Caroline Raphael has been practicing as a psychologist since 2000 and has been an active member of the North Coast Committee and of Psychology and Integrative Mental Health, both of which she has found very enriching and rewarding. She loves the profession of psychology and finds being on the APS Committees a great way to give back and support the development of the profession. She encourages all members to contribute in any way they can, because with us all we can only be greater.

Passionate about holding space for all forms of the human condition, I am a clinical psychologist and part of a phenomenal team at Ascending Psychology. Together, we work to create a welcoming and healing space for people to reflect and grow through the tragedies and pain that are so often inflicted as we navigate this human experience. Inspired by the ancient wisdom accumulated from civilizations that were more deeply connected to nature, the spiritual teachings of cultures and collective societies, and the modern scientific technologies that we have available now, I hope to continue to learn and grow with all that we have available to us as a species. As part of this, I draw on experiences and lessons gained from working in forensic hospitals, high secure prisons, remote Aboriginal communities, offshore processing centers in Nauru and PNG, and in private practice as both a clinician and the director of a group practice.

Louise joined the APS as a student in 1993, and has been a full member for over 20 years. She works as a psychologist engaged in a variety of roles, mostly as academic and researcher.
Louise has served as a committee member of the North Coast Branch for over 10 years and is a member of the Psychology and Ageing Interest Group of NSW.
Her research interests and publications cover a range of topics that include the Management of loneliness in Aged Care Residents, Deaf people communicating via SMS, Hearing loss and its impact on residents in long term care facilities, Older adults who move into independent living units, and the evaluation of a regional Dementia Health Literacy Project. She is a reviewer for several national and international peer reviewed journals.

Louise is on the steering committee of the Ballina Dementia Friendly Alliance, serves on the Regional Executive of the North Coast UPA and is Director of Postgraduate Education, School of Health & Human Sciences at SCU.