Meet Our Awesome Team

Clarissa loves working with kids! The first job she ever had was working as a children's party host. From then, every position she held she has worked with kids and she hasn't looked back. She loves matching their level of energy and working with them to find new ways to make therapy fun! 

Clarissa is passionate about working on early language, play based therapy and AAC. The journey she takes with each of her families is what she loves most - working with them to comprehensively understand their communication difficulties and celebrating their communication triumphs (big or small) - knowing that she plays a part in making a difference to their lives is enough to keep Clarissa striving to meet more and more goals with them!

Clarissa has gained experience working in a private practice as both a Speech Pathologist and Therapy Assistant. She has supported children from the ages of 2-23 years old with speech sound disorders, literacy difficulties, language delays/disorders. She has also worked with non-verbal children using AAC (such as LAMP Words for Life). Clarissa is trained in Sounds Write and is also Hanen certified (More than Words). 

A fun fact about Clarissa is she is half Czech and half Filipino, but she is more proficient in French (she studied this in high school for 5 years). She also has a puppy named Brisket! When Clarissa isn’t at Chatterbox she enjoys cross-stitching, singing and spending time in the sun.

Emily is always working towards achieving the best possible outcomes for families and is incredibly motivated by seeing children achieve their goals. She believes there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the look on a child’s face when they achieve something they have been working towards. Emily loves to find new and exciting ways to motivate children by individualising therapy for each child in ways that they find fun and engaging. She loves the spirit, fun and energy children bring to each session.

Emily is passionate about all aspects of Speech Pathology and has a strong interest in early language and speech sounds. Emily has had experience in schools, pre-schools, early intervention centres, private practice, rural community health and acute hospital settings. She has gained experience working with children who have speech sound disorders, speech and language delays, stuttering, literacy and social skill difficulties. Emily also has experience with children on the Autism Spectrum and worked as behaviour therapist during her time at University.

A fun fact about Emily is that has hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and has taught English to school aged children in the Amazon.

Emily spends her free time being active outdoors and enjoying quality time with her friends and family.

Cassandra has gained experience in a disability school working with both verbal and non verbal children using low tech and high tech AAC. She has also has experience in a community health setting working with children aged up to 12 years.

Cassandra has a background in dancing. She danced between the ages of 4 up until 17 years of age. When Cassandra is not at Chatterbox she loves eating out at restaurants and trying new foods. She also loves to cook and bake and exercises to balance out all of the eating.

Kerrie loves working with children. She finds it particularly rewarding to see children having fun in therapy. She loves seeing the smiles of their faces and hearing the sound of their laughter. Kerrie enjoys collaborating with families and seeing both the children and their parents grow together. She is passionate about empowering parents to help support their children. She loves watching the children she works with thrive and grow in confidence as their ability to communicate improves.

Kerrie is passionate about all aspects of Speech Pathology but has a specific interest in early language, multilingualism and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Kerrie has experience working in a community health centre, an early intervention service, preschool and school settings. She has also gained experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder through volunteer work as a disability support worker.

Kerrie was born in Taiwan and moved to Sydney when she was 6 and a half years old. Kerrie can speak 3 languages fluently, English, Mandarin and Taiwanese.

In her spare time Kerrie loves reading a good book, dancing, painting and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Madeline loves celebrating the therapy wins and gains with children she works with. She finds this motivates a child and builds their confidence and self esteem. Madeline finds it personally rewarding knowing that the therapy she has provided has made a positive impact on a child’s life, especially in their academic and social settings. It is such a feel good moment when a family are so happy with the progress their child has made.   

Madeline loves working with kids! She finds them so much fun and full of energy. She enjoys chatting with them and hearing about their spontaneous, creative stories they come up with. Madeline finds working with children so rewarding. She loves how much potential they have and is passionate about helping them grow, build their confidence and achieve their full potential to help them succeed in school and their futures.

Madeline is interested in all areas of Speech Pathology but does have a specific interest in speech sound development, fluency, early language, school aged language.

Madeline has gained experience in both clinic and school based settings. She has worked with preschool and school aged students focusing on speech sound disorders, language development, literacy and stuttering treatment using the Lidcombe Program.

