Meet Our Team
Learn more about the people that are included in the Young Allied Health family.
Our Speech Pathologists
Jessica
Senior Speech Pathologist, Founding DirectorWhat do you like to do in your spare time?
I love spending time with my family – taking the kids to the beach sounds like the perfect day!
What made you want to become a Speech Pathologist?
I think it was a long journey to figure out what I was going to do, starting with my introduction to speech therapy when I was in preschool with a lisp! I deferred going to uni fora year after school and took a gap year in America, and it was when I was studying anatomy and physiology over there that I realised I had chosen right. Now I can't imagine doing anything else!
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
My role has evolved so much as the business has grown – now it’s not just the reward of seeing the children I work with grow, but also being a part of the growth of our amazing clinicians and team members. I genuinely love that both as a business owner and as a speech pathologist, you never know it all and there is always more to learn.
What is your most cherished memory from working at Young Allied Health?
There have been so many special memories – there’s been the big milestones like moving to our new offices in Kirwan in 2019, but it’s really the little achievements that make it all worthwhile. I just love that we get to work alongside families so closely and watch their children grow up and achieve their goals – it’s such a privilege to be part of their journey!
Samantha
Senior Speech Pathologist & Clinical Team LeaderWhat are your hobbies/interests?
I love spending time with my family including going to the beach, swimming and camping.
What is your favourite food?
Anything sweet!
What made you want to become a Speech Pathologist?
I wanted to do a job where I could not only help people but that was interesting and rewarding and speech pathology seemed to tick all of those boxes!
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
Working with lots of beautiful young people and watching them achieve their goals, whether they are big or small.
What is your most cherished memory from working at Young Allied Health?
I can't pinpoint only one memory but one of my favourite things that I get to be apart of is sharing many milestones, achievements and ongoing developments within the lives of the people we support.
Cassie
Speech PathologistWhat are your hobbies/interests?
I enjoy playing tennis and soccer, listening to music and being outdoors.
What is your favourite food?
Does coffee count as food?
What made you want to become a Speech Pathologist?
I have always wanted to work in healthcare, and chose speech pathology because our profession involves many different topics; speech, language, voice, fluency, swallowing; from babies, toddlers, school aged children to the geriatric population. There is always something new to learn!
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
I love that each and every day is different and challenging, and it gives me a chance to make a real difference in the lives of the students we see. I love following their journey week to week and seeing them achieve things that many of us take for granted.
What is your most cherished memory from working at Young Allied Health?
It's hard to choose just one, but it has to be the session I introduced one of my students to an AAC system (Proloquo2Go). The smile on their face was incredible as they began to learn to combine words to make requests and comments, where previously their expressive language was limited to single words. Those moments make coming to work so rewarding.
Amelia
Speech PathologistWhere are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
I was born in Oakey but have lived in Townsville most of my life. My father was in the defence force which is how we ended up here.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I love jigsaw puzzles! I could finish a 1000pc jigsaw puzzle in as little as three days. I also love reading adventure fiction books like the 7 Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly.
What is your favourite food?
Spaghetti Bolognese has to be my favourite dinner meal!
What made you want to become an Speech Pathologist?
I knew I wanted to work with children but didn’t want to be a teacher. A friend suggested speech pathology so I enrolled and loved it!
What’s your favourite thing about working with kids?
I love the hilarious things children say and do and find it very hard to keep a straight face at times! They are brutally honest and are so fun to work with. It is also incredibly rewarding when a child achieves their therapy goals and seeing their proud faces when they have loads of success!
Kass
Speech Pathologist
Where are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
I grew up in Giru, just south of Townsville and ended up completing my high school up here
and eventually made the move just after leaving high school. Townsville has been home for
me since forever!
What are your hobbies/interests?
I spend a lot of time with my little family cooking, gardening and getting outside and we get
on our boat for a ride whenever we can! I like to look after myself with Yoga and meditation
and doing some crafty things.
What is your favourite food?
Lots of things! I love a great home cooked meal like corned beef, pasta, or smoked meats
like brisket. A delicious gluten free baked good will always lead me astray!
What made you want to become a Speech Pathologist?
