Patient counselling

Evelyn’s personal experience with infertility was the inspiration for her decision to work in the field of infertility counselling.

Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Evelyn completed honours degrees in social work (1978) and in psychology (1983) and worked in child protection services. However, it was her own infertility journey, which began in 1984, that motivated a switch in career direction – a journey which would, over time, encompass many of the challenges facing her current patients, such as miscarriage, Clomid, IUI, GIFT, IVF, OHSS, and pre-eclampsia.

Her personal experience stirred her so much that, when she and her partner decided to emigrate to Australia, she chose to work exclusively in the field of infertility counselling.

Evelyn feels privileged to be able to accompany her patients on their journey through fertility treatment and beyond, providing support and compassion all along the complex path. She says that her greatest reward is the feeling that she has in some way eased the pain of this road less travelled.

As Counselling Services Manager at Genea since 2002, Evelyn was also part of the team that developed and introduced the very popular Mind Your Own Body program at Genea. To this day, she is amazed at the speed at which strangers connect and become invaluable support to one another throughout this valuable program. Her long-term aspiration is to create more similar and fruitful opportunities for her clients.

Evelyn is a member of the Australia and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors Association and the Australian Association of Social Workers.

Evelyn is located at Genea Sydney CBD.

Jessica is a registered psychologist and holds a Master’s degree in Applied Psychology from Macquarie University and an undergraduate Honours Degree from UNSW. She has over 20 years of experience working across a variety of therapeutic settings, including an adolescent team in community mental health, The Cancer Council of NSW and as a psychologist within a tertiary education environment.

Jessica is a warm and compassionate counsellor. She particularly enjoys building a safe and collaborative relationship with her clients and is passionate about supporting individuals and couples to navigate the harder aspects of trying to conceive.

As a member of the counselling team at Genea, Jessica is in awe of and inspired by people’s resilience and determination in managing their fertility treatment and believes strongly in providing a collaborative and supportive space to talk about their journey.

Jessica is located at Genea Sydney CBD.

Since completing a Bachelor of Social Work at UNSW, Sarah has worked across a variety of fields including health, community, not-for-profit and EAP (Employee Assistance Program). Sarah has had a particular interest in grief and loss which was introduced to her through her work at St George Hospital working with oncology and haematology patients and their families, and she appreciates how grief and loss play such a big role in patients undertaking fertility treatment.

In recognising how difficult it can be to create a family naturally, Sarah is inspired by the resilience and empowerment displayed by individuals and couples who want to make their dreams of having a child or children become a reality. Sarah takes an empathic, eclectic approach to counselling and believes that each individual comes with their own narrative to tell and she is eager to listen and support them on their journey.

Sarah is located at Genea Sydney CBD.

Julia is a counsellor with over twenty years of experience in therapeutic work with individuals, couples, and families. She is an accredited Mental Health Social Worker and holds an Intensive Certificate in Bereavement Counselling and Intervention, a Graduate Diploma in Family Therapy, and a Master's degree in Couple and Relationship Counselling. Julia has worked in community and health settings, focusing on grief and loss, and has also run a private practice specialising in supporting individuals facing fertility challenges.

With more than ten years of experience in the fertility sector, Julia finds it enriching to work with people at such significant points in their lives, both professionally and personally. She employs a range of therapeutic models, including strength-based and trauma-informed therapies, acceptance and commitment therapy, and emotionally focused therapy. Julia values collaboration with her clients, placing their unique experiences at the centre of her therapeutic approach.

Julia is located at Genea Melbourne City - North Melbourne.

Toni has worked as a Psychologist for over 40 years. Her interest in assisted reproduction developed in the 1980s when she commenced IVF treatment to start and subsequently complete her own family. She has since worked primarily in areas involving women, couples and families. She is sensitive to the fact that many people starting IVF treatment have lost the hope of forming their family in the way that they planned and expected and are often experiencing a sense of grief and sadness. She is also pleased to be meeting with people who would like to start a family as single people or same-sex couples and are seeking sperm donation.

Due to her long career and experience in all aspects of forming families with the assistance of a fertility clinic, she is delighted to offer guidance and discussion to support all patients with diverse needs to achieve their desired outcome.

Toni is located at Genea Newcastle.

Brooke is a Senior Fertility Counsellor and a member of the Australia New Zealand Infertility Counsellors Association. Brooke completed her Bachelor of Social Work in 1999 and has a professional background working in women’s health and therapeutic counselling in the areas of sexual and reproductive health including fertility, third party reproduction, pregnancy, pregnancy-related grief and loss and pregnancy options. 

Brooke utilises a range of modalities in her counselling work which includes strength-based and relational theory that is trauma-informed and draws on mindfulness and self-compassion practice, body awareness (somatic) techniques for managing stress and anxiety and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. 

Brooke works from the perspective that recognises people as the experts in their own lives and believes that both clinical and therapeutic spaces should be safe, welcoming and that care is provided guided by evidence and best practice principles. Brooke is a passionate advocate in the area of Reproductive Health and Justice and is committed to ensuring people’s physical and emotional safety in medical/clinical settings. 

Brooke is located at FertilitySA powered by Genea.

Ashtyn is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and counsellor who has worked across various sectors, including family services, trauma across the lifespan, family violence working with both victims/ survivors and those who use violence, sexual assault crisis response, and working in private practice. Ashtyn holds a degree in social work, mental health social work accreditation, and a Diploma in counselling with two study majors. 

Ashtyn made a transition to the fertility industry as she was drawn towards supporting those both individually and as a couples navigating their fertility journey. Ashtyn recognises the incredible resilience and hope individuals hold and the immense grief which can be present during this time. Ashtyn approaches her counselling role with empathy and compassion and recognises that although processes for individuals and couples may hold similarities, the personal experiences are entirely individual and quite exceptional.  

Ashtyn is located at Genea Melbourne City - North Melbourne.

Michelle is a Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of experience. She is a kind and compassionate therapist who takes a collaborative and empathic approach to supporting her clients. She is able to support patients through all aspects of fertility treatment, including providing information relating to starting treatment, managing trauma and grief, support through a miscarriage or other difficult results, disruptions to the couple relationship, and support for patients who become pregnant after fertility treatment. Michelle works collaboratively with her patients to identify areas of difficulty and move towards positive psychological change and well-being.

Michelle is located at Genea Perth.

Cailin is a Psychologist and Senior Fertility Counsellor at Genea Perth and a board member of the Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPi inc), who has a passionate interest in helping people on their family-building journey. Cailin has a keen respect and love for the science of Assisted Reproductive Technology and is regularly involved in ongoing psychosocial research, including current projects in Primary Ovarian Insufficiency and optimal care throughout fertility treatment. Cailin is also a member of the International PCOS Guideline Development Group.

Cailin began her psychology career at Sydney's St. Vincent's Hospital in Grief and Bereavement, moving into Suicide Prevention and then to a family health practice, which led to her interest in fertility and assisting couples with lifestyle change to enhance their fertility. Cailin values the unique integrated nature of the treatment team at Genea and has a keen interest in supporting people to optimise their experience throughout their fertility journey.

Cailin is located at Genea Perth.