A fun fact about Madeline is she loves to travel to tropical beach locations and she has a Cavoodle puppy named Milo. 

When she is not at Chatterbox she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going out for brunch and road trips to the beach.

Analise loves that no two children are the same and there is always something to learn from them. She enjoys creating fun resources and trying different activities to keep a child engaged, motivated and excited about therapy. Analise finds it so rewarding to see a child improve and watching them progress through their goals.

Analise has a specific interest in apraxia and general speech sound disorders and literacy. Analise has gained experience in a telehealth hospital setting, primary school setting and has worked with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

A fun fact about Analise is she is classically trained in piano, is the eldest of 15 grandchildren, loves all things Disney and has been to Disneyland 3 times!

In her spare time you can find Analise catching up with friends and family, playing with her puppy Coco, cooking, listening to music, watching movies or a TV series or going for a coastal or bush walk.

Madelyn has seen firsthand the positive impact that Speech Therapy has on a child, whether it be helping them to produce a difficult a speech sound or being able to formulate a full sentence. She loves when not only a parent but a child can see the progress that has been made.

Madelyn loves to use her education to help support children to achieve their full potential. She loves that the Speech Pathology professions allows her to play a significant role in a child’s development, helping them to learn and thrive.

Madelyn has a specific interest in articulation, stuttering and early language. She has gained experience in a school based and clinic setting focusing on speech, language and stuttering. Madelyn has also worked in a hospital rehabilitation setting.

Fun fact about Madelyn is that she has been an extra in a movie and a TV show. She is half Irish and has been to Ireland 7 times! In her spare time she enjoys playing team sports like netball and AFL, spending time with her family, friends and puppy as well as relaxing by and swimming in the pool.

Erin is passionate about working with children. She wants to provide them with the best start to life and set them up with the necessary skills to succeed. Erin strongly believes in early intervention and knows what a significant impact language has on early development.

Erin has a specific interest in early and school aged language, articulation and phonological awareness. She has gained experience working in a school based setting supporting children with language delays, literacy difficulties and intellectual disabilities.

A fun fact about Erin is she is from a family of 9 and grew up in regional NSW.

In her spare time Erin loves swing dancing, baking, hiking and spending time looking after her many nieces and nephews.

Stephanie loves working with children. She enjoys playing a pivotal role in the shaping of a child’s future. Stephanie believes that the changes we make in early childhood can impact significantly on many aspects of a child’s school life and future career. She loves making therapy fun and enjoyable. She celebrates all wins both big and small. She loves to empower families by providing them with the tools and strategies to help their child succeed.

Stephanie is passionate about all aspects of Speech Pathology but has a particular interest in speech sound disorders, school aged language and literacy.

Stephanie loves seeing a child achieve a skill that they previously weren’t able to achieve. Knowing that her therapy is impacting on a child’s life is so rewarding. Stephanie believes learning should be fun and therefore aims to make all therapy sessions fun and engaging for the children she works with.

Stephanie has had experience working in both a community health and school setting as well as in a communication disorder and research clinic.

A fun fact about Stephanie is that she has co-authored two books on high school mathematics and has been a math tutor for 5 years. When Stephanie isn’t at work, she loves trying out new cafés and restaurants, spending time with her family and friends, reading, exercising and taking her dog for a walk.

Shannon sees clients from 2 years of age to 16 years of age across all areas of speech pathology. Shannon strongly believes in working collaboratively with the important people in each child’s life to ensure the highest quality of care.

Shannon’s caring and friendly nature allows her to easily build relationships and rapport with the child and their family, creating a safe and enjoyable learning environment. She enjoys working in a private practice such as Chatterbox as she believes this provides opportunity for development of close relationships with her clients and their families. With this close relationship, she can get to know what motivates the child and tailor the therapy accordingly.

When Shannon isn’t at Chatterbox, she enjoys spending time with her family, practicing yoga and relaxing with a good book.

Lucy’s friendly, enthusiastic and caring personality allows her to easily build connections with children. Within the therapy process, she is dedicated to creating safe, supportive and fun environments, where children and their families are able to learn, grow and shine. Lucy understands the major impact a diverse team can have during therapy and is able to work efficiently along side colleagues and the community. She makes an effort to ensure she is always working closely with families in order to set and achieve functional and meaningful goals together, allowing a child to reach their full potential.

