Meet the Team

DIRECTORS

Christine Senediak

BA (Hons), M Psychol (Clin), M Family Therapy

Principal Director, Clinical Supervision Services

Christine Senediak is an accredited PsyBA Supervisor Trainer with over 40 years of clinical and supervisory experience. She provides individual, peer, group, and organisational supervision to psychiatrists, psychologists, and a wide range of health professionals working across child, adolescent, and family services, schools, adult mental health, drug and alcohol, gambling, sexual assault, trauma, and cross-cultural contexts.

Christine brings a systemic and multigenerational lens to her work, recognising the broader context in which clinical challenges develop and are maintained. Her supervision is grounded in reflective practice, supporting supervisees to strengthen self-awareness and navigate relational dynamics between therapist, client, and systems.

Christine draws on systemic, cognitive-behavioural, mindfulness, and person-centred frameworks, creating a flexible and evidence-informed approach to supervision and training that enhances both professional growth and quality of care.

Sam Vasta

BA, B Soc Studies, M Arts (Counselling)

Director, Clinical Supervision Services

Sam Vasta has worked in public community mental health services for over 35 years as a senior clinician and Service Manager. He holds both Social Worker and Counselling Psychologist degrees and has a wealth of clinical experience and supervision practice in a range of service settings. These range from specialist services for young people experiencing mental health problems to clients experiencing enduring mental illness, as well as drug and alcohol issues, complex trauma and cross-cultural problems. As a Service Manager, Sam supervises health practitioners and team leaders, often involving complex clinical scenarios and risk presentations, in addition to supporting and debriefing staff following critical incidents.

Sam is a PsyBA Accredited Supervisor trainer for psychologists and provides accredited supervisor training for PACFA (Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia) and ACA (Australian Counselling Association). He lectures across Australia and Singapore and provides in-house supervisor training for mental health and allied health staff.

Currently, Sam also provides individual and group supervision to a range of practitioners across various government, NGO and private sector settings. Given his background and extensive experience, he also offers consultation, supervision and mentoring to Team Leaders and Managers to support them to survive and grow in challenging leadership positions.

ACADEMIC STAFF

Judy Dougherty

BA, Grad Dip Ed, Postgrad Dip Psy

Judy Dougherty has extensive experience working in psychological services in schools. She has qualifications and experience in psychology and education with a focus on supervision in the school context. Judy led the development and implementation of effective models of peer consultation and group supervision, provided individual and group supervision, in particular in regional, rural and remote areas of NSW. Recently retired from NSW Department of Education she continues to provide PsyBA supervision.

Dr Roy Laube

BSc, MA (Clin Psychol), Dip Clin Hypnosis, PhD

Dr Roy Laube currently divides his time between private and public health and academic responsibilities. He has a strong background in clinical psychology and specialises in adult mental health, research and ethics and cross-cultural practice. Roy also provides PsyBA/AHPRA and Psychology Council mandated clinical supervision. As Postgraduate Clinical Psychology Placement Coordinator at UWS, Roy understands the specific requirements of psychology students undertaking the learning pathways for psychology and his 35 years of experience as a clinical psychologist, educator and supervisor, is demonstrated in his teaching.

Dr Diba Pourmand

BA, M Psychol, PhD

Dr Diba Pourmand is a clinician with strong interest in trauma care. She has been extensively involved with educating, training, and supervising clinicians in complex trauma and cross-cultural mental health. Her other academic interests revolve around studies of the influence of family life on the course of severe mental illness. This research further developed to investigating expressed emotion of carers and relapse, where she focused on development of multiple family intervention groups in early psychosis in Australia and resource-limited regions, with the goal of improving early intervention and youth mental health in the community. As a course coordinator at NSW Institute of Psychiatry her interest shifted to mental health of older persons and dementia care.

SUPPORT STAFF

Sue Cairns

BA (Hons), Grad Dip Library and Information Sciences

Office Manager

Responsible for student registrations, invoicing and general administration enquiries.

Part-time: Mondays, Tuesdays

Melanie Rees

Administration Officer

Assisting with student certificates and other student support services.

Part-time: Wednesdays, Thursdays

Maria Kriezis

Accounts and Administration Officer

Assisting with accounts, administration and student enquiries.

Part-time: Tuesdays, Thursdays