About Us Grampians Psychology

Our Psychologists

Dr Catherine de Vaus - Clinical Psychologist and Board Approved Supervisor

Catherine is a Clinical Psychologist whose passion for rock climbing and the outdoors led her to move from Melbourne to Natimuk in 2014. Catherine completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2006 at La Trobe University in Melbourne. She has 20 years experience working in both the public and private sector. She spent several years working at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and has previously worked for the Department of Education and Training. She offers a full range of learning and developmental assessments.

Catherine is a board approved supervisor able to supervise Provisional Psychologists, 5+1 interns and Clinical Psychology Registrars.

Catherine specialises in working with children and adolescents across a wide range of issues including general anxiety, OCD and phobias, depression, body image difficulties and social difficulties. She has a particular interest in assisting families with assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder, particularly in girls. She uses a range of evidence-based strategies in her work, drawing from cognitive behaviour therapy, child centred play therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness based techniques, tailoring the specific treatment approach to the child’s needs.

Catherine lives with her husband, her toddler and their elderly cat. She is an avid rock climber and mountain biker and generally enjoys being outside, cooking, and with her family.

Anne Penny - Registered Psychologist

Anne is originally from Missouri in the USA where she worked as a special education teacher in the inner-city public education system after having studied Psychology at the University of Northern Colorado and Special Education at the University of Missouri. Nearly 18 years ago Anne moved to the Wimmera and has lived here ever since. She is married to a farmer and they live in Douglas with their three children on their family farm. Upon moving to the area, Anne provided integrated support to children and families through Child FIRST program at Uniting before leaving to have children. She eventually wound back up in the education sector, working for the past 8 years at Holy Trinity Lutheran College, first as a school counsellor and later as a psychologist after completing further training through Deakin University.

Having worked in education for much of her career, Anne has a passion for understanding the drivers behind learning and behaviour. She enjoys the relationships that come from working within schools, including the staff, families and students and hopes to be able to continue to foster that through clinical practice. In her practice she seeks to understand the whole child, so that those working closely with them can provide the best support. She appreciates the importance of connections and aim to partner with families, schools and health professionals to get the best outcome possible. In her spare time when she's not running her children to sporting events, Anne loves going for bush walks or just pottering around on the farm with her menagerie of animals including chooks, miniature goats, sheep, her whippet Tex, sheepdogs Roxy and Ash Barky, and cats Fuzzles and Scratchy.

Anne works with children and young adults up to 25 years of age.

We DO NOT complete assessments for legal or court matter or provide legal reports (e.g. for the family court) as this is a specialist area.