Emma Tippins believes the broader and more varied one’s life experiences, the better psychologist you will be.

This means taking some chances, moving geographically, working in different fields and meeting people from all walks of life.

Emma came to Toowoomba from Cairns six years ago on her journey towards becoming a General Registered Psychologist. Currently she is a Provisional Psychologist with Renew Psychology & Rehabilitation in Toowoomba and just weeks from achieving her goal.

“Toowoomba has given me great variety and experience,” she said. “I’ve worked in a mental health not-for-profit organization and in disability support for adolescents. It has been a fantastic foundation and inspired me to pursue a specialty in child and adolescent psychology. 

“Around 80 per cent of my clients are neurodiverse with the youngest aged around five-years-old.”

Once she qualifies as a General Registered Psychologist Emma will be free to start her own practice – but she’s happy where she is.

 “At this stage I couldn’t imagine working on my own! I absolutely love working in group practice! The support and supervision from senior staff at Renew is so valuable and I’m really grateful for this opportunity.

“I think it’s important for psychologists to be around other professionals and to collaborate and network within the sector as well as with social workers and occupational and speech therapists. This is much easier to do in Toowoomba than in big cities.”

Emma believes the demand for psychologists in Toowoomba is only going to grow.

“The sector is growing because more people understand the importance of good mental health and how psychology can help,” she said.

“However, there is still a stigma around accessing mental health support but I am hopeful that a positive trend will continue, especially for younger generations who appear more positive about accessing therapy.”