To keep up with demand across Australia, Therapy Near Me has welcomed two highly experienced psychologists to our team: Psychologist Alyson Dunn and Psychologist Dr Ross Leembruggen.

Both are:

• Registered with Medicare and able to offer Medicare rebates for eligible referrals
• Experienced working with NDIS participants (psychosocial disability, functional impact, complex needs)
• Available immediately for new clients via telehealth
• Able to support GPs, psychiatrists, support coordinators and plan managers who are seeking reliable, evidence-based care for their clients

In addition, Alyson is available for home visits around the Gold Coast region available in Newcastle and the Hunter region, alongside their national telehealth work.

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Why These Psychologists Strengthen Our Clinical Quality (E-E-A-T in Practice)

People want mental health information and services provided by clinicians with clear Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). These two appointments directly support that:

• Deep experience: Both psychologists have long histories in frontline roles dealing with complex presentations, risk and crisis work, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Recognised expertise: They are AHPRA-registered, endorsed as Board-Approved Supervisors, and trained in multiple evidence-based modalities.
• Authority: Both hold key provider registrations (Medicare, NDIS and other schemes), professional memberships and specialist training in trauma, EMDR, clinical hypnosis and advanced therapies.
• Trust: Their careers show long-term work in education, Defence, corrections, multi-site practices and community settings where safety, ethics and confidentiality are non-negotiable.

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Psychologist Alyson Dunn – Gold Coast & Telehealth Psychologist, Medicare & NDIS

Key Points at a Glance

• Location: Based near the NSW/QLD border; available for home visits around the Gold Coast and telehealth Australia-wide
• Experience: 15+ years in counselling and psychology roles in TAFE, headspace, private practice and community services
• Registration & providers:
◦ AHPRA general registration
◦ Psychology Board-Approved Supervisor
◦ Registered Medicare provider
◦ Works with NDIS participants (self-managed and plan-managed)
• Immediate availability: Accepting new Medicare and NDIS clients now
• Supervision: Offers Board-approved supervision psychologists

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Clinical Expertise and Approach

Alyson holds a Bachelor of Science (Psychology), Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology.

She has developed a strong reputation as a trauma-informed, compassionate and organised clinician who can safely manage complex presentations in both education and private practice settings.

Her practice is guided by modern, evidence-based therapies, including:

• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Schema Therapy
• Attachment-informed approaches
• Brief, solution-focused interventions

She has completed specialist training in:

• Intensive trauma and stabilisation
• DBT and Schema Therapy
• Compassion-focussed and mindful self-compassion approaches
• Eating disorder identification and intervention
• Mental Health First Aid, suicide risk assessment and safety planning

This combination of training and experience means that Alyson is particularly well suited for clients who need structured therapy, but also want someone warm and down-to-earth who can adapt to real-world pressures (study, work, parenting, financial stress, carers’ responsibilities, etc.).

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Who Alyson Works With

Alyson provides telehealth and home visit psychology for:

• Adolescents and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, stress and burnout
• People recovering from trauma and adverse childhood experiences
• Clients dealing with substance use, self-harm and suicidality (with clear safety planning)
• Individuals and carers seeking support with grief, loss and relationship issues
• Students and workers navigating study stress, career changes and workplace conflict

She also brings extensive experience in crisis intervention, risk assessment, incident management and postvention, which strengthens the safety and clinical governance of our team.

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Supervision for Provisional Psychologists

For provisional psychologists and early-career clinicians, Alyson provides Board-approved supervision and mentoring, informed by years of leadership as a Senior Counsellor and crisis team lead.

This makes her an excellent contact for:

• 4+2 and 5+1 provisional psychologists seeking a primary or secondary supervisor
• Early-career clinicians wanting regular case consultation and skills development
• Organisations needing supervision for staff in education, community or youth mental health settings

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Psychologist Dr Ross Leembruggen – Newcastle & Telehealth Clinical Lead, Medicare & NDIS

Key Points at a Glance

• Location: Based in Newcastle / Hunter region, seeing clients locally and via telehealth Australia-wide
• Experience: Over 25 years as a psychologist and executive leader in Defence, corrections, private practice and multi-site services
• Qualifications:
◦ Master of Clinical Psychology (Post-Registration) (Cairnmillar Institute)
◦ Doctor of Business Administration, Master of Business, Master of Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship
◦ Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis, BA (Psychology) (Hons)
• Registrations & providers:
◦ AHPRA psychologist
◦ AHPRA Board-Approved Clinical Supervisor
◦ Medicare and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider
◦ DVA, WorkCover, Open Arms, NSW Victims Services, TAC and others
• Immediate availability: Accepting new Medicare and NDIS referrals

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Clinical Expertise and Leadership

Ross has held senior roles including:

• Principal Psychologist at XR Health
• Senior Psychologist with the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force
• Principal Psychologist at Hunter Psychological Services
• Managing Director of his own multi-site practice, AusPsych

His work spans:

• Telehealth and virtual reality / augmented reality (VR/AR) therapy through XR Health
• Trauma, critical incident response and high-risk work contexts
• Performance and executive coaching for leaders, aircrew and special forces personnel
• System-level quality improvement, innovation and service development, including building a start-up practice into a multi-million-dollar organisation with ten locations and 35 staff.

He is accredited in a wide range of specialist tools and modalities, including

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Who Ross Works With

Ross is particularly suited to:

• Veterans, serving members and first responders seeking a psychologist who understands Defence and high-risk roles
• Adults experiencing PTSD, complex trauma, moral injury, anxiety and depression
• Professionals and executives wanting performance enhancement, mindset coaching and leadership support
• NDIS participants requiring structured assessment and therapy for psychosocial disability and functional impairment

He provides care via telehealth (including VR/AR where clinically indicated) and can see local clients in Newcastle and the Hunter region.

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Supervision and Clinical Governance

As a Board-Approved Clinical Supervisor, Ross offers:

• Supervision for intern and registered psychologists
• Support for clinicians working with trauma, Defence/veteran populations and complex mental health
• Training, workshops and input into service-wide clinical governance and quality improvement

His presence at Therapy Near Me enhances our clinical leadership, supervision structure and innovation in digital mental health.

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How to Book With Alyson or Ross

If you’re searching for a Medicare or NDIS psychologist, a telehealth psychologist in Australia or local support in the Gold Coast or Newcastle/Hunter regions, our intake team can help you choose the right clinician.

• Medicare referrals: Ask your GP for a Mental Health Treatment Plan addressed to
• NDIS participants: Support coordinators and plan managers specify whether a Gold Coast home-visit psychologist (Alyson) or a Newcastle-based psychologist (Ross) is preferred.
• Private clients: You can also book privately (with or without rebates) for telehealth or, where available, in-person/home visits.

To get started, visit TherapyNearMe.com.au or contact our intake team on 1800 NEAR ME or office@therapynearme.com.au. We’ll help you match with the psychologist whose experience, location and approach best fit your needs, so you can access safe, evidence-based mental health care as soon as possible.