The Jacaranda Centre

30/07/2025

At The Jacaranda Centre, we understand that exam season can be overwhelming for both students and families. Whether it’s anxiety, low motivation, or just feeling overwhelmed, our caring team helps children and teens find calm, confidence, and balance.

With HSC trials just around the corner we thought it would be a good time to put together a few tips to help get through the exam period!

🌳 If you or your teen could use some extra support, we have availability and would love to help. Call us on 02 4954 8822 to book in with our team.

💜 And remember, your marks never define your worth. You are so much more than a number!

30/07/2025

For parents and people wanting to understand more about developing positive self-concept in the context of Autism, check out this webinar with renowned links experts Tony Attwood and Michelle Garnett 🌈

"Research shows that autistic people who embrace their autism enjoy mental health benefits like increased well-being, self-esteem and life satisfaction. However, many autistic teenagers and adults struggle to know who they are due to masking and camouflaging and consequently suffer low-self-esteem,....

23/07/2025

💜🌳 Therapy isn’t always about words…

At The Jacaranda Centre, we know that children often communicate best through play, creativity, and sensory experiences. Take something as simple as slime, it’s not just a fun activity, it’s a valuable therapeutic tool.

Through making and playing with slime, children can:

🌀 Feel present and engaged in the moment
🌀 Take the pressure off direct eye contact
🌀 Ease into difficult conversations
🌀 Experience freedom to explore without fear of getting it “right”
🌀 See that their choices are accepted and respected
🌀 Learn that limits can be guided calmly and safely

And the giggles? They can be just the thing to soften the weight of hard topics.

21/07/2025

Get to know Emma! The heart of The Jacaranda Centre 💜 With over two decades of experience as a psychologist, Emma brings wisdom, warmth and tireless dedication to everything she does! We are so lucky to have her as the Director of The Jacaranda Centre! 🌳

17/07/2025

At our practice, we celebrate what makes each child unique. 💫

💛 We believe that every child brings their own strengths, quirks, and spark—and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

🌈 Our team is passionate about creating a space where differences are not just accepted, but welcomed and delighted in.

🧠 Whether your child sees the world a little differently, needs some extra support, or just needs someone to truly see them—we’re here.

One of the most favourite parts of our role is to honour the individuality of every child ✨

12/07/2025

This is what NAIDOC week 2025 looked like at The Jacaranda Centre! A week of celebration of culture and resilience in our community 🌳💜

We took this week as an opportunity to learn and expand our knowledge. We’re proud to be a part of a community where this kind of reflection is not only welcomed, but necessary.

Thank you to everyone in our community who engaged with the week in meaningful ways ♥️

09/07/2025

This NAIDOC Week, and every week, we honour the stories, knowledge and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Our waiting room features a range of beautiful books written by First Nations authors.

Feel free to explore our collection of stories next time you’re here or let us know what your favourite First Nations written books are? We’d love to hear your recommendations! 💜

07/07/2025

Looking for a local activity to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2025?

Just down the road from our centre is Miromaa and they are hosting a Family Day filled with culture, connection and community spirit! It is also the grand opening of their new art gallery! 🎉

📍1/9 Main Rd, Boolaroo
⏰ Starting from 9am

Miromaa is an Aboriginal-run not for profit organisation that does incredible work in our community! This is your chance to get involved, learn something new and support local.

05/07/2025

At The Jacaranda Centre, we proudly join in celebrating NAIDOC Week 2025. A time to honour the strength, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is also an opportunity for all Australians to learn, reflect and take action.

This year marks 50 years of NAIDOC Week, a movement that began as a call for rights and recognition and has grown into a celebration of culture, resilience and community strength.

To acknowledge and celebrate NAIDOC Week at The Jacaranda Centre we will have NAIDOC Week colouring in pages available in the waiting area, a display of books by First Nations authors in the waiting room, a playlist of First Nations Musicians playing in the reception area throughout the week and the official NAIDOC 2025 post will be displayed.

To find out more about NAIDOC week visit: https://www.naidoc.org.au/



Image: The 2025 National NAIDOC Poster incorporating the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag (licensed by the Torres Strait Island Council)

30/06/2025

🌳 Get to know Lisa! One of our amazing psychologists at The Jacaranda Centre. We asked her some fun questions to help you get to know the person behind the profession ✨ 💜

25/06/2025

Did you know psychologists are trained to understand (and love) stats? 🤓📊 Well, Emma’s got some pretty amazing ones of her own!

Aside from turning the big 5-0 on Monday 🎉, here are a few standout figures:

🌳Started her psychology degree at just 17
💜Graduated with Honours in 1997 from of Newcastle Australia
🌳Began working in 1997 with what’s now Hunter New England Health
💜Spent 17 years delivering services in at least 12 locations — from Newcastle Beach to Muswellbrook & Dungog
🌳Supported 1000s of children and families since 2000
💜Supervised 30+ psychologists across NSW
🌳Lectured and supervised students at of Newcastle Australia for 10+ years
💜Helped over 100 postgrad psych students find their feet and thrive!

I think you can agree that Emma has some well -rounded statistics to her professional sash!

Happy birthday to Emma! 🎉🎂

Wishing her another 50 years of career (and life) excellence!

18/06/2025

We were so grateful to host a Year 10 student for work experience at The Jacaranda Centre a few weeks ago! Gabbie worked closely with our Director, Emma and got a firsthand look at the ins and outs of a career in psychology. She even got the opportunity to attend a preschool observation with Emma and be put through her paces with a neuropsychological assessment (just for fun)!
A big thank you to Charlton Christian College for the lovely card and certificate 💜
We love supporting young minds in our community, especially those curious about the world of Psychology! 🌳💜