Western Australian Committee Information
Below are details of the current committee and vacancies. The APS is always on the look out for members who are interested in joining a Member Group committee, to help support and promote members, the profession, and the APS. For more information about joining a Member Groups committee, click here.
Have questions? Please feel free to contact committee members via PsyCommunity direct message here or reach out to APS Member Groups via [email protected].
Chair
Dr Jason Sharbanee
Jason is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Curtin University, where he teaches psychotherapy to postgraduate trainees, and conducts research into the process of change during psychotherapy.
He is also certified as the local trainer in Emotion Focused Therapy, and delivers psychotherapy trainings through the Western Australian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy (waiEFT.com.au). He maintains a private practice a Clearhealth.
Jason specialises in Emotion Focused Therapy and experiential therapies generally, for individuals, couples and groups across a range of presenting issues. He was trained and supervised by some of the leading developers of EFT, Leslie Greenberg and Jeanne Watson, over the last 10 years.
Secretary
Dr Dominique Cleary
Dominique is an early-career Clinical Psychologist, who completed her Masters and PhD at The University of Western Australia. She has worked clinically in a range of settings including community and hospital settings, with a range of populations. She is currently working for WA health in the perinatal and women's health space, where she enjoys working with a diverse range of patients and presenting concerns. She has a particular interest in perinatal mental health and early parent-infant interactions, and her PhD research investigated the early developmental period of infants with a family history of autism, the parental experience of second time parents who have a child diagnosed with an autism, and the potential of an early parent-mediated intervention focussed on working with parents to best support their baby's early social and communication abilities.
Treasurer
Dr Brendon Dellar
Dr Brendon Dellar is an Adjunct Associate Professor (Clinical Psychology) at Curtin Univeristy & Director of Cygnet Clinic, a large centre for psychological assessment, treatment and postgraduate supervision/training in Western Australia. He is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society of Clinical Psychologists and a Board Approved Supervisor. He has a passion for lecturing, workshops, and applied research in a range of areas including Addiction, Autism, and Psychological Interventions. Dr Dellar holds a number of positions as a non-paid consultant in areas such as tertiary education, organisational management and mental healthcare for first responders.
Committee Member
Mr Ethan Luxton
Ethan is a clinical psychologist registrar who graduated from Curtin University in 2023. He currently practices at Oqea Cares, a large psychology and psychiatry clinic in Subiaco. Ethan's clinical interests include the assessment and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring conditions and extend to addressing pervasive patterns of distress, shame, or disappointment. Ethan is passionate about advancing mental health care and advocating for improvements to mental health and mental health education systems in Australia.
Committee Member
Dr David Preece
Dr David Preece is a clinical psychologist and academic. He is a senior clinical lecturer at Curtin University, where he is the Director of the Perth Emotion & Psychopathology Lab. He also works clinically in private practice. David’s main research and practice interests are the assessment, understanding, and treatment of emotional disorders. He is particularly interested in the role that emotional awareness (alexithymia) and emotion regulation difficulties play in a variety of mental disorders, and how this understanding can be harnessed to design and improve transdiagnostic treatments. David has developed several psychometric measures of emotional functioning, which are now widely used around the world in clinical research and practice. David has volunteered on APS Clinical College committees since 2018; he is passionate about advocating for clinical psychologists, registrars, and students, and the vital role of clinical psychology in mental health systems across Australia.
Committee Member
Dr Trevor Mazzucchelli
Trevor Mazzucchelli is an Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology at Curtin University, Australia, and an Honorary Associate Professor at the Parenting and Family Support Centre at The University of Queensland. Over the past 30 years, he has held several clinical positions, conducted research in the area of parenting children with disability, and written many articles on this and related topics for scientific journals and publications. He is a co-author of Stepping Stones Triple P, has developed programs to help parents of children with disability prevent and manage commonly encountered behavioural and emotional problems, and trained practitioners in more than 10 countries to support parents in using these programs. His research interests are broad and include treatment outcome evaluations, mechanisms of behavioural and cognitive change, self-management, and how individuals and families can achieve optimal levels of functioning under both stressful and normal circumstances.
PD Representative
Ms Pheobe Ho
Pheobe is a passionate Clinical Psychologist, researcher, and lived experience consultant with expertise in the area of eating disorders and youth mental health. She is also passionate about reducing mental health stigma amongst mental health professionals, and the wider community. Recently, Pheobe was invited to be part of the NEDC National Treatment Strategy Working Group, developing Australia’s 10-Year Strategy (2023-2033) for treatment of eating disorders. Pheobe’s contributions and work in the area eating disorders, and mental health more broadly, saw her as a Finalist in the 2019 WA Young Achiever Awards; a recipient of the 2019 Australian Psychology Society Prize; and serving as an appointed Commissioner to the National Mental Health Commission between 2022-2023 following completion of the Australian Mental Health Leaders Fellowship with the Commission in 2020. She continues to be a lived experience speaker on local and national levels outside of clincial practice.
Student Representative
Miss Talia Holland
Talia is a dedicated and driven graduate of a first-class honours degree in psychology from Curtin University. Currently, she is a provisional psychologist, pursuing her Masters at the University of Notre Dame, where she also works as a sessional academic, lecturing and tutoring in the undergraduate psychology program. Passionate about mental health, Talia aims to contribute to the field through her academic and professional endeavours. Her research focuses on the transitional adolescent age group, which she hopes to specialise in clinically. Beyond academics, Talia seeks growth opportunities through volunteering. Talia is hoping to embark on her clinical Masters next year and is excited about the dynamic field and what lies ahead.