingway, Director and Clinical Psychologist with over 19 years' experience across university, hospital, and community settings, specialising in complex trauma, anxiety, depression, and evidence-based therapies including EMDR and schema therapy; Tanaya Prior, a registered psychologist and Clinical Registrar (2026) with trauma-informed, compassionate practice across the lifespan, experienced in mood and anxiety disorders, complex trauma, and attachment difficulties; and Georgia Moore, an Administration Assistant currently completing her Master of Clinical Psychology, who provides warm, empathetic administrative support. Dr Hemingway supervises all pathways to registration and is a full member of the Australian Psychological Society and College of Clinical Psychologists.

• Your first visit

  In the first therapy session, the psychologist aims to gain a thorough understanding of both the client's presenting problems and any relevant personal history contributing to these difficulties. The session includes questions and may involve relevant questionnaires to build an accurate picture that allows for effective treatment planning. The psychologist will discuss what the client hopes to achieve through therapy and explain suitable treatment options, answer questions about the therapeutic process, and complete necessary consent forms to ensure understanding of what treatment involves and confidentiality protections. This first session provides an important opportunity for the client to express their goals and for the therapist and client to establish a collaborative working relationship.