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About Kanthi SayersBSc. (Hons) Psych., MPsych., MAPS
Counselling Psychologist Hours Tuesday - am, pm Thursday - am, pm Friday - am, pm Saturday - am Contact Niddrie (Essendon area)
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Background
Kanthi graduated from Monash University in 1988, having completed her Honours thesis in parent-child attachment. This area of study has continued to interest Kanthi and has guided her work with women and families over subsequent years. Kanthi spent eight years working with families with highly complex psychological and social difficulties, then she returned to study, completing a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology. Kanthi’s Master’s thesis examined the impact of stress on parents of children with learning and behavioural difficulties.
Kanthi’s interest in family wellbeing was very much informed by her research on parenting stress. Recognising the multifaceted nature of the parenting role, and the potential negative impact of stress, Kanthi has dedicated her work life to supporting parents to ensure best outcomes for children and families.
Over the past thirteen years, Kanthi has been actively involved in community programs, with a focus on promoting parental wellbeing and building healthy relationships between parents and children. Of particular relevance, Kanthi worked at Tweddle Child & Family Health Service where she provided psychological assessment and counselling to women and families.
Kanthi has led teams, including mental health practitioners in the parenting sector, toward promoting good mental health outcomes for parents and children, in particular parents of newborns. Kanthi works from the premise that early attendance to parent-infant difficulties leads to positive outcomes for parents, children and family relationships. Similarly, early intervention for women (and men) experiencing perinatal depression, anxiety or stress, fosters greater opportunities for healthy family environments.
Current Practice
Kanthi has worked in private practice since 2009, providing therapy to individuals experiencing difficulties in the perinatal period (pregnancy and the postnatal period). She sees women, men and couples who are dealing with depression, anxiety, stress and difficulties adjusting to parenting. Kanthi assists women and couples experiencing grief and loss associated with miscarriage and birth trauma. She also works with mothers and parents experiencing difficulties bonding with their babies. Kanthi is a trained Circle of Security parenting group facilitator and runs parenting groups to enhance parents’ attunement and responses to their babies’ needs.
Approach to Therapy
Kanthi respects that for many people, the decision to see a psychologist is not always an easy one. Her approach is to commence therapy where her clients are comfortable to start, and she creates a safe and reflective space to facilitate the changes clients wish to make in their lives. Kanthi views each client and their situation as unique, and draws upon a range of approaches to assist clients with the management of their symptoms. These approaches include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy, Schema Therapy and Mindfulness strategies. Kanthi provides her clients the opportunity for self-development and acceptance, by working through difficulties of the past, and by assisting them to gain clarity about their core life values from which to enhance the quality of their lives.
Kanthi is also trained in the assessment and measurement of parent-child interactions. Where appropriate, Kanthi will encourage attendance of infants and toddlers in sessions, if this helps to build parents’ confidence in meeting their children’s needs.
Professional affiliations
Registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA)
Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS)
Member of the APS College of Counselling Psychologists
Member of the APS Perinatal and Infant Psychology Interest Group (PIPIG)
Circle of Security Registered Parent Educator
Certified in the use of NCAST Parent-Child Interaction Scales for measurement of parent-child interaction
Member of The Perinatal Loss Centre
