Picture of Nadia

Nadia Smith-McColm

Psychologist

 

Nadia is a warm and engaging newly registered psychologist that completed her Masters of Psychology in 2010. Nadia is passionate about helping children and adults with anxiety and Attention Deficit Hyperacivity Disorder – ADHD.

Nadia has over 25 years of experience in counselling roles providing support to families, carers, and their children by counselling them through their crises over the phone or in their homes based on their needs. Working on the crisis line established Nadia’s experience working with a range of people experiencing mental health concerns, from parent-adolescent conflict through to intimate partner violence, as well as those seeking support with concerns regarding stress, depression, ADHD and anxiety.

Nadia excels at listening to a clients’ concerns and working with them collaboratively to develop insight, strategies goals or solutions guided by their needs.

Nadia engages well with children and young adults and works with them to find strategies to protect high-risk youth that require their parents/carers’ involvement. Nadia has experience working with clients as young as 8 years old and across the lifespan, as well as working with diversity as well as cultural differences.

Nadia;s therapeutic training highlights include cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy,  ADHD non-medication treatment certification and trauma informed practice.

Nadia is passionate and skilled working with Aboriginal people, and she has an understanding and compassionate perspective of the impact of government policies and intergenerational conflict. Nadia is experienced working with cultural and linguistically diverse people experiencing difficulties adjusting to the Western culture and society, while still maintaining their Eastern values and beliefs.

ADHD assessment and therapy

Nadia conducts ADHD assessments for adults and therapy and treatment for adults and children. ADHD medication paired with cognitive- behavioral therapy is the most effective treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. Nadia can assist with cognitive therapy (helping with distorted thought processes), dialectal behaviour therapy (helping with managing emotons and ADHD coaching  to help clients achieve emotional/intellectual growth, strong social skills, effective learning strategies, compelling career and business exploration, and thoughtful financial planning.

A message from Nadia about how she works with clients:

“I am always respectful and my clients have advised me that I provide non-judgemental, compassionate, and considerate support. My clients have informed me that they feel they can talk to me about anything and they respect that I work collaboratively with them to develop plans and strategies for them to reach their goals and live a happy, healthy life. Children and youths I have worked with always remember me and the support I provided them, as well as the strategies we developed together.”

Nadia’s perspective is humanist, however, she likes to use strategies that are client focussed and ‘fit’ the clients’ needs in terms of counselling, assessment and intervention approaches.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that has been proven to be effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use problems, eating disorders and others. CBT believes that the way we think can influence how we feel and how we act. Therefore, if we can change our thoughts, we will be able to change how we feel and act. Nadia uses CBT as a core treatment approach, and she has had experience supporting people who suffer from depression and anxiety with positive outcomes.

Qualifications and Training

  • Master of Psychology
  • Registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
  • ADHD Certificate Course (Moving Beyond Medication)
  • Executive Function, ADHD and Stress in the Classroom
  • ADHD Treatment for Children & Adults: Proven Strategies to Self­Regulate, Stay on Task & Manage Anxiety & Intense Emotions

Professional Memberships: Australian Psychological Society

Nadia is passionate about working with people with these concerns:

Anxiety

Depression

ADHD assessment and treatment

Challenging Behaviour/Emotional Regulation

School refusal

Sleep

Toileting issues

New sibling issues

Parenting issues

Anger issues

Grief

Relationship Difficulties

Trauma

PTSD

Bullying

Borderline Personality Disorder

Nadia doesn’t work with the following:

  • Couples
  • Families