Although Lucy enjoys working with children of all ages and skill levels, during her studies she found a keen interest in developing speech and articulation skills in preschool and early school aged children.

When Lucy isn’t at Chatterbox, Lucy enjoys baking sweet treats, keeping active and spending time with loved ones.

Constance is passionate about children having the skills to reach their full potential and having the opportunity to be themselves without limitations. Constance loves the fun and positive vibes children bring which makes working with them both enjoyable and rewarding. She is proud to be a part of teaching a child important skills that will last them a lifetime.

Constance has a passion for all areas of Speech Pathology but has a specific interest in literacy, social skills and early language. Constance has had experience in a variety of settings including paediatric private practice working with children up to 15 years of age focusing on speech, language, fluency and social skills. She has also gained experience in community health/mobile setting seeing adults working on social skills, AAC, speech and language.

A fun fact about Constance is that she used to teach swimming, she prefers tea over coffee and her favourite ice-cream flavour is bubblegum!

Away from Chatterbox Constance spends her time hiking, doing yoga, re-watching her favourite TV sitcoms Friends and The Big Bang Theory, cooking delicious meals from different cuisines and going on road trips around beautiful Australia.

Felicia finds it so rewarding to work with children and to be able to help them achieve their true potential. She loves how creative and intelligent kids can be and enjoys working and interacting with them.

Felicia is passionate about all areas of Speech Pathology but has a specific interest in literacy, pre-school and school aged language and speech sound disorders.

Felicia is motivated by her desire to learn and her passion for helping others. This drives her to always do her best to achieve positive outcomes for the children she works with and their families.

Felicia has gained experience in both public and private health settings; she has also worked in a hospital setting with adults. She has worked with infants, adolescents and adults working on a range of speech and language difficulties.

In her spare time Felicia enjoys reading, making desserts, doing puzzles and eating out with friends.

Lily loves working with kids! She feels that early intervention is the key and that this is where you see the most significant changes. She doesn’t just love working with kids she also loves working with the entire family to achieve meaningful outcomes.

Lily is passionate about working on speech sounds disorders, early language, stuttering and has a specific interest in disability. Knowing that her actions can influence the lives of others is what motivates Lily as a Speech Pathologist.

Lily has had experience with multi-modal communication (high-tech AAC), speech sound disorders (articulation and phonology) language, literacy, stuttering, voice and swallowing.

Fun fact about Lily is she loves origami! She has folded over 1000 paper cranes. She has two goldfish named Sheila and Candy. When Lily is not at Chatterbox she enjoys reading, listening to music, trying new food and origami.

Maddi has gained experience working with children in a community health and school setting as well as a private practice. She has also worked rurally within a hospital setting working on both voice disorders and stuttering.

Maddi was a ballerina for 13 years and danced in multiple concerts and competitions. She still has a love and passion for dancing. Maddi has always enjoyed working with children and has previously worked as a swim instructor and nanny where she has taken great pride in watching and helping the children grow and develop in their skills.

When Maddi is not at Chatterbox you will find her doing yoga, creative writing, drawing, and painting. She loves to stay active by walking and going to the gym. She enjoys spending time with family and friends catching up over coffee and loves to travel and explore new places.

Melanie’s desire to become a Speech Pathologist came from her passion of wanting to help others. She loves making others happy and helping them to achieve their goals.

Melanie enjoys working with children of all ages but she has a particular interest in the areas of stuttering, play-based learning, articulation and early literacy – phonemic awareness.

Melanie has gained experience working in a rural community health setting as well as in multiple schools. She has a love for learning and values the importance of professional development and staying up to date with the latest research.

Melanie spent some time in Vietnam where she worked with Vietnamese university staff to educate parents on the importance of play and the impact it can have on speech and language development.

Melanie has a love for travel and she enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends.

Kelsey’s desire to become a Speech Pathologist came from her passion of wanting to help others. She is a strong believer that every child has a right to communicate and has always loved working with children.

