Yellow Door Kids
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Meet Our Team
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Our diverse team of experienced therapists is passionate and fully committed to practising neurodiversity affirming care.
We celebrate different neurotypes and brain styles and understand that all children are unique and require individualised approaches.
Trish Dearn RMT NPT-C
BMus GradDipMThrpy CertNeuropsychthrpy MMus (RES)
Trish is a senior Music Therapist with over 20 years of experience supporting children and families, including extensive work with autistic children, those with sensory processing differences, and ADHD. She brings a deep understanding of neurodevelopment, trauma-informed care, and emotional regulation, with a special focus on anxiety in neurodivergent children.
An accomplished speaker, author, and songwriter, Trish has presented her work nationally and internationally, and has published widely on music therapy for young children. Her creative projects include therapeutic children’s books and the popular Little Songs, Big Ideas series. She also provides clinical supervision for fellow music therapists.
With a background as a professional classical musician and a passion for the healing power of the arts, Trish's passion is to help every child find their unique voice.
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When not at work, Trish enjoys walking her dog, meeting up with friends and going to local gigs.
Emma Jordan-Rooney
Speech Pathologist
Emma graduated from her Bachelor of Speech Pathology at the Australian Catholic University in 2018.
Emma has worked across private practice, mainstream and special developmental schools, and out in the community in children’s natural settings. She has experience working with children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds, and has worked with children with autism, developmental delays and disabilities. She has a special interest in Early Intervention.
Emma is passionate about providing holistic care that considers the whole child as well as their family background and circumstances.
Outside of work Emma enjoys spending time with her chatty and cheeky toddler daughter, and her funny and loud husband. She loves drawing and painting and would love to illustrate a children's book one day.
Georgia Olymbios MCPS, CPSP
App Sci (Speech Pathology),
Georgia is a highly experienced Speech Pathologist and Certified Practising member of Speech Pathology Australia, with over 30 years of clinical experience in early intervention, disability, and community health. She brings a warm, practical, and holistic approach to supporting children’s communication, social connection, and self-advocacy—particularly for autistic children, and ADHDers.
Georgia offers individual and group therapy, speech and language assessments, and contributes to multidisciplinary autism diagnostic teams. She also provides supervision for early career speech pathologists and consults widely with schools, early childhood services, and families.
Georgia believes children thrive when they feel safe, connected, and inspired—and she partners closely with families and educators to make that happen.
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Outside of work, Georgia is a coffee lover and a passionate foodie. She enjoys socialising with friends, growing vegetables and going to the beach with her dog.
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Surabhi Budhiraja
Speech Pathologist
Surabhi has been working as a speech pathologist for over 11 years in both the education and private sectors.
She is committed to providing evidence-based interventions that support children's language and literacy development.
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Surabhi has extensive experience supporting children of all abilities across primary and secondary school settings.
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​When not at work, Surabhi enjoys reading, painting and going for hikes.
Tessa Hildebrand-Burke
Speech Pathologist
Tessa graduated with a Master of Speech Pathology from La Trobe University in 2024. After working in education and creative programming for 12 years—as a classroom teacher and then a senior programmer at State Library Victoria—Tessa was inspired to pursue speech pathology following experiences collaborating with speech pathologists to support her family's needs.
Tessa is fascinated by the underlying complexities of speech, language and communication, and is dedicated to supporting children and teens who experience challenges in these areas. She believes everyone has the right to be understood.
Outside of the clinic, Tessa can be found running around after her ‘wild ponies’ (her human daughters), playing music with friends, visiting the beach, or attempting to discuss the pressing issues of our times with her husband, when ponies allow.
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Emma Connolly
Occupational Therapist
Emma is a New Zealand trained Occupational Therapist with over 7 years of experience in community health, education, and private practice. She has worked across a variety of settings supporting children and young people.
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Emma has a particular interest in sensory-motor integration therapy and enjoys working with neurodiverse children in individual sessions. She is passionate about helping children build confidence and independence in their every day lives, while providing families with practical strategies to support progress beyond the clinic.
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Outside work, Emma enjoys yoga, dancing, exploring new food spots, and trip to the theatre.
Madison Poulis
Occupational Therapist
Madison, also known as Maddie, completed her Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Occupational Therapy Practice at Latrobe University. She has experience working with autistic and other neurodivergent children in both individual and group settings.
Madison demonstrates a keen dedication to enhancing the lives of children and families through tailored therapeutic interventions. She strongly believes in a family-centred and empathetic approach to foster a supportive environment where clients feel empowered to overcome challenges and maximise their independence in daily activities.
Outside of work, Madison enjoys going out for dinner, watching movies and catching up with friends and family.
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Charlotte
Allied Health Assistant
Charlotte has been part of the YDK team since 2022.
Charlotte is in her final year of studying Occupational Therapy. Working as an AHA compliments her studies, allowing her to apply and refine her therapeutic skills. She is passionate about working with children and creating a supportive, neurodiversity affirming environment.
Alongside co-facilitating group therapy Charlotte is also one of our Minecraft Masters.
Charlotte's professional interests for the future includes bringing her lived experience to support neurodivergent children, teens and young people in diverse settings.
Victoria
Allied Health Assistant
Victoria is currently studying Occupational Therapy at university.
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Victoria appreciates the unique difference each person has and loves getting to know everyone’s interests and things that bring them joy.
Outside of her studies, Victoria enjoys coaching and playing basketball.
Ruby
Allied Health Assistant - Minecraft Master
Ruby is one of our Allied Health Assistants (AHAs) working as a Minecraft Master.
Ruby is in her final year of studies in Engineering, and is passionate about the world of Minecraft building infinite creative possibilities.
Despite Ruby's vast knowledge of gaming, she is able to simplify gaming concepts in a caring and compassionate way for our enthusiastic mini-minecrafters.
Juliette
Allied Health Assistant - Minecraft Master
Juliette is one of our Allied Health Assistants (AHA’s) working as a Minecraft Master.
She is currently in her first year of university, studying arts.
As an enthusiastic Minecraft Master, Juliette has a knack for drawing out the children's problem solving skills in the game.
Her positive energy is infectious and her genuine love of Minecraft makes her a favourite with the mini-minecrafters.
Merridy
Family Support Worker
Merridy is a welcoming and warm presence at Yellow Door and an invaluable team member.
Merridy has a dual role at Yellow Door.
She works as our Family Support Worker, providing a warm welcome to everyone as they enter Yellow Door. Merridy is a familar face for the children to connect with in our waiting area and her calm and positive energy is much appreciated by parents and children alike.
Merridy also supports our team to allow us to better support the families.
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Catherine
Office Manager
​As the Administrative Manager at Yellow Door, Catherine plays a vital role in ensuring the clinic operates smoothly, efficiently, and with compassion at its core.
With a strong background in business administration and management, Catherine has a deep understanding of the sensitive nature of therapy services.
Catherine is passionate about supporting families to access the therapies they require in a efficient, respectful, friendly manner and supports the clinical team to deliver seamless care.
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Hermione & Frankie
Furry Suppport Workers
Hermione and Frankie bring their unwavering and unconditional love and commitment to Yellow Door Kids. They are a favourite with staff and clients alike when they are allowed to visit.