It was after a while working in other industries (property, finance) that I realised that I really
wanted to work with children and disability, and I remembered back when I was younger
that my Mum said I should go into this field! Always listen to your Mum, guys! I made the
change in my late 20’s to go into this field and I’ve never regretted the move and the
impacts that speech therapy has on people.
What is your favourite thing about working with children?
I love how children see the world and how they can be so motivated to achieve (winning at
games or otherwise!). I really enjoy working closely with the parents of my clients and giving
them the skills to support their children outside of our clinic room and seeing how small
changes make big impacts for a family.
Hayley
Speech Pathologist
Where are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
I grew up in Ingham. I moved to Townsville after I graduated high school to start Uni at JCU.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I’ve always enjoyed watching any and all sports games with my family and friends. I’ve also recently been trying to get more into reading!
What is your favourite food?
Definitely would have to be any variation of pasta.
What made you want to become a Speech Pathologist?
I was always unsure about what to do after school, but I knew I wanted to help people in some way. One day, a high school teacher of mine mentioned that he had a lisp as a child, and it sparked my interest. I decided to look into it and discovered speech pathology. I knew it was the role for me when I learnt about the diverse range of people speech pathologists get to work with. Now, I feel very lucky to be apart of this wonderful profession and have the opportunity to always be learning something new!
What is your favourite thing about working with children?
I love how creative and curious kids are which makes every session different. Their excitement over the little things is infectious and it can really brighten your day.
Bonnie
Speech Pathologist
Where are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
Townsville born and raised!
What are your hobbies/interests?
In my spare time I enjoy cooking/baking and trying new recipes. I also enjoy being outside
and taking in nature!
What is your favourite food?
Well chicken schnitzels for dinner are my all-time favourite. I love a sweet indulgence from
time to time (or all the time).
What made you want to become a Speech Pathologist?
When I was finishing high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after graduating. I was
considering studying education, but my mum suggested looking into Speech Pathology or
Occupational Therapy. She was working as Learning Aide at the time and loved working with
the Speechies and OT’s. So, I decided to give Speech Pathology a go, and I haven’t looked
back since!
What is your favourite thing about working with children?
I think the best part is seeing kids get excited when the achieve the therapy goals or targets.
Seeing their joy is really uplifting!
Rachael
Speech Pathologist
Where are you from?
I grew up on a farm in the Burdekin. I came to Townsville for university, met my husband and never left.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I love to crochet, read and do puzzles.
What is your favourite food?
Definitely home made pasta!
What made you want to become a Speech Pathologist?
I wanted to help people and work with kids.
What's your favourite thing about working with kids?
Seeing them learn and grow as they develop new skills (and I love colouring and playing games).
Our Occupational Therapists
Renee
Senior Occupational TherapistWhere are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
I was born in Bowen and moved to the big smoke of Townsville in 2011 to study at JCU.
What are your hobbies/interests?
In my spare time I love to practice yoga, read, paint (poorly!) and relax with a good movie or TV show.
What is your favourite food?
I love to cook and enjoy eating all varieties of food. Some of my favourites are rice paper rolls, lasagne, pasta, and Pavlova. The list goes on!
What made you want to become an Occupational Therapist?
I have known since early high school that I wanted to work in the health sector. When I was in mid high school I read a description about what occupational therapists do and it just clicked for me.
What is your most memorable moment working as an OT?
There have been many memorable moments in my time so far as an OT. The ones that really stick out are when a child and/or parent are so excited to tell me they have achieved something they have been practicing so hard for at home and in therapy. Recently a client was over the moon to show me how he can tie shoelaces all by himself now!
Renee is available Tuesdays - Fridays
Sascha
Occupational TherapistWhere are you from?
Born and bred in Townsville.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I love sport and play Ultimate Frisbee two nights a week locally. In my spare time I love
hanging out with my family and friends, travelling, and playing with my dogs.
What is your favourite food?
I honestly love all food equally and find it extremely hard to pick a favourite. But I think I’d
have to go with a nice Indian curry (followed by dessert of course).
What made you want to become an Occupational Therapist?