Kelsey enjoys working with children from a range of ages to support their individual needs. Her understanding of the connection between communication difficulties and academic development in the classroom, has led her to develop a particular interest in working with school-aged children to support their needs in the classroom. Kelsey understands the importance of gaining information from a child’s teacher to ensure goals are relevant to their individuals needs in the school environment.

Away from Chatterbox, Kelsey enjoys spending time with her family, catching up with friends and drinking a good cup of tea.

Aimee’s biggest motivation for working with children is watching them progress, hearing each week what they are achieving and knowing that she has played an important role in them reaching their goals.

Aimee has a passion for Speech Pathology but a particular interest in Early Language, Speech Sound Disorders, Literacy and Stuttering. Aimee has gained experience in both private practice and community health settings working with children up to 17 years of age. She has experience in assessment of speech, language, stuttering and paediatric feeding. Aimee also has experience in providing intervention for language, speech sound disorders and stuttering disorders.

A fun fact about Aimee is all 4 of her grandparents were born overseas!

When Aimee isn’t at Chatterbox she enjoys going to the beach, spending time with her niece and nephew and catching up with friends over a coffee.

Cinzia loves working with kids! She enjoys interacting with them and building strong relationships with both them and their families. Cinzia has a specific interest in early language, speech delays/disorders, stuttering and dysphagia.

Cinzia has gained experience working in a range of different settings. She has worked in a school setting which focused on phonological awareness skills and speech delays/disorders. She has worked in a private practice where she helped children with speech and language delays and fluency and she has also worked in a rehabilitation setting with adults where she focused on language, speech and dysphagia.

In her spare time Cinzia enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pet. She enjoys cooking and baking, going to the beach, shopping, watching movies and staying active.

Marina believes communication is a basic human right and that children are the future. She is honoured to be a part of their journey and to create a better future for them. She is motivated by the knowledge that the intervention provided to her families will have long term effects on multiple aspects of their lives. She loves to celebrate both the big and little wins with her families throughout their therapy journey.

Marina has a huge passion for all areas of Speech Pathology and a particular interest in early language, literacy, speech sounds and stuttering. Marina has had experience in private paediatric clinics focusing on speech, language, literacy AAC and stuttering difficulties. She has also worked with stroke outpatient clients with Apasia, Apraxia of Speech and Parkinson’s and adult disability clients with speech, language and social skill difficulties.

A fun fact about Marina is she has a weakness for animals and adopted a stray cat she found crying under her house.

In her spare time Marina enjoys being active, outdoor activities, strength training at the gym, food adventures including trying different cuisines with her family and friends.

Jenica believes that there is still a little child in all of us and loves to be immersed in the energy and honest perspective children share. She believes by giving children the opportunity to develop themselves they can fully enjoy what the world has to offer.

Jenica is passionate about all areas of Speech Pathology but has a specific interest in language, literacy, speech sounds and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Jenica has gained experience working in a private practice setting with early language and school aged children. She has also had experience in a not for profit organisation with adults needing language, social skills, swallowing and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions.

A fun fact about Jenica is she can speak 3 languages – English, Tagalog and Korean. She plays the piano and absolutely loves musical theatre and world geography.

When Jenica isn’t at Chatterbox she enjoys crafting, watching movies, reading books or hitting up the op shops searching for vintage finds.

Wan finds it so rewarding to see a child making progress, developing their skills and being able to watch them achieve their goals. Wan loves that when working with children no two days are the same and she enjoys the flexibility of working with them and finding new ways to motivate them. She believes that children bring joy to the world and is motivated by a families happiness at seeing their child succeed. Wan is a client centred Therapist.

Wan has a particular interest in early language, pragmatics, expressive and receptive language for all ages and literacy. Wan has had experience in schools, paediatric private practice, adult outpatient rehab and adult inpatient acute setting.

A fun fact about Wan is she speaks two languages – English and Malay, she loves cats and if she wasn’t a speech pathologist she would be a paramedic or an environmental scientist. She loves to travel and has fear of birds... especially if they come to close!

In her spare time Wan enjoys baking, watching movies, going out with her friends and colouring-in.

