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About Liz

Hi, I’m Liz.

I am a Clinical Psychologist and have been practising psychology for over a decade. I currently provide therapy and supervision services online, and see clients for in-person sessions in Frankston and Somerville on the Mornington Peninsula.

I love being a psychologist. I have always been drawn to understanding others and hearing their stories. It is a privilege to be invited into the parts of people’s lives that are often unspoken - their fears, questions, pain, and the things they are trying to make sense of. Being invited into that space is something I approach with care, respect, and a deep sense of responsibility.

My therapeutic style focuses on building trust and relational safety. I aim to help clients feel seen, heard, and understood, and to meet them with compassion wherever they are at. I aim to be warm, approachable, and caring in my work.  I have found that transparency, authenticity, compassion, and a sense of humour are often the foundations of a strong therapeutic relationship.

I have worked with a wide variety of people from different cultural and social backgrounds. Many clients work with me over longer periods, returning to therapy at different stages of life when they need support, insight, or a space to reset.

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PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

I completed my undergraduate psychology degree at Griffith University in Brisbane before moving to Melbourne for postgraduate training. I later completed my Master of Clinical Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Melbourne. My PhD research explored parental influences on children’s recovery following traumatic events.

Early Clinical Experience

My clinical career began in Melbourne, where I worked across a range of mental health services, including youth homelessness, youth justice, specialist PTSD services, and the public mental health system. Much of my work during this time involved supporting children, young people, and families experiencing complex and high-risk mental health presentations.

Humanitarian Trauma Work

In 2020, I moved to Cambodia to work as a volunteer with an anti-trafficking organisation. For two years, I supported a team of Cambodian counsellors providing therapy to child survivors of trafficking and exploitation. This experience had a lasting impact on me both professionally and personally, deepening my understanding of trauma, attachment, cultural responsiveness, and the importance of creating spaces where people feel safe enough to be seen and heard.

Founding Sombok Psychology

Following this, I became passionate about developing mental health services in low-income settings and founded Sombok Psychology in 2022. Over the following years, I built and led a team of Cambodian and expatriate therapists, while also maintaining my own clinical practice and providing supervision. It was during this season that my work deepened further into adult psychotherapy, couples therapy, trauma recovery, and complex presentations.

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Current Practice

In 2026, I relocated back to Australia and now work in private practice in Frankston and Somerville on the Mornington Peninsula. Alongside therapy, I continue to provide clinical supervision and remain connected to Sombok Psychology in an advisory capacity.

For more information about my therapy services, please visit the Therapy page.

For supervision services, please visit the Supervision page.

BOOK APPOINTMENT

Professional Qualifications and Memberships

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  • Registered Clinical Psychologist with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (PSY0001804176)

  • Board Approved Supervisor of Psychologists, Psychology Board of Australia

  • Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), Griffith University

  • Master of Psychology (Clinical), The University of Melbourne

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Melbourne

  • Member of Australian Psychological Society

  • Fellow of the College of Clinical Psychologists

  • Full Member of EMDR Association of Australia

  • Certified Circle of Security Facilitator

  • Certified Tuning into Kids Facilitator

  • Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1 & 2

Logo of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) with text 'Member Australian Psychological Society MAPS'.

Research Contributions

Alongside my clinical work, I have contributed to research in the areas of trauma, ADHD, child development, anxiety, and family adjustment following traumatic events. My research has been published in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Traumatic Stress, European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Pediatrics, PLOS ONE, and the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.

I completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology at the University of Melbourne. My doctoral research was an independent research project examining how parents influence children’s recovery following traumatic events, with a particular focus on parental beliefs, responses, and post-traumatic cognitions following childhood trauma. This work contributed to a growing understanding of the important role parents play in supporting children’s adjustment and recovery after adverse experiences.

The publications below were published under my maiden name, Elizabeth Schilpzand.

Selected Publications

Schilpzand, E., Conroy, R., Anderson, V., & Alisic, E. (2018). Development and evaluation of the Thinking About Recovery Scale: Measure of parent posttraumatic cognitions following children’s exposure to trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 31, 71–78.

Schilpzand, E. J., Sciberras, E., Alisic, E., Efron, D., Hazell, P., Jongeling, B., Anderson, V., & Nicholson, J. M. (2017). Trauma exposure in children with and without ADHD: Prevalence and functional impairment in a community-based study of 6–8-year-old Australian children. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, 811–819.

Schilpzand, E. J., Sciberras, E., Efron, D., Anderson, V., & Nicholson, J. M. (2015). Improving survey response rates from parents in school-based research using a multi-level approach. PLOS ONE, 10(5).

Efron, D., Sciberras, E., Anderson, V., Hazell, P., Ukoumunne, O., Jongeling, B., Schilpzand, E., Bisset, M., & Nicholson, J. (2014). Functional status in children with ADHD at age 6–8 years: A controlled community study. Pediatrics, 134(4), e992–e1000.

Sciberras, E., Mueller, K., Efron, D., Bisset, M., Anderson, V., Schilpzand, E., Jongeling, B., & Nicholson, J. (2014). Language problems in children with ADHD: A community-based study. Pediatrics, 133(5), 793–800.

Waters, A. M., Schilpzand, E., Bell, C., Walker, L. S., & Baber, K. (2013). Functional gastrointestinal symptoms in children with anxiety disorders. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 41(1), 151–163.

Sciberras, E., Efron, D., Schilpzand, E., Anderson, V., Jongeling, B., Hazell, P., Ukoumunne, O. C., & Nicholson, J. (2013). The Children’s Attention Project: A community-based longitudinal study of children with ADHD and non-ADHD controls. BMC Psychiatry, 13(18).

My research background continues to inform my evidence-based approach to assessment and therapy, helping me integrate current research findings with compassionate, person-centred clinical care.