Our Clinical Team
Dr Celin Gelgec
Director and Senior Clinical Psychologist
D.Psych. (Clinical). Member APS.
Hello! I’m Celin (pronounced Celine). I’m a senior clinical psychologist and the director of Melbourne Wellbeing Group. I work with people affected by obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and other related disorders including anxiety (e.g., social anxiety, generalised anxiety, agoraphobia, health anxiety, phobias, panic disorder), pre-and post-natal anxiety and depression, and depression.
My interest in OCD began in 2010 while undertaking my final placement at the OCD inpatient unit at The Melbourne Clinic for the clinical doctorate program at Deakin University. After my placement I remained with the program for another four years. During this time, I honed my knowledge and skills and developed treatment programs using exposure and response prevention, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy. While working concurrently in private practice at Melbourne Wellbeing Group, I expanded my experience to include virtual reality therapy as well as schema therapy.
In addition to conducting research into OCD’s impact on lives, I am also an AHPRA approved supervisor to supervise clinicians and students, and I run lectures and workshops for psychologists, healthcare professionals and students regarding assessment, diagnosis and treatment of OCD. I am also the author of a treatment manual for health professionals called Treating OCD: A Clinician’s Guide to Getting Unstuck and co-host (with Dr Tori Miller) of our podcast “Breaking the Rules” - A Clinician’s Guide to Treating OCD.
I look forward to working with you!
To book with Celin call 03 9882 8874.
Dr Victoria Miller
Principal Clinical Psychologist and Associate Director
D.Psych. (Clinical).
Hi, I’m Victoria but I prefer to be called Tori. I am a Clinical psychologist and the principal practitioner and associate director here at Melbourne Wellbeing Group. My work is all about supporting children, young people, parents, and families with difficulties such as depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, stress or anger, trauma, psychosis, neurodevelopmental difficulties, challenging behaviours, relationship difficulties, or significant life events. When I welcome new clients, my priority is to build a shared understanding of the problem, before developing a personalised treatment plan. This may include play therapy, supportive psychotherapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, exposure response prevention therapy, virtual reality therapy or child-focused parent therapy. I can also conduct cognitive and learning assessments and I am an AHPRA certified supervisor. Recently we started a podcast of which I am the co-host (with Dr Celin Gelgec), called “Breaking the Rules” - A Clinician’s Guide to Treating OCD.
While completing my Clinical doctorate program at Deakin University, I researched the female profile of autism. In addition to my work in private practice, I have worked for the Monash Early in Life Mental Health Program in their adolescent group therapy program and community treatment team and then as the senior psychologist in their early psychosis team. I have always loved working with children, young people, and their families, and coming to work brings me great joy. Plus, I have the best office – it’s full of toys!
To book with Tori call 03 9882 8874.
For more information on the group therapy program for teens with OCD click here.
Ms Catherine McGrath
Senior Psychologist
Post-Grad Dip. Psych. Member APS
Hi, I’m Catherine, a senior psychologist at the Melbourne Wellbeing Group. I work primarily with children and young people and am constantly amazed by their strength and courage. I have over 15 years of experience working as a psychologist with clients who have complex presentations and family systems. I use a collaborative approach to achieve optimum outcomes for my clients.
I have worked extensively in the areas of autism spectrum disorder, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, challenging behaviours, developmental trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, parenting support, sexual abuse, and problematic sexual behaviours. I create a safe space where clients are heard and respected. I have supervised clinicians in their therapeutic roles and believe that reflective spaces are essential for growth and development. In 2019, I presented a paper at the Australian New Zealand Conference for Treatment of Sexual Abuse Conference (ANZATSA) on the impact of working with young people who engage in sexually harmful behaviours. I empower clients to be the agent of change.
I am informed by and utilise a range of modalities in my practice including cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure response prevention, dyadic developmental psychotherapy, sensorimotor psychotherapy, neurobiology of trauma, play therapy and mindfulness.
I believe that working with children, young people and their support systems is critical, and I feel privileged to do this work. I look forward to meeting you at the clinic!
To book with Catherine call 03 9882 8874.
