Yolanda is the Founder and Director of Neurodiversity Hub. She has over 20 years of experience working in mental health in a variety of roles, and is particularly passionate about working with young people and their families. She is also a proud Autism mum, which has ignited in her a passion to advocate for acceptance, awareness, and a strengths-based approach, which are at the heart of Neurodiveristy Hub.

 

Her work has focused on complex cognitive and neuropsychological assessments, and working with neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive disorders. Committed to ongoing professional development, she is in the final stages of completing a PhD at the University of Queensland, developing better ways to support our students on the Autism spectrum in mainstream education. Yolanda is also a busy mum of three, and enjoys spending time with her family, fitness & yoga, being outdoors, and enjoying creating and eating amazing food.

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Yolanda completed postgraduate training in both Orthopedagogics (developmental psychology) and Clinical Neuropsychology in The Netherlands, with a focus on paediatric assessment and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. She gained extensive experience in working with families and children, particularly those impacted by developmental disorders such as Autism spectrum disorder, and family trauma. Yolanda has lived in South Africa where she worked as a senior psychologist at the Aurum Institute, working with disadvantaged communities in rural Eastern Cape. She continued to work as a Neuroconsultant to a private neurorehabilitation clinic in Johannesburg, and Educational Psychologist (Intern) in a Johannesburg-based primary & secondary school for disadvantaged girls, under the supervision of Bubb Psychology Practice. During this time she completed formal training and supervised practice in both Play Therapy and Neurofeedback (BCIA Neurofeedback Certification, Stress Therapy Solutions).

 

Since moving to Australia in 2013 Yolanda has worked in a number of research and teaching roles within the College of Medicine & Dentistry at James Cook University (JCU) between 2014 and 2019, including that of Year 3 MBBS Coordinator. She has also held a Mental Health Clinician position with Headspace, Psychologist position with JCU Student Wellbeing, as well as the role of Regional Coordinator Mental Health with Primary Health Network (PHN) QLD, providing her with invaluable insight into, and connections with, our regional mental health community. Yolanda then made the transition into private practice back in 2018, which ultimately lead her confidently opening the doors to her own private clinic, Neurodiveristy Hub, in 2022.

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Yolanda has a vast set of skills and experience in the psychological and neurodevelopmental assessment across the lifespan, and a broad range of interventions such as CBT, Neurofeedback (BCIA) and Biofeedback (Play Attention) therapy, trauma-focused EDMR therapy, Family Systems Therapy, and Art & Play Therapy.

Yolanda is a Registered Psychologist (General Registration) with AHPRA and holds (associate) memberships with EMDR Association Australia (EMDRAA), Australian Psychology Society (APS), Australasian Neuroscience Society (ANS), and Australian Brain Alliance and Community of NeuroScientists at JCU (CNS@JCU), a network of academics and health professionals interested in neuroscience and brain research.