Meet The Team
Our team
Lizzy Hodges
Lizzy is a Family Therapist and EMDR clinician, currently working in her own private practice in Geelong. Lizzy has considerable experience working with children, parents and families, particularly mothers. This has included provision of individual and family assessments, parent/couples work, parent/child work, individual and family therapy. Lizzy is passionate about supporting mothers and believes doing so can have profound impacts on the family unit.
Lizzy holds a Masters of Clinical Family Therapy from La Trobe University, a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in Psychology and a Graduate Certificate in Child and Family Practice from Latrobe University.
Co-Founder
Sophie Buckle
Sophie is a Mental Health Social Worker and psychotherapist working in private practice in Geelong. Sophie has extensive training in working with infants, mothers and families. This has involved infant observations, clinical assessments, parent work and individual therapy. Sophie feels that it is a privilege to work with mothers and their families at such a vulnerable time in their lives.
Sophie holds a Master of Social Work from LaTrobe University and a Master of Mental Health Science and Child Psychotherapy from Monash University.
Co-Founder
Melanie Backwell
Mental Health Social Worker
Melanie is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with over 10 years experience working in the field. Melanie has her own private practice in Geelong but has joined the Nurture team as she is passionate about working with mothers and has a particular interest in supporting women who have or are experiencing infertility or pregnancy loss. Melanie feels it is a privilege to support women navigate the overwhelming emotions and find meaning and adjustment during this vulnerable time.
Melanie has a Bachelor in Psychology (Honours) and a Master of Social Work from Deakin University.
A bit more about us.
Lizzy and Sophie, Co-Founders of Nurture have extensive experience as therapists having worked over ten years in their field. Whilst both are currently private practitioners both have also worked within the community where they provided mental health support to vulnerable children and families. Both have extensive experience and training with particular expertise in trauma, attachment, childhood development and family systems. Lizzy and Sophie's own experience of matrescence has highlighted the need for support, care and nurture during the mothering journey and created a passion for supporting mothers and their families within the Geelong region.
Professional Memberships
Lizzy and Sophie are dedicated to ethical treatment practices and are both bound by professional standards to ensure the safety of their clients.
Professional memberships for Lizzy include the Psychotherapy and Counseling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the EMDR Association of Australia (EMDRAA).
Sophie’s professional memberships include the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
Both ensure the work at Nurture is informed and in line with the guidelines outlined by COPE; Centre of Perinatal Excellence and Lizzy and Sophie stay up to date by engaging in regular training and development with PANDA.
“I want to create a place that shifts the current accepted notion that burnout & stress among mothers is the norm.”
LIZZY HODGES., CO- FOUNDER NURTURE GEELONG