Mr Tom Manthos
Senior Psychologist
M.Psych (Prof. Psych. & Practice)
Hi! I’m Tom, a psychologist with Melbourne Wellbeing Group. I create a therapeutic environment in which clients feel comfortable to share their concerns and issues.
Having experience with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, disordered eating, and bipolar disorder, I work with adults, teens, and kids alike. By working collaboratively with children and their parents, we can address psychological issues that cause the child interpersonal distress in their home, school, and social lives. Utilising acceptance and commitment therapy, exposure and response prevention, cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and psychodynamic therapy, I guide clients away from overthinking and towards being more mindful and present. I look forward to collaborating on your therapy goals.
To book with Tom call 03 9882 8874
Existing patients can book with Tom online here.
Ms Miriam von Furstenberg
Psychologist
Grad Dip Psy Adv, BA (Psych)
Hello, I’m Miriam! Working as a psychologist has allowed me to support people from all walks of life to achieve meaningful and lasting personal change in line with their values and goals. I have experience working with people facing a broad range of complex issues, including anxiety, depression, sleep issues, grief, trauma, substance use, personality issues, self-harm, major life transitions, chronic pain, disability, workplace issues, stress, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and neurodiversity.
When working with you I want to ensure that you feel comfortable and safe to explore your thoughts, worries, needs and goals in a compassionate and genuine space. I draw upon evidence-based therapies, including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and schema therapy to support you in developing skills to live a fulfilling life.
I look forward to working with you.
To book with Miriam give our team a call on (03) 9882-8874.
Mr Evan Dauer
Psychologist and Clinical Registrar
M.Psych. (Clinical)
Hi! I’m Evan, a psychologist with Melbourne Wellbeing Group. I work hard to provide a safe therapeutic space for clients where they can be open and honest without fear of judgement. I support clients in helping them overcome their mental health difficulties, achieve their goals, live in line with their values, and improve their wellbeing. I have experience working with clients who struggle with depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance abuse, interpersonal difficulties, social anxiety, trauma, and personalities issues. I use a range of evidence-based therapies including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), and schema therapy. I pride myself in helping clients making meaningful and lasting change in their lives. I look forward to working with you!
Ms Sarah Zhang
Psychologist. Clinical Registrar.
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), Master of Psychology (Clinical)
Hello I’m Sarah, a psychologist at the Melbourne Wellbeing Group. I work collaboratively with adolescents and young adults to explore their goals and values, and prioritise building upon client’s existing skills and knowledge to create meaningful change in their lives. I have extensive clinical experiences, having helped clients struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, interpersonal conflict, relationship difficulties, low-self esteem, sleep issues, perfectionism, OCD, substance use, and some personality disorders.
I am particularly passionate about assisting young adults in creating healthy and meaningful changes in their lives which are aligned with what is most important to them. I undertake a collaborative and holistic person-centred approach in therapy and draw upon an eclectic blend of therapeutic modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Motivational Interviewing (MI).
I focus on creating a welcoming therapeutic environment, which is warm and nurturing for clients to explore their lives and experiences. I believe the therapeutic relationship is integral in cultivating a safe space which promotes reflective practice and growth. I feel exceptionally grateful being able to work in this field, and look forward to working with you!
Dr Melinda Millar
Senior Clinical Psychologist
B.A; Grad Dip Adol & Child Psych; D.Psych (Clinical); MAPS
Hello! I’m Melinda, a senior Clinical Psychologist at the Melbourne Wellbeing Group. As a registered psychologist for nearly 30 years, I am passionate about helping children, adolescents and adults to make meaningful and effective changes in their thinking and behaviour to create healthier and happier lives. I use a warm, compassionate and collaborative approach to engage clients and support them as they embark on their therapeutic journey.
I have extensive experience in working with clients on a broad range of presenting issues including anxiety disorders (e.g. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, phobias); mood disorders (e.g. Major Depressive Disorder; Dysthymia); social difficulties (e.g. social exclusion, peer conflict, romantic relationship issues); emotional difficulties (e.g. emotional dysregulation, low self-esteem, school refusal, self-harm, stress management); behavioural difficulties (e.g. anger management issues, attention-deficit disorders); grief (e.g. loss of loved ones or pets, adjustment to parental separation and divorce); eating difficulties (e.g. fussy eating, fear-based eating avoidance; eating disorders); and sleep difficulties.
