Skip to main content

Leadership and Board of Directors

AAPi Board of Directors

The AAPi Board of Directors is a powerhouse of experience and expertise, steering the association's governance with unwavering dedication. Each Director generously donates their time and knowledge, working hand-in-hand with the Executive Director to shape AAPi's strategic direction.

The current AAPi Board of Directors consists of:

Sahra O'Doherty

President

B.LibStud(Psych), BA(Hons)(Psych), CertPsychPractice(4+2), MAAPi

Sahra is a proud 4+2 registered psychologist, with over 10 years’ post-registration experience in clinical practice. Sahra is a strong believer in community and people power. Sahra aims to support AAPi to build grassroots, face to face bases throughout Australia. Sahra believes she can contribute to the vision, direction, and strategic planning of AAPi, as she has demonstrated experience in management and leadership. Sahra is people focused, and enjoys connecting with likeminded people and communities, raising awareness of common issues and concerns, problem solving, and motivating people to act. Sahra is known for being passionate about values-based practice.

Karen Donnelly

Vice President

BBehSc, BA(CrimJust), BPsych(Hons), MAppSc, MAAPi

Karen has worked as a psychologist, researcher and counsellor in a range of government and non-government agencies. Karen commenced her career as a psychologist in 2001 via the 4+2 registration pathway and has worked in private practice and the disability and child protection sectors. Karen has been a social activist since joining Amnesty International as a child. Karen is also a STAP registered supervisor and is a proud psychologist with general registration. She believes in the rich diversity of psychology and that all psychologists have a unique and valuable set of skills and training. Karen joined AAPi to work towards a fair and equitable system for all psychologists and their clients.

Dr Katrina Norris

Treasurer

BPsych (Hons), PhD (Org. Psych), Dip. Leadership and Management, MAAPi

Katrina Norris is a registered Psychologist with a PhD in Organisational Psychology specialising in occupational stress and work-life balance. She has over 10 years’ experience in occupational health and rehabilitation including pain management counselling, return to work planning, and workplace health promotion. Whilst working in the occupational health industry, Katrina also served on the Queensland Executive Committee of the Australian Rehabilitation Providers’ Association where she advocated for Allied Health providers with key private and government stakeholders.

Katrina hopes to bring this experience to her role within AAPi and to further advocate for the valuable role psychologists take on in supporting individuals, families, communities, and employers managing psychological wellbeing. Currently, Katrina is working in her own private practice in South-East Queensland with a strong focus on helping individuals to achieve their personal wellbeing goals, while also working with employers to build healthy workplace initiatives and breakdown the stigma surrounding psychological health and wellbeing.

James Cowan

Director

BPsych(Hons), GradCertCarEd&Dev, MPsych(Org), MAAPi

James is an Organisational Psychologist, Health Safety and Wellbeing Consultant and Career Development Professional. He is currently employed as a Senior Consultant in the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Support Unit at the Victorian Department of Health. James has several years’ experience in project management, occupational health and safety, and consulting roles in the social and community services and manufacturing sectors. James is passionate about transformational safety leadership, organisational development, psychological health and safety, and developing and sustaining mentally healthy workplaces. He is a proud member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) and the Society for Industrial and Organisational Psychology Australia (SIOPA).

Carly Dober

Director

BBeSt (Psych), BPsych (Hons), DipProfPsych, MAAPi

Carly is a 4+2 registered psychologist who has worked with people of various cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds in both specialist health services (justice, family violence), schools (Prep-12) and specialist mental health services. She runs a private practice and holds strong social justice values that influence her work, and advocacy for all psychologists and the experience they bring to the field.

She is a radio presenter, producer, and yoga teacher. She is a proud climate and conservation activist, and would like to continue championing social justice and equitable working conditions and rights for all Australian psychologists with AAPi. Putting her time and energy into meaningful activities is a protective factor for her well-being, and gives her life a greater sense of meaning.

Dr Judith Griffiths

Director

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching, B.Psychology (Hons), PhD (Psychology), Master of Applied Psychology (Sport and Exercise Science), AoPE Sport and Exercise Psychology, Board Approved Supervision, MAAPi

Dr Judith Griffiths is a Registered Psychologist with endorsement in Sports & Exercise Psychology; she holds a PhD in Social Psychology and is fascinated by people and how they can perform better. She is a Board endorsed supervisor and currently provides supervision to Sport and Exercise, and Counselling Psychology Masters students at the University of Queensland. Judith has worked in academia as a lecturer and researcher for over 25 years and has worked in her own private practice since 2017. 

Judith brings with her a wealth of experience across the different branches of psychological practice and is keen to use these skills to support and advance the psychology profession in Australia through advocacy for equality and inclusivity for all psychologists, regardless of their journey to registration. She is passionate about maintaining the integrity and independence of smaller endorsement areas.

Judith has represented AAPi in the past and was also part of the conference and part of the organising committee. 

Cailin Jordan

Director

BSc Psych (Hons), PG Dip App Psych, MAAPi

Cailin began her Psychology career at Sydney’s St. Vincent’s Hospital in Grief and Bereavement over twenty years ago, moving into Suicide Prevention with SELAH and then into private practise in a women and family health practice.  This led to her interest in fertility, couple and relationship health as well as assisting people with lifestyle change to enhance their fertility. 

Currently Cailin is employed as a Psychologist and Senior Fertility Counsellor at Genea, and has a passionate interest in helping people complete their families. Cailin is a member of the International PCOS Guideline Development Group and loves science, in particular the science of Assisted Reproductive Technology. A graduate of London Guildhall University, Regents College of Psychotherapy and Macquarie University, Cailin has paused her PhD in Barriers and Enablers for Preconception Lifestyle Change at the University of Western Australia.

Cailin is a keen advocate for mental health optimisation and the contribution that all Psychologists can make to enhance individual, family and community health. Cailin feels privileged to have learned from many colleagues she now calls friends. She is grateful to her inspirational supervisors throughout the PG Dip App Psych at Macquarie University under a 4+2 programme, which was lead by the wonderful supervisor, Dr Daphne Hewson. Cailin is committed to equity within the profession, seeing all psychologists recognised for their unique skills and improving access to health care throughout Australia.

AAPi Senior Leadership Team

Tegan Carrison

AAPi Executive Director (CEO)

BAppSci, PostGradDip(HRM), MAICD, MICDA

Email: [email protected]

Tegan has spent over 18 years in health care and is passionate about advocating for the rights of health care professionals and improving access for the community. Tegan is an experienced clinical educator with many years of experience in supervision and mentoring including starting a student led inter-professional clinic with the University of Queensland's not-for-profit, UQ Health Care. Tegan also brings a wealth of experience in business management, administration and human resource management. 

Amanda Curran

Chief Services Officer

BSc, BSc (Hons), MHSt, MAAPi

Email: [email protected]

Amanda is a registered psychologist and has been registered since 2000. Amanda has a love for learning that led her to complete a Master of Health Studies Majoring in Addictions in 2009. Amanda has experience in a variety of areas including; residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation, Drug Diversion Programs, inpatient psychiatric treatment (including long term residential care prior to project 300), university counselling, employee assistance programs, family and relationship counselling and others. More recently Amanda has become involved in policy development and was appointed to the Mental Health Reference Group during the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review.