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BPSYCH, PGDPP, MEDP (AAPI, AEDPA)

Anushka is our Founder & Principal Psychologist. With a speciality in cultural family dynamics, trauma, anxiety, depression, and more, Anushka provides expert support for individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Whether it's managing mood disorders, marital issues, or exploring cultural identity as a Third Culture Kid, she offers a safe space for self-discovery and growth. From stress and burnout to neurodiversity, Anushka is here to help you thrive. Join her on the journey to prioritise your mental health and wellbeing, because every step forward is a step toward a brighter tomorrow.

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BSc, MC

Sayaka offers neuro-affirming, culturally responsive counselling for adults navigating ADHD, overwhelm, cultural or family pressures, relationship challenges, identity exploration, and life transitions. She also supports clients exploring queerness and the complex intersections of sexuality, gender, culture, and family expectations. Her approach is warm, collaborative, and practical, blending reflection with tools for emotional regulation, communication, boundaries, and everyday follow-through. Drawing from ACT, CBT-informed strategies, parts work, and ADHD-informed coaching, Sayaka creates a space where clients can slow down, make sense of their experiences, and move forward with greater clarity, self-trust, and compassion.

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B.A (Hons) Psychology, M.A Counselling Psychology, PhD (MAPS)

Manisha is a trauma-focused psychologist supporting adults navigating relational trauma, cultural identity, and life transitions. With a background spanning India and Australia, she brings a culturally responsive and neuroaffirming approach to therapy - one that honours the ways culture, family systems, and lived experience shape mental health. She has a particular interest in working with individuals from multicultural and South Asian backgrounds, and offers a compassionate, collaborative space to explore experiences with curiosity, care, and cultural safety.

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BSc, MC

Natasha Lama is a registered psychotherapist with a Master’s in Counselling who works with adolescents, adults, and couples. She brings a warm, humorous, and collaborative style to therapy, creating safe, non-judgmental spaces for clients to share their stories. Raised in a Malaysian-Indian community, Natasha has a deep appreciation for cultural intricacies and is committed to sex-positivity and community-based values. She draws on CBT, mindfulness, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Schema Therapy to provide a person-centred and culturally responsive approach.

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BPsych(Hons), MPP (MAPS)

Shiromie is a passionate provisional psychologist who is dedicated to providing a safe space for individuals to explore their emotions and experiences. She has an interest in supporting individuals impacted by trauma and those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Using client-centred approaches, Shiromie intends to support individuals on their mental health journey with compassion, understanding, and a hint of humour.

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Sharv works with individuals and couples exploring identity, relationships, and the emotional realities of migration, culture, and belonging. They offer a thoughtful, non-judgmental space where clients can reflect on difficult experiences while feeling seen and supported. Their approach is humanistic and person-centred, grounded in intersectionality, anti-oppressive practice, and culturally responsive counselling. Sharv draws on Narrative Therapy, CBT, ACT, and EFT, adapting their approach to each client’s needs. They have a strong interest in identity exploration, relationship dynamics, anxiety, migration-related stress, and experiences of marginalisation, with particular passion for sex and intimacy, race-based traumatic stress, identity development, and queer-affirming care.

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Mai is a counselling student completing her Master’s at Deakin. She is drawing from a person-centered and strength-based counselling approach, firmly believing that everyone can heal and grow when they are met with empathy, respect and support. 

As an international student from Vietnam, Mai brings perspectives and lived experience of navigating life away from home while facing mental health challenges. She is aspired to help others who may feel isolated, overwhelmed, and unsupported in life. With her belief that everyone deserves equal care, Mai is committed to providing culturally sensitive care for marginalised communities and those experiencing financial hardships. 

By integrating different evidence-based modalities with person-centered therapy, Mai aims to provide a tailored experience where people feel heard, understood and empowered. Through this safe space, she hopes to empower everyone to grow into the best version of themselves.