Fedora finds it very rewarding when she can see that a child is enjoying their therapy session and achieving their goals. She loves the youthfulness and energy that children have and enjoys celebrating their success and wins with them.

Fedora has a particular interest in speech sounds, early language and stuttering. Fedora has gained experience in a paediatric school based setting, paediatric community health centre, acute hospital setting and outpatient rehabilitation centre.

A fun fact about Fedora is she is Singaporean and moved to Australia for her University studies. She is fluent in conversational Mandarin and is a dog lover!

When Fedora isn’t at Chatterbox she enjoys spending time with friends and family, baking, cooking and playing sports.

Grace believes that early intervention is the key to setting children up for success. Nothing brings Grace more joy than watching a child grow and develop their skills and celebrating their wins with them along the way. Knowing that she is making a difference to a family’s life brings her a great sense of pride and happiness.

Grace has a huge passion for all areas of Speech Pathology but has a particular interest in early intervention, speech, language, Autism Spectrum Disorder and augmentative and alternate communication (AAC).

Grace has gained experience in both public and private health settings. Grace has worked as an NDIS ECEI Coordinator focusing on early intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has also delivered therapy via telehealth.

A fun fact about Grace is she can speak 2 languages – English and Mandarin. She has also worked across the East Coast of Australia in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.

When Grace isn’t at Chatterbox you can find her spending time with her friends and family, playing board games, drawing or in the kitchen cooking and baking up a storm.

Nimrita finds working with children extremely rewarding and lots of fun! It has always been an area of interest for her. She believes with the right level of support all kids have the potential to excel. She is always supportive of the families she works with and ensures she celebrates all achievements great or small.

Nimrita has a passion for working with school aged children in the areas of speech and language. She also loves helping families in the areas of early language and social communication.

Nimrita is motivated by helping others. She loves goal setting and helping a child to achieve those goals. She finds it’s exciting to work together with the families and seeing the pure joy on their faces when they are successful in achieving their goals is incredibly rewarding.

Nimrita has had experience in a variety of different settings including community health, school settings and private practice.

A fun fact about Nimrita is that she can understand and speak 2 languages. English and Punjabi. Nim loves to travel, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and also enjoys baking yummy treats and reading a good book.

Alice loves kids! She finds them so much fun. She loves being able to talk with them about anything and the funny random things they come up with. She strongly believes in giving children the best opportunities for communicative development and therefore quality of life.

Alice is passionate about working on speech sounds and has a specific interest in early language. Alice believes with support, patience and collaboration with the family, children are able to thrive and reach their true potential.

Alice has gained experience working in a private practice setting as well as in multiple schools. She has worked with children who had speech and language delays and voice disorders. She has also experience working in a school for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder who were non verbal.

She is truly passionate and highly motivated about helping children. When Alice isn’t at Chatterbox she enjoys spending time with her family including her nieces and nephews. She also loves going on holidays with her husband.

She loves coffee, trying new cafes, cooking and eating food.

Ellie’s caring nature makes it easy for her to build strong connections with children and their families and thrives off seeing them achieve their goals. Ellie develops rapport and relationships quickly with the families she works and is passionate in ensuring the families are included during the therapy process from day one. Ellie ensures her approach to therapy and homework is collaborative so it not only achieves her clients’ goals, but it is also functional for all the different families she works with. Ellie has an endless supply of energy so she feels it’s important to always make learning fun and incorporates her client’s interests into therapy sessions.

Ellie works full time at Chatterbox in Penrith seeing clients at all different ages. Although Ellie loves seeing children of all ages, she has developed a particular interest in developing speech and language of children in preschool. Ellie also has a keen interest in stuttering due to her family history of family members with fluency difficulties.

When Ellie isn’t at Chatterbox, she enjoys being active and staying outdoors, playing music and sport and spending time with her friends and family.

The decision to specialise in paediatrics was an easy one for Kate. She develops skills in children from 18 months through to teenagers across a range of different areas. Kate has a particular interest in developing communication and language skills in preschool aged children. She is also interested in working with school aged children and their families to help develop language and literacy skills.

