Child Sexual Abuse Issues and Psychology

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].

 

Convener

Miss Isabella Mallia
Bella is a provisionally registered psychologist with experience supporting a diverse range of NDIS clients. She currently works in private practice in regional Victoria, providing therapy for individuals with disabilities, trauma histories, VOCAT cases, and other complex presentations.

With a background as a behaviour support practitioner, Bella has worked with participants from various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds across regional Victoria, delivering individual assessments and interventions.

Bella is an active member of the CSA IG and a dedicated advocate for both victim-survivors and perpetrators of CSA.

Secretary

Mrs Katriona Hunt
I have been working in the child protection sector for over 20 years in the casework space, and am currently studying the MPP to become a clinician.

Treasurer

Ms Samantha Munslow-Davies
Sam is a provisional psychologist working towards general registration in 2023, after completing a Master of Professional Psychology in 2021. She has been working in private practice since graduation with Let’s Talk Counselling and Psychological Services. Sam works with a range of clients but has specialist training and experience within the area of child sexual assault and sexual trauma. Sam works as part of the facilitation team running a community-based treatment program for child sexual abuse and child exploitation material offending. She has experience working with the general population, victims/survivors, and offenders both inside and out of prison.

Committee Member

Mr Michael Guarna
Michael's interest in Posttraumatic Stress (PTSD) began while working at a military research centre. From here, he started treating occupational trauma in police, firefighters, first responders, and others facing critical incidents at work, eg armed robberies.

Michael then shifted to working with community trauma, focusing on domestic violence and child protection, with a particular focus on treating survivors of child sexual abuse.

He now works in regional SA and continues to see clients for all forms of trauma, helping children, teenagers, and adults both recover and thrive.

Committee Member

Mr Mercurio Cicchini

Committee Member

Ms Christabel Chamarette