Dr Amanda Symboluk, Associate
Amanda's qualifications are a Master of Science with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Sydney, a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of Western Ontario, and a Bachelor of Psychology with Honours from Queen's University, Ontario.Amanda has several years experience working as a Clinical Psychologist in the public and private sectors, and is skilled at working with individuals, couples, and families in a wide variety of areas, including: anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, self esteem, stress management, trauma, eating disorders, and childhood disorders, including emotional and behavioural disorders.
In her work with anxiety, Amanda has considerable experience treating a variety of anxiety related issues such as social anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic attacks, fear of public speaking, health anxiety, performance anxiety, specific phobias, and excessive worry.
In the area of relationships Amanda possesses extensive expertise helping individuals, couples and families to overcome difficulties such as conflict resolution, communication difficulties, and issues related to separation, infidelity, and divorce.
Amanda is also proficient in working with clients with histories of trauma, such as physical, emotional and sexual trauma. She has had several years of practice using cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and EMDR with people who have suffered from symptoms related to anxiety and depression after witnessing or indirectly being exposed to life threatening or dangerous situations.
In her work with children and adolescents, Amanda treats severe childhood difficulties such as trauma, aggression, attachment disorder, Tourettes syndrome, Autism, Aspergers and other learning and developmental disabilities. She also works with common childhood and family issues such as parenting difficulties, mood difficulties, problems at school, peer interactions, bullying and childhood depression and anxiety.
Amanda's other areas of interest and expertise include working with clients from various multicultural backgrounds. In addition to practicing in Australia she has worked in New Zealand, Ireland and Canada. Her therapeutic techniques are flexible and accommodating of each person's needs, and respectful of their cultural, ethnic and religious origins.
Amanda is a very experienced and perceptive therapist, who offers a supportive environment in which to effectively address problems and difficulties. In addition to working clinically, Amanda has conducted honours level research in both psychology and sociology and masters research in psychology. In her masters thesis, Amanda examined factors contributing towards adolescent sexual perpetrating behaviours. Her work in this area has been published in the Irish Journal of Psychology and was recognized by a special University Scholarship Award from the University of Western Ontario, Canada. Her doctoral research investigated children's personality, family cohesion and parenting styles as they relate to bullying and victimization amongst primary school age children. Specifically, she focussed on variables involved in attachment, family interactions, and communication patterns within families.
Amanda is fully registered with the NSW Psychologists' Registration Board, and is an associate member of the Australian Psychological Society and a member of the Canadian Psychological Association.