Dr. Jessica Laird

Clinical psychologist, academic, author, educator, trainer and speaker

Officially, I’m a researcher, clinical psychologist and speaker, from Deakin University, and the director of Tend Mental Health.

As a psychologist, I’m down-to-earth, playful, and attuned to the science and neurobiology of human connection and healing. I find joy in being a therapist, offering my deep listening and expertise to help individual’s break free from unhelpful patterns and forge new, chosen ones. My practice spans across the lifespan, working with children, young people, and adults. I integrate art, nature, and play with scientifically driven modalities like EMDR, Schema Therapy, DBT, and Play Therapy. In our sessions, you’ll find a welcoming and warm environment that feels home-like, where you can just be. And, of course, I’ll always offer you a cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate—and a biscuit. (Sometimes the simple things are the most extraordinary - The Alchemist).

Over the past 15 years, I’ve immersed myself in studying child sexual exploitation, not merely as an academic pursuit, but as an exploration of how trauma disrupts a child’s ability to form connections and find meaning. I’m the author of several scientific publications, where my work seeks to articulate the suffering in CSE which still persists in this world and is often overlooked.

But more importantly, I’m a mother, a survivor, and a meaning-maker who values science, and believes that human beings are born with an innate capacity to triumph over trauma.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Clinical Psychology

  • Post Graduate Diploma of Psychological Sciences (Honours)

  • Master of Nursing Science (Intensive Care)

  • Bachelor of Nursing

  • AKA (Australian Kinesiology Association) accredited courses

  • Circle of Security Facilitator

  • Full registration as a Clinical Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

I have always been drawn to people and to listening to the deeper parts of their stories. It’s been a privilege for me to walk alongside individuals from many aspects of life for the last 20 years. I began my career as a Registered Nurse; to tend to children, young people, families and adults in ICU, management of health at home to recovery, and at times to tend to the sacredness of end-of-life care. It was my work in end-of-life care in particular that grew my love for an authentic connection in the professional helping relationship. This prompted the pursuit of becoming a Clinical Psychologist, to refine the art of deep listening and extend a scientifically informed understanding of intervention and recovery in mental health.

For the last 10 years I have spent my career working alongside children, young people and adults who experienced complex trauma, and as a result a variety of mental health and relationship challenges. With a prevention and early-intervention lens, I have authored several papers on improving therapeutic outcomes for individuals affected by trauma and child sexual exploitation. This has also led to the development of professional training for the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (Child Protection), Community Service Organisations such as St Kilda Gatehouse and the ARISE Program, Victoria Police, and Deakin University. I provide supervision to practitioners from a variety of disciplines, to improve assessment and intervention for those affected by violence, but also to cultivate reflective practice and well-being amongst helping services, where compassion fatigue and burnout is common.

I work across the lifespan from a person-centred and relational approach, grounded in evidence-based interventions informed by current research in neurobiology. When the body or mind feels threatened or unsafe, our defensive or survival-oriented responses are activated, and this can result in a range of physical and psychological symptoms. I believe in the importance of finding meaning, responding to needs, soothing fears and down regulating our autonomic nervous system and emotions. There is no one size fits all method to therapy, which is why I offer a variety of practices; including EMDR, Schema Therapy, trauma-informed DBT, and ACT. I highly value the use of nonverbal evidence-based approaches, especially when it comes to recovery from trauma, including mindfulness, play and somatic therapies, as well as using nature as a co-therapist.

My areas of focus include supporting people through:

  • Trauma, PTSD, Developmental / Childhood trauma & Complex trauma

  • Depression, Mood and Anxiety

  • Neurodivergence with an affirmative approach to assessment and therapy (ADHD, Autism)

  • Eating Disorders

  • Children, families & parenting

  • Sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual health

  • Relationship dynamics

  • Pregnancy, pregnancy loss, post-natal mental health, neonatal & parenting support (Circle of Security)

  • Compassion fatigue, PTSD treatment & mental health support for helping professionals (doctors, paramedics, nurses, allied health, social workers, youth workers, counsellors)

  • Health & End-of-life-care

  • Spiritual-related health and wellness

If you’ve read this far I thank you. But mostly, my hope is that you find the right fit when it comes to a therapist to support you on your own unique path to wellness.

Best wishes,

Jess.

Laird, J. J., Klettke, B., Hall, K., & Hallford, D. (2022). Toward a Global Definition and Understanding of Child Sexual Exploitation: The Development of a Conceptual Model. Trauma, violence & abuse, 15248380221090980. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380221090980

Laird JJ, Klettke B, Hall K, Clancy E, Hallford D. Demographic and Psychosocial Factors Associated With Child Sexual Exploitation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open. 2020;3(9):e2017682. https://doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.17682

Laird, J. J., Klettke, B., Mattingley, S., Hallford, D. J., & Hall, K. (2022). A Single-Case Series Trial of Emotion-Regulation and Relationship Safety Intervention for Youth Affected by Sexual Exploitation. Psych, 4(3), 475–493. https://doi.org/10.3390/psych4030037

Laird, J., Klettke, B., Clancy, E., & Fuelscher, I. (2021). Relationships between Coerced Sexting and Differentiation of Self: An Exploration of Protective Factors. Sexes, 2(4), 468–482. https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes2040037

Laird, J. & Schilpzand, E. (2018). InSight: A therapeutic resource for professionals working with young people affected by sexual exploitation. St Kilda Gatehouse Inc: Melbourne, Australia. See https://www.stkildagatehouse.org.au/ for more information.