Bio:

I am a clinical psychologist working at Monash Health. I moved out to the Dandenong Ranges during Covid and have fallen in love with hills life and determined to never return to suburban living. Having been a hills resident for several years now, I understand that there is a great need for experienced and trusted therapists who can help with a range of mental health problems. I have heard that people want help with childhood traumas that continue to create problems in adulthood, how to manage adult ADHD, how to navigate major life changes like job loss, relationship breakups, parenting, intimate partner violence or the death of someone close. A major transition for women into menopause is more recognised now for its impact on mood and functioning. These stressful stages of life can overwhelm our regular capacity to cope and cause doubt and thoughts that life is too hard and that one can no longer manage to go on. My passion is to help people see a way when they cannot, assist them to regain confidence in their abilities to manage or learn new ways to cope. I use a whole person approach in therapy, whereby, I work with body and mind toward healing. I will use a range of therapies to help you achieve your therapeutic goals. In the end, it isn’t really about what treatments I use, but the strength of our therapeutic bond that will determine how much you will get out of therapy. If you feel safe enough with me, you will be more willing to be vulnerable and go to the deeper, darker places that need to be visited in therapy. It is a privilege and an honour to be invited to travel there with you.

Fern & Mind

Fern and Mind is a psychology clinic located in Emerald in the Dandenong Ranges. It was started by clinical psychologist, So-An Lao, who moved to the hills during Covid and fell in love with life in the hills. Her desire to never leave the hills motivated her to start her own practice closer to home to provide a much-needed service to the local community. Her vision for the clinic was that it would grow organically in its reputation as a cutting-edge therapeutic hub grounded in nature, attracting both locals and off-hill visitors seeking effective treatment for their psychological struggles. Our current interest is in the area of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies in potentially treating treatment-resistant depression as well as fast-tracking the treatment of PTSD. Whilst our clinical psychologist is trained to deliver MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for treatment of PTSD through the American organisation, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), our regulations currently require a multi-disciplinary team to prescribe and oversee this treatment. We currently cannot offer dosage, but can help with integration and processing. As research and regulation progress in this area, what we can offer may change. Watch this space as we update you on the latest in Psychedelic Assisted Treatments (PAT).

Clinical Psychologist

So-An Lao