Expert Panel TAMWORTH

Meet the Panel

AMY DYASON

Principal Psychologist & Teacher
NSW Department of Education

Amy Dyason is a dedicated advocate for the empowerment and wellbeing of young people. As a Provisional Psychologist and Teacher, Amy brings a unique blend of insight and empathy to her work as a School Counsellor. From her early days as a learning support officer to her teaching career in Armidale, Narrabri and Camden, Amy's journey led her to dive deeper into understanding mental health in youth. In her final year as a classroom teacher, Amy taught a schoolwide wellbeing program which emphasised emotional regulation processes at a school for children with disabilities. She also launched her own business offering wellbeing workshops and mentoring for girls and teens.

Amy further honed her expertise with a Master of Psychological Practice from Charles Sturt University, specialising in School Psychology. Here Amy received the Executive Dean's Award for her Honours dissertation, where she researched eating pathology, motivation, and exercise in women, and analysed whether emotional intelligence could moderate associations. Fuelled by a dedication to creating change in her role as a school counsellor, Amy is a formidable advocate for youth empowerment and mental health advocacy.

ANNE EDWARDS

Mental Health Clinician
Healthwise

Anne is an accredited mental health social worker with nearly 20 years experience in working in mental health.  She has worked with NSW Health in community mental health in Glen Innes and for the last 10 years has been working with Healthwise as a mental health clinician. For the last 18 months she has had a dual role as both a clinician and the mental health clinical team leader.

Anne works across the lifespan with a particular interest in trauma, and is trained in EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing), which she finds can be spectacularly successful. Working and living in the small rural community of Glen Innes, she has a good grasp of the challenges community members face when trying to access mental health services.

NELL GAFF

Principal Psychologist
Calm Consultants

Nell leads the team Calm consultants team as Principal Psychologist. Her passion lies in working with clients to achieve life goals and find meaning. Growing up in the North West, Nell is excited to work with local people to enhance their wellbeing and build fulfilling lives. Nell brings 20 years of clinical experience working with adults, adolescents, and groups in private practice, inpatient and community settings.

Nell’s therapeutic approach is practical, flexible and relevant to her client’s needs. She cares about improving health and wellbeing through the use of evidence-based practice and an engaging interpersonal style. She incorporates clinical training with a firm commitment to holistic treatment. Her experience in recovery, trauma, injury management and Mental Health Assessments to support diagnosis provides the ability to work with a wide range of psychological issues.