Dr Catherine Dinneen

Catherine is a Clinical Psychologist with 26 years of experience supporting children and their families across both public and private settings, including the John Hunter Children’s Hospital, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Catherine is deeply committed to supporting children in their development, bringing a thoughtful, compassionate and collaborative approach to her work. She has extensive experience working with anxiety (including OCD), emotion dysregulation (such as problematic anger), behavioural challenges, attachment difficulties, trauma, and neurodevelopmental differences including ADHD and autism.

Catherine takes a warm and attuned approach when working with families, helping parents to understand the underlying drivers of their child’s behaviour — whether this be anxiety, overwhelm, attachment needs, or emotion regulation difficulties. She works collaboratively with parents to develop practical, effective strategies, particularly when current approaches are no longer working.

In her work Catherine creates engaging and developmentally appropriate therapeutic spaces where children can build insight into their thoughts, feelings and behaviours in ways that feel safe and accessible. She has a particular interest in supporting children with anxiety and OCD, neurodivergence, the impact of trauma, attachment and parent–child relationships, toileting challenges, and supporting families navigating early developmental complexities. Catherine also offers parenting support, recognising that meaningful change often begins with strengthening the family system.

Catherine draws on evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Narrative Therapy, while maintaining a strong family systems and developmental perspective. She is trained in Tuning into Kids and Tuning into Teens (emotion coaching parenting programs), as well as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) for children and adolescents.

Catherine holds a Doctor of Clinical Psychology from the University of Newcastle. She is registered with AHPRA, endorsed in Clinical Psychology by the Psychology Board of Australia, and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), including the Child, Adolescent and Family Interest Group. She is also a recognised provider with Medicare and private health insurers.

At the heart of Catherine’s work is a deep respect for each child’s individual experience and a commitment to helping families feel more connected, confident, and supported.