I’ve always had a passion for helping people and wanted a job where I could really make a
positive difference in the lives of others. I sort of stumbled upon OT and very quickly
realised that I’ve always been an OT at heart. I love being able to bring meaning, purpose
and joy to people’s lives.
What's your favourite thing about working with children?
For me, working with kids is the most rewarding thing in the world. They are so full of
potential, enthusiasm, and joy. Their joy is contagious and seeing them learn and grow is
such a beautiful thing.
Chloe
Occupational TherapistWhere are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
- I’m originally from the beautiful South Coast of NSW, in Nowra! I moved to Townsville to study Occupational Therapy at JCU, having some family up here made the transition even better.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I absolutely love dancing, footy, and baking! I’m a dance teacher and adore everything about it. I’m also a big fan of crafts: painting, decorating, and creating fun setups for events like birthdays and weddings. When I’m not doing something creative, I enjoy, listening to country music, or spending quality time with family and friends. I also love travelling back home to the South Coast to swim at the best beaches ever!
What is your favourite food?
I’m a big cookie lover but anything with pasta is always a win too!
What made you want to become an Occupational Therapist?
I started out studying education, but soon realised I wanted to work with children more individually. I love working with kids to truly support their development and their families. I’ve always been drawn to family-centred practice, which is one of the reasons OT really stood out for me.
What is your favourite thing about working with kids?
I’ve always enjoyed engaging with kids, whether it’s teaching dance, hanging out with my cousins, nieces, and nephews, or working with students. It’s always a great time! I find it incredibly rewarding to see children enjoying themselves, building confidence, and learning new skills. I’ve always said that no matter what job I ended up in, I wanted it to involve working with kids!
Jorja
Occupational TherapistWhere are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
Townsville is my home - I was born here and have lived here my whole life.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I love staying active and moving my body most days throughout the week. I enjoy playing netball, going for runs, going to the gym or Pilates, and going for walks with my friends. I love to read and watch TV shows in my downtime. I also love travelling and seeing what the rest of the world has to offer outside of Townsville.
What is your favourite food?
I absolutely love any pasta meals, especially with a side of garlic bread. I also love a classic pub feed! Having a sweet treat after meals is always the perfect finisher!
What made you want to become an Occupational Therapist?
Like many people who choose OT, I wasn’t sure what the career was when I first started Uni. I knew I always wanted to work in healthcare and help people and OT was recommended to me by my mum and family friends. They thought it would be a good suit for my interests and my personality. Once I started Uni, I quickly learnt that OT was something that I would like to do. I worked in an OSHC throughout my studies, which led to my preference for working with kids – I’m still a kid at heart so becoming a Paediatric OT seemed like the best choice for me!
What is the most favourite thing about working with kids?
I love that no two kids are the same. Each child has their own unique needs, personality traits and interests which always keeps me on my toes! I also love being part of their network as a person that they know they can look to for support when things get hard in their world.
Our Admin Team
Marie
Accounts ManagerWhere are you from?
Townsville.
How did you end up in Townsville?
I've lived in Townsville my whole life!
What are your hobbies/interests?
I enjoy spending time with my family, going to the beach, fishing and doing home craft activities.
What is your favourite food?
Anything Caramel....chocolates, cakes and tarts.
What do you enjoy most working at Young Allied?
Meeting new people and learning about everyone as individuals and their families.
Sally
Customer Service ManagerWhere are you from?
Born and raised in Townsville.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Where do I begin? I enjoy cooking and hosting dinner parties with friends and family. I enjoy music and attending local productions and I also love fishing. A mixed bag really!
Oh that's easy. Cheese. Any cheese.
What do you enjoy most working at Young Allied?
Definitely being part of an amazing team. They are simply amazing at their craft and it's wonderful to watch them help children to reach their full potential.
Helen
Administration OfficerWhere are you from?
North QLD.
What do you like about living in Townsville?
I love that it’s a big enough place to have things to do but it still feels like a country town. And my friends and family are here.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Gardening, camping, and gold detecting!
Chocolate!
What do you enjoy most working at Young Allied?
Definitely the children – they’re so entertaining!