Kate loves working in private practice due to the close relationships she is able to build with her clients. She feels that developing trust and understanding is crucial in order to get the best from her children and their families. Kate finds it most rewarding to watch as children grasp new concepts, develop confidence and reach their potential. She loves to see them embrace the world when empowered by the skills of speech, language and literacy.

Kate enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with all of the Chatterbox team and is actively involved in mentoring and peer support. Kate is also passionate about Professional Development and growing her clinical skills to ensure she is able to give her clients the best quality therapy. Since joining Chatterbox, Kate has attended workshops presented by Dr Caroline Bowen, Dr Roslyn Neilson, Dr Jacqueline Roberts, Dr Rhea Paul, Professor Barbara Dodd, Professor Gina Conti-Ramsden and Professor Kevin Durkin to name a few. Kate is also trained in Hanen Programs such as “More than Words”.

Whilst Kate’s motorbike has become a little dusty since having her children, she still enjoys going camping, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Previous to this Jennifer worked as a Speech Pathologist in both government and private sectors providing therapy in clinic, preschools, schools and in home settings.

Jennifer is extremely passionate when it comes to Speech Pathology and has a particular interest in early intervention, language and literacy development. She believes that communication skills are the foundation for success later in life. Jennifer values the importance of developing intervention which is individually tailored to the child and their family. Jennifer believes that there is no better feeling than helping a child to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

Jennifer has a strong belief in providing a family friendly practice where learning should be fun! The therapists are provided with the latest assessment tools in order to obtain a holistic picture of a child’s strengths and difficulties. Jennifer supplies the team with a combination of bright colourful resources and technology in order to engage and motivate a child.

Jennifer works closely with her team of Speech Pathologists. She provides constant support, mentoring and training to ensure that Chatterbox delivers the highest standard of Speech Pathology services to children and their families. She has an evidence based philosophy and believes in the importance of Professional Development as it continually updates and develops a clinician’s skills. This ensures the Chatterbox team is able to provide families with the latest scientifically supported therapy.

Driven by a strong passion for Professional Development, Jennifer has sought out leaders in the field of Speech Pathology to present workshops to the Chatterbox team and Speech Pathologists Australia wide. She has worked alongside some of the leading Australian experts in Speech Pathology such as; Dr Roslyn Neilson, Dr Barbara Dodd, Professor Jacqueline Roberts and Dr Caroline Bowen. Jennifer has also hosted international guest speakers such as UK based Developmental Psychologist Dr Kevin Durkin and Speech and Language Pathologist Professor Gina Conti-Ramsden as well as Dr Rhea Paul author of Language Disorders: Infancy through Adolescence.

Jennifer understands the impact that speech and language difficulties have on young children and their families. She has presented numerous workshops and seminars over the years providing guidance and advice to both Teachers and Parents focusing on early intervention and language development. Jennifer has developed positive relationships with many of the local preschool centres and schools by offering support, advice and teacher mentoring.

When Jennifer isn’t living and breathing Speech Pathology she enjoys spending time with her 3 adorable kids – Sophia, Ava and Spencer as well as her husband Leigh. She enjoys indulging in a massage, catching up with friends and has a love for travel and looks forward to her next big family holiday.

Corinne sees clients across a range of age groups, but has a keen interest in developing communication and language skills in preschool aged children. She is also interested in working with school aged children and their families to help develop language and literacy skills.
With a vibrant and fun loving personality, Corinne instantly builds relationships and rapport with the families she works with. Corinne believes in discovering what motivates a child and then using this during therapy to make learning fun and enjoyable.

Corinne enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with the Chatterbox Team. She continually provides clinical support, mentoring and guidance to her Chatterbox family. Corinne not only provides a high level of client care, she also helps out with all administrative duties when she can.

Corinne is trained in Hanen principles of intervention including the More than Words program for helping children with Autism. Since joining the Chatterbox team, Corinne has attended workshops presented by Dr Caroline Bowen, Dr Roslyn Neilson, Dr Jacqueline Roberts, Dr Rhea Paul, Professor Barbara Dodd, Professor Gina Conti-Ramsden and Professor Kevin Durkin.

When Corinne isn’t at Chatterbox she enjoys spending time with her family, (especially her four nieces!) and catching up with friends.