Paediatrics | Psychiatry | Psychology | Speech-Language Pathology | Occupational Therapy | Educational Support
About
About Educare
Our Story
EDUCARE was established in 1999 and has since developed into a multi-disciplinary practice that brings many related specialist medical, health and educational services including psychology, psychiatry, neurology, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and behavioural support into one location for the convenience of families in Newcastle and the Hunter Region.
While we work with clients of all ages, we specialise in helping children and teenagers to enhance their development potential and wellbeing. Our services include a comprehensive range of assessments, diagnostic and treatment to support families.
Our team is highly experienced and works together to empower children and teens to overcome mental, emotional, social and behavioural roadblocks.
When you book an appointment, you can expect genuine care and a personalised approach to improving health and quality of life for yourself and your child.
Our Vision
To unlock potential and
enhance well-being
Dr Bruce R Youlden
BA; BEd; MA; MA; Ph.D
Managing Director
Dr Bruce Youlden took on the administrative responsibilities as the Managing Director of EDUCARE Specialist Services in January 2019. Following on from a career of 42 years in Educational Leadership settings, Bruce is now directing his energies towards the continuing growth and development of EDUCARE as a multi-disciplinary medical, health and educational practice.
Dr Anne-Marie J Youlden
BA; MA; MA; Ph.D; MAPS
Founding Director
Educational & Child Psychologist
Dr Anne-Marie Youlden is the Founding Director of EDUCARE and commenced her work as an Educational and Child Psychologist in Belmont and Warners Bay in 1999. Since that time and under her leadership, EDUCARE has grown into a leading multi-disciplinary medical and health practice within the region and is now located in the professional hub of Charlestown.
Our Team
Based in Newcastle and serving the Hunter Region, our medical and health specialists include psychiatrists, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational and behavioural therapists.
Dr Patricia Caruana
MD (Medicine), General Neurologist
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Dr. Patricia Caruana is an accomplished General Neurologist and Neuroimmunologist with over two decades of medical experience. Her clinical interests span headache management, epilepsy, neuroimmunology, and movement disorders.
Dr Ulli Schall
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
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Dr Ulrich Schall has many years of experience working with young people affected by mental illness, which is complemented by a substantial track record in mental health research at the University of Newcastle’s Priority Centre for Brain and Mental Health Research.
Dr Cyriac Mathew
Adult Psychiatrist
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Dr Cyriac Mathew has many years of experience ensuring quality care of people affected by various mental illnesses, including assessment, medical management and psychosocial interventions.
Dr Pek Ang
Adult Psychiatrist
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Dr Ang is a Specialist Psychiatrist with an interest in the diagnosis and management of ADHD in adults, and associated issues of impulse control (including eating), emotional dysregulation, and burnout.
Dr Shyam Gangadharan
General Medicine and Stroke Physician
Dr Shyam Gangadharan is a Specialist Physician in General Medicine with special interest in Neurology. His clinical expertise includes stroke, TIA, headache, migraine, tremor, seizure, functional neurological disorders and cognitive impairment.
Dr Nicole Reece
Senior Clinical Psychologist and Supervisor
Dr Nicole Reece has completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology, specialising in mental health, and has been practising since 2008. She has experience in a wide variety of settings including community, private, academic and inpatient environments.
Freya Powe
Senior Clinical and Lead Psychologist
Freya Powe is a clinical psychologist and experienced in working with complex and persistent mental health presentations in children and teenagers. Freya is a warm and empathetical clinician with broad experience in working with a diverse range of presentations across the lifespan.
Laura Nolan
Clinical Psychologist
Laura Nolan is a clinical psychologist with experience in treating complex mental health conditions for adolescents and adults. She uses CBT, DBT, ACT, and Schema Therapy to support clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, and relationship challenges.
Natalie Adcock
Senior Consulting Psychologist
Natalie has been practicing as a Consulting Psychologist for 8 years across various roles in private and public sectors including corrections, employment services, private practice and has extensive experience working with NDIS clients. She has a special interest in forensics, gerontology, and disability, and is experienced in working with adolescents and adults with complex and acute mental health presentations.
David Lambert
Senior Consulting Psychologist
David Lambert specialises in neuro-psychometric assessment. He has expertise in the diagnosis of Intellectual and related disabilities, Language and Learning Disorders, ADHD and a range mental health presentations.
Dr Robert Baird
Consulting Psychologist and Assessment-Diagnostic Lead
Dr Robert Baird is an experienced Psychologist who focuses on conducting evidence-based assessments for learning, ADHD, ASD, cognitive abilities, and a range of other mental health conditions. Dr Baird is dedicated to offering comprehensive and systematic evaluations for individuals across all age groups, including children, teenagers, and adults.
Melanie Grabham
Consulting Psychologist and EMDR Lead
Melanie Grabham is an experienced psychologist working across the lifespan, with a particular interest in working with trauma and PTSD. Melanie employs a diverse range of therapeutic approaches to create a collaborative and safe space for clients to address issues such as anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Her empathetic approach aims to support clients on their journey and to empower clients to achieve their own personal goals.
Tristen Hatch
Consulting Psychologist
Tristen completed her Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) degree at the University of Newcastle. She has a long standing interest in working with children and teens, to assist them in identifying goals that are in line with their values and beliefs to enable them to live meaningful and rich lives.
David Pearce
Consulting Psychologist
David Pearce is a Consulting Psychologist who has had significant experience working with complex issues experienced by older teens and adults. Specifically, David works with a range of mental disorders including anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation issues, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, complex relationship issues along with character and self esteem building. David’s approach focuses on bringing a relaxed and relatable approach to therapy.
