Our People
Dr Joyce Alberts
Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Dr Alberts is an experienced Clinical Psychologist with a demonstrated history of working in hospital and the health care industry. In 2007 Dr Alberts began a full time internship at the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service (BIRS), Burwood Hospital. More recently Dr Alberts took on a challenging role as Clinical Team Leader providing clinical oversight and intervention to youth who had experienced significant trauma, disrupted attachment with primary care givers, multiple out of home placements, and who had engaged in harmful sexual behavior. A primary focus of this role had been to implement trauma informed care into child and family services provided by Barnardos NZ.
Renee Ritchie
Clinical Manager
Renee Ritchie is a Youth Worker with more than 20 years’ experience. Initially based in the Hawks Bay, Renee has worked in the area of School Truancy and provided support to young people and whanau with problematic behavior. Having been born and raised in the Canterbury area, Renee returned to work in Canterbury as a Youth Worker. She has experience working in the area of Youth Justice, Harmful Sexual Behaivour, and as a Teacher Aide. More recently Renee has worked as a Support Worker within a Clinical Team and has completed training in implementing Trauma Informed care and practice. Renee is currently employed with Headway Psychology Services in the role of Youth and Family Support Worker. She draws on her knowledge and skill to engage with youth and their whanau, and continues to apply a trauma informed approach to her work.
Our Associates
Alongside our team we also work closely with other associates to ensure we bring the best possible service to families that we work with.
Michelle Cole
Clinical Nurse Specialist
I am a clinical nurse specialist in child, adolescent and family mental health and have worked in inpatient and community settings including rural public health services and school based mental health. My passions are mental health and wellbeing in rural communities, schools, trauma sensitive therapy and developing and providing psycho-education and training. I am a registered nurse with post graduate qualifications in assessment and treatment of addiction, child and family mental health and mental health nursing and have completed Masters of Health Science. I contract to Headway as I believe in their kaupapa and kawa and they are family to me, it is a great privilege to work with this team and I believe their work is not only vital in our communities but is one of the new approaches we desperately need to support in Aotearoa.