My experience involves working in community, educational and private mental health settings including Mental Health Services for Kids and Youth (Royal Children’s Hospital); Melbourne Girls’ College; the Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology (Monash Medical Centre); and a range of private health care centres.
I draw upon a range of evidence-based therapies to support clients to achieve their therapeutic goals. These include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and psycho-education.
I look forward to working with you to achieve your therapeutic goals. To book with Melinda, please call (03) 9882-88874
Mr Leander Dellers
Registered Psychologist (Clinical Registrar)
Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), PhD Candidate (Clinical Psychology)
Hi, I’m Leander. I’m a registered psychologist at Melbourne Wellbeing Group, and am currently completing my clinical registrar program, and my PhD in Clinical Psychology. I’m originally from Switzerland, and speak fluent Swiss-German, German, and English.
I like to work collaboratively with young adults and adults, and use an open, empathetic, and non-judgmental approach to create a therapy environment where you can feel safe to explore and openly discuss your feelings, thoughts, concerns, and goals in life. I am passionate about creating a trusting relationship with my clients, where I can help you foster a sense of self-compassion, increase your self-awareness and to support you build on skills that will help you make positive changes in your life.
I have experience working with a range of concerns, such as anxiety disorders (e.g., social anxiety, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), mood disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder), relationship and social concerns (e.g., romantic relationship issues, peer conflict), emotional difficulties (e.g., emotional dysregulation, anger management, self-esteem, adjustment issues), substance use concerns, and other concerns (e.g., perfectionism, sleep issues, stress management). I also have a special interest in working with individuals who struggle with their sexual and/or gender identity (e.g., questioning sexuality/gender, coming out difficulties, gender dysphoria, etc). As part of my PhD, I’m researching the effects of marginalisation within the male gay-community on mental health outcomes.
I like to use an individually tailored multi-modal approach, using evidence-based therapy approaches, such as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Schema Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, and Solution-Focused Therapy.
I’m looking forward to meeting you!
Ms Sera Elmasri
Senior Psychologist - BSc, MSc, MAPP, MAPs
Hi my name is Sera Elmasri. I have dedicated over 25 years of my life working as a counselling psychologist all across Australia. My clients often feedback that therapy can be hard with me but it gets to “the root of the problem”. My main focus in treatment is helping clients breakthrough the barriers to change through in depth understanding and effective techniques.
I use a gentle, compassionate and non judgmental approach and utilise CBT, ACT, Existential psychotherapy and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). I am also a qualified Master of Positive of Psychology Practitioner (MAPP). Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) are scientifically proven to assist with recovery and relapse prevention following depression, burnout and health crises. PPIs don’t just target symptoms but promote self-confidence, meaningful engagement and well-being.
I am also trained in ERP for OCD treatment. I work with adults who present with the full gamut of anxiety disorders, Depression, and OCD presentations, Suicidality and Traumatic stress Disorders, as well as adults who are in cancer recovery. I look forward to working with you.
To book with Sera please give our team a call on (03) 9882-8874.
Ms Abby Kortlang
Psychologist and Clinical Registrar
Hi there, I’m Abby.
In my practice as a psychologist I use a transtheoretical approach, where I will draw from a broad variety of evidence-based therapies to best meet your individual needs, personality and preferences. Therapy with me may therefore include a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Schema Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Attachment-Focused Family Therapy and Self Compassion Focused therapy - amongst others!
I am a firm believer that the strength of our therapy relationship will be a big driver in therapy outcomes – so I will make efforts to encourage trust, transparency, safety, warmth, and a little bit of fun in the therapy space.
I have experience working with individuals of all ages and clinical presentations including anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, personality vulnerabilities, trauma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, substance use, adjustment and life issues, stress, and relationship difficulties. Prior to working as a psychologist, I worked full-time in early intervention therapy with neurodiverse children and their families, so I have a special interest in working with neurodiverse children, adolescents, and adults.
I look forward to meeting with you, and discussing a therapy plan that will best meet your unique needs and goals.
To book with Abby call 03 9882 8874.
