Professional Experience

Donna is a trilingual psychologist who works with children (6+), adolescents, adults, and older adults (80+). She provides evidence-based interventions for a range of presentations including chronic pain and illness, neurodivergence, anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, grief and loss, adjustment difficulties, emotional regulation, and relationship concerns.

She is experienced in psychological assessments for neurodivergent presentations in children and adults — including ASD diagnosis, ADHD diagnosis, and cognitive assessments. She previously worked as an Applied Behavioural Therapist with children on the autism spectrum, which gave her a strong appreciation for early intervention. She gathers information from various sources to identify patterns and build a comprehensive understanding of an individual’s strengths, challenges and , needs. She recognises that assessment results can have a significant impact on clients and their families, and approaches the process with care and sensitivity.

Donna has a particular interest in chronic pain and illness. She has worked within multidisciplinary pain management teams and helped to develop and formulate an inpatient chronic pain group programme in a private hospital. These experiences have given her a strong understanding of how persistent pain affects not just physical wellbeing, but mood, relationships, identity, and confidence.

Having grown up in Taiwan, Donna is fluent in Mandarin and Taiwanese Hokkien, and is comfortable supporting clients who prefer to communicate in these languages. Her own experience of relocating to Australia has given her firsthand appreciation for the challenges that can accompany major life transitions, even chosen and exciting ones. She provides culturally sensitive care that makes space for clients’ cultural background and family values. She strongly believes that psychological support should consider not only the person’s difficulties, but also the broader circumstances and experiences that have shaped them.

Donna values building a warm, genuine, and collaborative therapeutic relationship. Her approach is person-centred and holistic, meeting each client where they are rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. She respects each client as the person who knows their own lived experience best, bringing her clinical knowledge alongside their understanding of themselves. She provides a safe and non-judgemental environment for openness while offering practical strategies when appropriate.

Her goal is for clients to feel deeply heard, understood and accepted, while feeling empowered to make meaningful change. Beyond symptom reduction, she hopes clients leave with greater self-understanding, self-compassion, agency, and confidence to navigate future challenges.

In her sessions, Donna utilises evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based approaches, and Solution-Focused Therapy. She is also developing her skills in Schema Therapy, which she finds particularly interesting for understanding how early experiences and underlying patterns can influence the way people perceive themselves, others, and their relationships. She takes an individualised and integrative approach, considering each client’s presenting concerns, goals, circumstances, developmental and cultural background, and what they feel would be most helpful.

She enjoys using CBT formulation to help clients build a shared understanding of what’s contributing to their difficulties — collaboratively exploring the connections between situations, thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, through questions like “What was happening at the time?” and “What did that mean to you?”, rather than telling a client what she thinks is happening. From there, she incorporates suitable strategies from different therapeutic approaches, including behavioural strategies, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, emotion regulation skills, values-based work, and problem-solving.

Donna acknowledges that meaningful change doesn’t always happen as expected, and progress doesn’t always look like major or immediate change — it can be showing more compassion towards oneself, recognising a new pattern, or simply beginning to believe change is possible. While she brings clinical knowledge and evidence-based strategies, it is ultimately the client who knows what feels possible and meaningful for them. This reinforces her belief that being a good psychologist requires more than knowledge of theories and techniques — it requires humility, curiosity and patience. She is constantly inspired by her clients, as each of them teaches her something new, keeping her curious and encouraging her to continually learn and adapt.

Outside of work, Donna is a foodie, referred to by friends as “Sydney’s food version of Google Maps” for knowing about all the newest cafés and restaurants. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, spending time with family and friends, going for runs, and watching the waves at the beach.