Emma Kavanagh-Hyde, Associate
Emma has completed a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) at the University of Dublin, Trinity College, Ireland and then trained in Clinical Psychology at Macquarie University in Sydney. Emma is currently completing research for her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in the area of child anxiety, under the supervision of Prof Ron Rapee.Emma has over ten years experience in Australia and overseas working with children and adults, individually and in groups, in public and private health settings. Emma has worked extensively in a wide variety of areas including anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder, relationship difficulties, anger management, adjustment issues, stress management, Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.
One of Emma’s areas of expertise lies in the assessment and treatment of child, adolescent, and adult anxiety disorders and she has received specialist training and experience at the Macquarie University Emotional Health Clinic (formerly Macquarie University Anxiety and Research Unit). Emma is experienced in providing assessment, and both individual and group treatment, of various anxiety disorders, including social anxiety, generalised anxiety, phobias, mixed anxiety and depression, performance anxiety, and panic attacks.
In her work with children, adolescents and their families, Emma has worked in several areas, including anger management, parenting skills, behaviour modification programs, school refusal, ADHD, social skills training, adjustment issues relating to separation/divorce. Emma has also spent several years consulting with schools providing cognitive assessments of learning difficulties, ADHD, and Asperger’s Syndrome and providing support regarding behaviour and classroom management. Emma trained in a tertiary referral setting at Westmead Hospital, working with children with complex emotional and behavioural disturbances. Prior to moving to Australia in 2002, Emma trained as an ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) therapist and worked with children with Autism and their families, both as a therapist and in designing behavioural support plans and social skills training. She also conducted cognitive assessments for the diagnosis of learning difficulties and developmental disabilities and consulted with primary schools regarding appropriate support plans.
In Australia, Emma has also worked as a psychologist in a specialised rehabilitation centre for individuals with complex disabilities and brain injuries. Her work entailed providing emotional support to residents, in helping them manage depression, anger management, anxiety, sexual concerns, and living with disability. Emma also devised and implemented numerous Behavioural Support Plans, policy statements, and worked closely with nursing staff in supporting them in their work.
Emma’s clinical work encompasses psychological issues across the lifespan. Emma trained at a psycho-geriatric ward in Sydney, working with older age adults presenting with chronic treatment-resistant depression, psychosis, bipolar disorder and complex grief issues.
Emma has an interest in the area of clinical supervision and has provided informal supervision to novice interns during the course of her doctoral training. She also has an interest in teaching, and has several years experience in teaching introductory psychology, developmental psychology, emotional and social development, and psychopathology courses to undergraduate students at Macquarie University.
Emma has a strong commitment to ongoing research and believes in providing the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatment for her clients. Emma is in the process of finalising her doctoral thesis, which examined the role of parental behaviours, particularly modelling of fear reactions, in the development and manifestation of fear and anxiety in children.
Emma has worked in private practice in Sydney for three years prior to joining Lissa Johnson & Associates. She is highly regarded by peers, and has developed good professional networks with medical practitioners and allied professionals.
Emma is committed to ongoing professional development and she has completed further training in the areas of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and the therapeutic relationship. She is committed to utilising evidence based, scientifically effective treatments, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-based CBT.
Emma is fully registered with the NSW Psychologists' Registration Board, and is an associate member of the Australian Psychological Society.