Ms Hannalore Herft
Psychologist
M. Psych (Ed. & Dev.)
(Educational and Developmental Psychology Registrar)
Hello, I’m Hannalore. I help young people with learning difficulties. By undertaking a range of cognitive and academic assessments, we can understand why a student is experiencing learning difficulties. From these insights, I build an individualised learning profile and provide support strategies and interventions which target areas of challenge. Through collaboration, I ensure the students’ needs are understood and supported by parents and teachers. My emphasis is on helping students understand their own strengths and weaknesses empowering them to manage their difficulties and realise their academic potential.
In addition, I help young people manage challenges through using relevant therapeutic techniques that can appear in social, emotional, and behavioural areas. These can present as inattention, poor memory, poor time management, anxiety, OCD, friendship problems, lack of self-esteem, and problems regulating emotions and behaviour.
Increasing the self-awareness of young people helps them develop the ability to manage themselves, and their interactions with others, and to increase their self-efficacy across all areas of life.
To book with Hannalore call 03 9882 8874.
Mr Nathanael Clarke
Psychologist
MPP (Masters of Professional Psychology)
Hi, I'm Nat. I am a fully registered psychologist who works with adults and adolescents with the goal of providing professional, empathic and evidence-based therapy.
Fundamental to my approach is the view that meaningful and effective therapy goes beyond ‘skills training’ and mere symptom reduction and involves a meaningful relationship between patient and therapist. Engagement in this type of therapy develops over time and takes commitment and bravery and begins with establishing a safe therapeutic relationship within which your individual experience is heard and understood, and where honesty, grace and perseverance are valued and embodied.
I draw from various modalities, including CBT (including Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD treatment), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment therapy), Schema Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and have recently become interested in psychodynamic approaches.
To book with Nat call 03 9882 8874.
Ms Jenny Placek
Senior Clinical Psychologist
M.Psych. (Clinical). Member APS
Hello! I’m Jenny, a psychologist and Clinical registrar at Melbourne Wellbeing Group. Having worked in clinics and community health, I have experience in a wide range of areas, including anxiety disorders, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), substance abuse, managing life transitions, grief and loss and life-related stresses. I have a special interest in helping clients recover from OCD and anxiety-related disorders. My post-graduate research focussed on men’s mental health and was informed by specialised counselling work with male clients.
To begin, we discuss the issues that brought you to therapy, and then devise a treatment plan based on the specific areas you would like to improve. Our sessions will include traditional talking therapy, psychoeducation to foster awareness and skills to affect change. My therapeutic style is warm, empathic, and encouraging with a focus on empowerment and support. Depending on your objectives, we can draw from a variety of evidence-based frameworks, including cognitive behavioural therapy, virtual reality therapy, exposure and response prevention, motivational interviewing, acceptance and commitment therapy and other mindfulness-based frameworks and interventions.
To book with Jenny call 03 9882 8874.
Ms Hannah Gersh
Clinical Psychologist - Hannah is currently on maternity leave.
M.Psych. (Clinical).
Hi, I’m Hannah, a psychologist here at Melbourne Wellbeing Group. I support adolescents and adults to overcome mental health difficulties, to achieve their personal goals, increase wellbeing and find purpose. Strong therapeutic alliance is essential for change, so I work collaboratively with my clients. I acknowledge the uniqueness of each person, and tailor therapy to suit individual needs, ensuring clients feel safe, supported, and understood.
My areas of expertise include depression, anxiety, stress, obsessive compulsive disorder, procrastination and motivation, relationship issues, low self-esteem, and sleep difficulties. I draw on a range of evidence-based interventions to suit the needs of my clients, including cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, exposure and response prevention, and positive psychology interventions. I look forward to meeting you and working together to achieve your therapeutic goals!
To book with Hannah call 03 9882 8874.
For information about the group therapy program for BFRB’s click here.
Our Client Relationship Team
Rita - Client Relationship Team Leader
Hello! My name is Rita. I am here to help as best as I can with questions you might have about our team, booking appointments with us, referral questions, and other queries you might have. I look forward to welcoming you at the clinic.
Rebecca - Client Relationship Team
Hi! I’m Bec, My role at MWG is to help you with enquiries, referrals, appointment bookings and other questions you might have. I work at MWG on Mondays. Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. I look forward to seeing you at the practice!