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Deshna is the vibrant and compassionate facilitator of our QueerSpace group at Umeed Psychology. As a proud mental health advocate, Deshna is deeply passionate about creating affirming, inclusive spaces where LGBTQIA+ folks from diverse cultural backgrounds can feel seen, safe, and celebrated. With a background in counselling and a love for community care, she brings both warmth and lived experience to her facilitation. When she's not holding space for others, you’ll likely find her engaging in creative activities, curating playlists, or sharing a laugh over a cup of chai.

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Anirudh, also known as Ani, is a Neurodivergent and Queer South Indian Person. They Facilitate the Queer Space group at Umeed Psychology. After living in Australia for almost a decade, Ani has become deeply aware of the colonial legacies that impact both their homeland and the communities

With a background in Psychology and Social Work, Ani is passionate about addressing the systemic barriers that people with intersecting identities face.

When not focused on their professional work, Ani enjoys channeling their energy into powerlifting, long walks, watching movies, and reading.

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Poorni is one of our thoughtful and passionate facilitators at Umeed Psychology. With a background in psychology and counselling and a deep commitment to community wellbeing, she brings warmth, insight, and a grounding presence to every group she leads. Poorni is especially passionate about creating safe, culturally sensitive spaces for reflection, connection, and growth. When she’s not facilitating, you’ll likely find her enjoying a good book, exploring creative outlets, or spending quality time with loved ones.

Naveen is one of the passionate facilitators at Umeed Psychology. With a background in Psychology, Naveen is committed to creating spaces for community to congregate and thrive in. His work is underpinned by the belief that the return to village and communal spaces are essential for our wellbeing on a holistic level. Growing up in Melbourne as a South-Indian Tamil man, he is particularly passionate towards working with POC and South Asian youth and working in Men’s spaces.

Hiranya is passionate about culturally responsive, strengths-based practice and believes that meaningful therapeutic work begins with understanding each client’s unique background, lived experiences, and personal strengths. With a background in Psychology and Criminology, she is deeply interested in emotional regulation, and understanding how migration, identity, belonging, and intergenerational experiences shape wellbeing in adulthood. She values creating a safe, collaborative space where individuals feel heard, respected, and empowered.

She is currently completing her undergraduate degree and works as an ABA therapist supporting neurodiverse children, where she assists with building communication, emotional regulation, and adaptive skills. Her experience has strengthened her commitment to compassionate, evidence-based care.

Outside of her professional life, Hiranya enjoys listening to podcasts, discovering new music, and spending time with friends and family. She also loves travelling and exploring new places, trying different foods, and embracing new experiences whenever she can.

Theo (they/them) is a third-year Psychology student at the University of Melbourne with a longstanding fascination with ADHD and neurodiversity. Growing up surrounded by neurodivergent people has given Theo a firsthand appreciation of both the challenges they face and the triumphs they can achieve with the right support. Theo is passionate about equitable access to mental health resources for all people, neurodivergent or otherwise, and is excited to begin that journey with Umeed Psychology.

Lana is part of the admin team at Umeed Psychology and is often the first point of contact for clients. A self-professed nerd who loves pressing buttons, on keyboards, not people, she enjoys the systems, organisation, and behind-the-scenes work that helps keep everything running smoothly.

Lana holds a Bachelor of Psychological Sciences and is currently completing her Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Her academic interests include intergenerational trauma, complex trauma, epigenetics, and the transformative role of compassion in healing.

As an AuDHDer with more special interests than she quite knows what to do with, Lana is equally enthusiastic about nervous systems, comedy, queer art, and musical theatre. She is also a Vedic meditator with a growing interest in Ayurvedic medicine and practices.

At Umeed, Lana is passionate about supporting clients from the administrative side of the journey, helping ensure that practical things run smoothly so clients and clinicians can focus on the work that matters most.

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Parker is the Social Media and Marketing Assistant at Umeed Psychology. They are a proud queer, neurodivergent, and disabled person currently studying a Bachelor of Psychology. With a long-standing love for digital art and design that began in childhood, Parker brings creativity and care to everything they do. Their skills are strongest in figure drawing and logo design, and they are deeply passionate about making art more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

Outside of work and study, Parker can usually be found drawing, playing D&D, experimenting with makeup artistry, or doing tarot readings for themselves and friends.