Maria Andreoli
Consulting Psychologist
Maria Andreoli is a caring and experienced registered psychologist, specializing in supporting children and teenagers facing learning differences, trauma and mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression. Her goal is to empower children and teenagers, helping them feel confident and resilient.
Gina McGrath
Consulting Psychologist
Gina McGrath has had over 12 years experience in providing support for adolescents and adults, specialising in areas of anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, stress management and grief. Over recent years, Gina has developed a particular passion for women’s health and family support.
Laura Bonus
Consulting Psychologist
Laura is an experienced child psychologist who has a warm and non-judgemental approach with children and their respective families. She seeks to help them develop the tools and strategies they need for their growth and development while building resilience in managing their mental health and emotional well-being.
Stefani Knijnik
Senior Speech Pathologist, Lactation Consultant and SOS Feeding Therapist
Stefani brings over 13 years of experience as a dedicated Speech Pathologist. Additional areas of expertise include helping children and adults with complex swallowing difficulties, managing mealtime challenges, and supporting breastfeeding and feeding across all stages of life. Stefani is committed to using evidence-based practices to deliver high-quality, personalised care.
Emily Fuge
Senior Speech-Language Pathologist
Emily is a bubbly and enthusiastic Speech and Language Pathologist with a strong functional focus in therapy. She works closely with families and loves to support children and teens and to enable them to reach their potential with personalised goals and intervention plans.
Belinda Waldock
Speech-Language Pathologist
Belinda is an engaging, approachable Speech and Language Pathologist who enjoys providing therapy in a fun and comfortable environment. She loves working with children and families who experience disabilities and helping them towards achieving their speech and language goals.
Kui Noi Tan
Speech-Language Pathologist
Kui Noi is a warm and empathetic speech and language pathologist who enjoys working with both children and adults, and their families to help build their capacity and achieve their communication and swallowing goals.
Victoria Hayes
Occupational Therapist
Victoria is a highly qualified, experienced and specialized Occupational Therapist. She brings a deeply personal commitment to skills development, aiming to enhance well-being and success for each of her clients. She provides a client and family-centered approach, working collaboratively to set meaningful goals and improve performance in daily activities.
Esther McKenzie
Occupational Therapist
Esther is an experienced and highly regarded Occupational Therapist who has worked across the full life span including children, adolescents and adults. Esther has a real passion for working with children and teens and in so doing, seeks to provide a holistic, family centred and collaborative approach to empower them to achieve their goals.
Jessica Tindall
Occupational Therapist
Jessica is an experienced, friendly, and approachable Occupational Therapist dedicated to helping children and teens build the skills they need to succeed. Jessica offers holistic, strengths-based therapy designed to help children and teens develop essential skills that focus on building confidence, independence, and success in everyday life.
Emmanuel Antoniades
Senior Behaviour Support Practitioner
Emmanuel is a dedicated and highly skilled Behaviour Support Practitioner with a strong educational background, characterized by his passion for enhancing the lives of those he serves. Emmanuel has demonstrated an ability to address complex behaviours, always approaching his clients with warmth, empathy, and a deep understanding of their unique needs.
Stefani Knijnik
Senior Behaviour Support Practitioner
Stefani has significant experience in the disability sector including her work as a Behaviour Support Practitioner. Specifically, she has supported clients with complex behaviours from all different backgrounds and abilities, including those with mental health concerns and developmental disabilities. Her approach is deeply informed by a trauma-informed lens, ensuring that each individual’s unique needs are met with sensitivity and understanding.
Lena Motawi
Behaviour Support Practitioner
Lena has significant experience in the medical, health and NDIS sectors and specifically, as a Behaviour Support Practitioner supporting clients across the lifespan and from diverse cultural backgrounds. Lena specialises in complex personality and mental health disorders, forensic cases, and disability support, using evidence-based practices to improve quality of life. Lena is bilingual, speaking English and Arabic. She also actively volunteers with organisations promoting justice, human rights, and community support.
Julie Fletcher
Client and NDIS Coordinator
Tanya Wells
Medical Lead
Shyden Jordan
Medical Receptionist
Damien Nowak
Medical Receptionist & Accounts
Frequently Asked Questions
EDUCARE was established in 1999 by Educational and Child Psychologist, Dr Anne-Marie Youlden. It has since developed into a leading multi-disciplinary practice designed to bring many related specialist medical, health and educational services into one location for the convenience of families in the Hunter Region.
The EDUCARE team consists of a wide range of highly experienced medical and health specialists, who all work together to empower our clients and their families.
Our specialists include psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and behavioural support practitioners.
You may have observed that your child or teen has the potential to perform at least equal to peers, perhaps even better, but for some reason they do not seem to reach their potential.
Similarly, you may feel as an adult that you are encountering a range of difficulties that are creating barriers to your emotional, mental or professional well-being.
EDUCARE can help because it has the specialist professional expertise to identify both the barriers and potential solutions to enhance well-being and learning and every-day living
EDUCARE provides a comprehensive range of assessments, diagnostic and treatment services
We take a fully integrated approach, meeting family needs by working closely with referring medical practitioners, health professionals and educators
EDUCARE provides a range of target services and programs to meet the varying needs of individuals and families. You can contact us for Pre & Post Natal Counselling, Autism Spectrum Management, Social and Behaviour Intervention Programs, Parent Training, Medico-Legal Matters and WorkCover Support.
Funding support for families includes: Medicare; Private Health Funds; and NDIS.
View the NDIS website or reach out to us to find out more.
EDUCARE is conveniently located and accessible in meeting community needs throughout Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Lower and Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Central Coast and the Northern NSW Region.
For more information or to arrange an appointment, please contact us.