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 PathologistWhat 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.

Tiffany
Speech PathologistWhere are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
I was born and grew up in Rockhampton. I moved to Townsville in 2012 for university.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I enjoy playing volleyball, making clothes and socialising with friends.
What is your favourite food?
Chocolate ice-cream and Spaghetti Bolognese
What made you want to become a Speech Pathogist?
I knew I wanted to be a health professional but not necessarily which profession. I started Speech Pathology as a suggestion from a family friend. After beginning I fell in love with what we do and how we can help people achieve their goals. When I then began clinical sessions at university, I knew this is what I wanted to do.
What's your favourite thing about working with kids?
How raw and unfiltered they can be, they will say what comes to their mind. They brighten my day and make me laugh.

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!

Madeleine
Speech PathologistWhere are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
I was born and raised in Townsville and was fortunate to be able to stay in Townsville for my university studies.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I love spending time with family, friends, and keeping my puppy out of mischief. I enjoy running, yoga and being outdoors.
What is your favourite food?
Any sort of pasta dish, cheese platters and chocolate.
What made you want to become an Speech Pathologist?
I have always had a passion for helping people and wanting to make a positive difference in someone’s life. I had a keen interest in working in the health industry, specifically Dentistry for a long time but this very quickly changed when I researched and learned through a family friend what she did as a speech pathologist. I loved learning about the industry and the diversity in which we are able to help.
What’s your favourite thing about working with kids?
They brighten up your day and always have something interesting to share. Kids have no filter so it’s exciting to see what they have to say.
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

Natalie
Occupational TherapistWhere are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
I grew up on the Atherton Tablelands. I moved to Townsville to study Occupational Therapy in 2017, and decided to stay!
What are your hobbies/interests?
I enjoy being active, going rock climbing, kayaking and trying new things! I also love spending time with my family and friends and being outdoors.
What is your favourite food?
My favourite food is gnocchi, although cookies and cream ice-cream is a close second.
What made you want to become an Occupational Therapist?
I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career working in healthcare, as I love helping people and empowering others to help themselves. I wanted to be a part of a profession that allowed me to help change lives in a positive way, and OT seemed like the perfect fit! I appreciate the OT role in supporting one’s ability to maintain wellness through occupational engagement. It is such a rewarding job and I am excited to be working in a field that I am so passionate about.
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
There are so many reasons why I love working with kids. I admire their curiosity, passion and creativity and how they see the world in ways I sometimes couldn’t even think to consider. Working with kids is so much fun, and I enjoy that no two days are ever the same.

Brianna
Occupational TherapistWhere are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
I grew up on a cattle station in central west Queensland in between the towns of Winton and Boulia. I came to Townsville to complete my high schooling years after attending school of distance education (home schooling) for my primary school years. I then stayed in Townsville to complete my Occupational Therapy studies and am now finally back after spending 5 years living in Western Australia.
What are your hobbies/interests?
My favourite hobbies are doing fun outdoor activities with my two little boys aged 2 and 3 and my partner. We particularly love riding horses, water skiing and going swimming.
What is your favourite food?
My favourite food would have to be nachos or crumbed steak! I love savoury food!
What made you want to become an Occupational Therapist?
I love the creativity and “thinking outside the box” interventions you can adopt as an OT.
There are so many different and exciting areas OTs can work in, the diversity is endless. I love being able to work with people/families to achieve their own goals rather than what others think they should, as our profession is always so focused on client centred care. The joy you share with clients when they are finally able to achieve their goal is such an incredible experience.
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
I get to play all day! I love seeing their little faces light up when they have finally achieved
something they have been working so hard towards and then getting to celebrate this moment with their caregivers. I love the energy and expressions they can bring to each session, there is never a dull moment working in paediatrics!

Emma
Occupational TherapistWhere are you from? How did you end up in Townsville?
I’m a Townsville girl, born and bred.
What are your hobbies/interests?
In my spare time you’ll find me anywhere with my friends and family. Or with my head stuck in a book.
What is your favourite food?
Chocolate
What made you want to become an Occupational Therapist?
I always wanted to work with children and have a rewarding career. I took a chance on occupational therapy and haven’t looked back.
What's your favourite thing about working with kids?
Everyday is different! At the end of the day there is always something to smile about when working with kids.
Our Admin Team

Marie
Practice 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.

Helen
ReceptionWhere are you from?
North Queensland.
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/interests?
Gardening, camping, and gold detecting!
What is your favourite food?
Chocolate!
What do you enjoy most working at Young Allied?
Definitely the children – they’re so entertaining!