Caroline is an educational and developmental psychologist with experience working in research, education, health, and early childhood intervention including managing a transdisciplinary team in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Caroline is particularly interested in family centred approaches to child developmental assessment and care, and supporting vulnerable children and families.

I am an educational and developmental psychologist, working in the private sector as Portfolio Manager - Formalised Assessment & Early Intervention at SAL Consulting. I am a board approved supervisor.

I am focused on working with families at risk, and children and adults with and without disabilities who have complex trauma histories. This has included utilising standardised and dynamic assessment to understand emotional, educational and developmental needs of people I support; engaging with young people and their families in therapy; developing and facilitating parenting and young person’s groups; psycho-social assessments and parenting capacity assessments; neurodevelopmental, attachment and trauma informed behaviour support and applying therapeutic models within family preservation, disability and early intervention settings to create safety and build social and emotional wellbeing.

Dr. Susana Gavidia-Payne is an Adjunct Professor in Educational and Developmental Psychology at RMIT University. Susana has worked extensively with young children with disabilities and their families as a practising psychologist, early childhood intervention (ECI) service manager and researcher for the last 35 years. Susana’s research prioritizes evidence-based policy and practice that enable and constrain children’s development and family well-being, particularly in populations who experience developmental delays and disabilities. She is a member of the Coordinating Committee for the International Society on Early Intervention (ISEI). In her role as a member of the Victorian Children’s Council since 2015, Susana has advised various State Ministers of education, child protection, disability, health and human services. Susana’s current research examines ECI practitioners’ and families’ experiences in the implementation of the NDIS in Australia.

I'm an aspiring clinical psychologist and researcher, who is passionate about compassion-focused approaches that support gender and sexually diverse minorities.

I completed a Bachelor of Psychology (Advanced) with First Class Honours at the University of Adelaide in 2023. In 2024, I am completing my Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney.

I'm driven to ensure LGBTQIA+ needs and voices remain at the forefront of my research and to establish compassionate understandings that avoid pathologising and stigmatising queer experiences. I hope to achieve all of this while remaining grounded in rigorous science and quantitative (and qualitative) reflexivity.