Background
Dr Gwyn Rees is a clinical psychologist with a longstanding interest in women’s health and perinatal psychology. She graduated with First Class Honours in Psychology from the University of Nottingham (UK) in 1997, before completing a Master’s by Research at the University of Bristol and a PhD in Health Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, where she focused on the psychosocial impact of health conditions.
Gwyn moved to Melbourne in 2003 and took up a research position at the University of Melbourne, where she explored the psychological impact of chronic illness and how psychological support can be integrated into healthcare settings. She was awarded two fellowships from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and also received funding from Beyond Blue and Diabetes Australia. She collaborated with rehabilitation organisations such as Vision Australia to translate research into practice — with a focus on supporting practitioners to identify and respond to psychological distress and depressive symptoms in their clients.
In 2014, Gwyn completed a Master of Clinical Psychology. As part of her training, she spent a year at the Austin Health Perinatal Mental Health Clinic, where she developed a strong interest in perinatal psychology. Since then, she has established a private practice dedicated to supporting individuals and families in the perinatal period.
Current Practice
Gwyn works with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, grief and loss, birth trauma, and a wide range of perinatal challenges — including fertility and conception issues, pregnancy after loss, traumatic birth experiences, early parenting stress, and adjustment to parenthood. She also supports clients experiencing health anxiety or managing chronic health conditions during the perinatal period.
Gwyn has a special interest in EMDR and values its capacity to help clients work through difficult or traumatic experiences, shift unhelpful core beliefs, and build resilience, self-compassion, and confidence. She has seen how EMDR can offer lasting relief and emotional change for those feeling stuck in distressing patterns or memories.
Approach to Therapy
Gwyn recognises that reaching out for support can be daunting — especially in a culture that often expects people to appear as though they are coping or to live up to the ideal of the "perfect parent." She offers a warm, respectful, and non-judgemental space where clients can reflect, explore, and grow. She believes that while the transition to parenthood is one of life’s most challenging times, it also presents meaningful opportunities for self-understanding and personal growth.
Gwyn draws on a range of evidence-based approaches tailored to each client’s needs, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). She uses Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) — particularly in the context of perinatal trauma such as birth trauma, pregnancy loss, premature delivery, or termination
She is also a registered Circle of Security Parent Educator and enjoys helping parents build secure, nurturing relationships with their babies and toddlers.
Professional Affiliations
Registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA)
Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS)
Member of the EMDR Association of Australia
Registered Circle of Security Parent Educator
Registered with The Perinatal Loss Centre
Publications
Throughout her academic career, Gwyn has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles on topics including coping, stress, anxiety and depression, decision-making, and quality of life in the context of illness and disease risk. Her work has also focused on improving the identification and management of psychological distress within healthcare settings.
