About Hunter Valley Psychology and Wellbeing
Hunter Valley Psychology and Wellbeing provides compassionate, evidence-based psychological care for individuals, couples, parents, children, and adolescents. Our practice is built on warmth, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to helping people make meaningful, lasting change.
We combine clinical excellence with a calm, supportive environment where clients feel heard, understood, and empowered. Our clinicians draw on a range of evidence-based therapies and tailor treatment to each person’s needs, goals, and strengths.
Whether attending in person or via telehealth, clients can expect respectful, high-quality care that promotes clarity, resilience, and wellbeing.
Karen Watson Clinical Psychologist and Board-Approved Supervisor
Karen is a Clinical Psychologist with more than a decade of experience across public, private, educational and hospital settings. She has worked in private practice since 2019 and established Hunter Valley Psychology and Wellbeing to provide high-quality psychological care within a warm, professional and supportive environment.
After graduating with Honours in 2010, Karen began her career in suicide prevention and gained broad experience supporting people experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, substance-use concerns, relationship difficulties and other complex mental health presentations.
In 2017, Karen completed a Master of Clinical Psychology at the University of Newcastle. During her postgraduate training, she developed a strong interest in cognitive and academic assessment for children, adolescents and adults. This remains an important area of her practice and includes assessment of learning strengths and difficulties, including specific learning disorders such as dyslexia and dysgraphia.
Karen has worked in mainstream and supported educational settings with students experiencing complex learning needs and mental health concerns. She has also worked in a private hospital inpatient mental health unit, providing individual and group therapy for adults with a wide range of psychological presentations.
Karen provides individual psychological therapy and couples counselling. In her work with couples, she supports partners to better understand their relationship patterns, strengthen communication, work through areas of conflict and develop practical strategies for meaningful change.
Karen is also a Board-approved supervisor and provides supervision in clinical psychology, including supervision for clinical psychology registrars. Her supervision approach is supportive, reflective and grounded in ethical, evidence-based practice.
Across therapy, assessment and supervision, Karen brings a warm and practical approach. She aims to help people gain clarity, build capability and translate insight into changes that make a meaningful difference in everyday life.
Louise Farrell Clinical Psychology Registrar
Louise is a Registered Psychologist with experience across private practice and youth mental health settings. She has completed a Master of Psychology (Clinical) and is preparing to undertake the Clinical Psychology Registrar pathway.
Louise has worked with adolescents, young adults and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, mood difficulties, stress, adjustment difficulties, relationship concerns and significant life transitions. She also has experience conducting clinical assessments and associated cognitive testing, developing treatment plans, and undertaking risk assessment and safety planning.
Before becoming a psychologist, Louise worked for several years supporting people living with physical disabilities and mental health concerns. She has also provided telephone support to individuals and families affected by alcohol and other drug use and worked within a community service assisting people experiencing mental health, social and crisis-related difficulties. These roles have given her an appreciation of the broader circumstances that can affect a person’s emotional wellbeing.
Louise offers a warm, compassionate and collaborative approach. She places importance on developing a genuine therapeutic relationship and adapting psychological support to each person’s needs, circumstances and goals. Her earlier training in Gestalt therapy and dance movement therapy also contributes to her interest in the relationship between thoughts, emotions, physical experiences and everyday life.
At Hunter Valley Psychology and Wellbeing, Louise provides individual psychological therapy and assessment for adolescents and adults. She brings together her clinical training, broader support experience and warm, adaptable approach to help people navigate mental health concerns and significant life challenges.
Barry Aneda Provisional Psychologist
Barry is a Provisional Psychologist with more than 15 years of experience across private practice, community health, hospital, university and primary care settings. He has worked in both Australia and the United States and holds postgraduate qualifications in counselling and psychology. Barry is currently completing doctoral studies in clinical psychology.
Barry has supported people across a broad range of ages, backgrounds and life stages through individual, couples, family and group counselling. He works with people experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, substance use concerns, sleep difficulties, relationship and family problems, and challenges associated with education, work and significant or ongoing health conditions.
Barry understands that emotional wellbeing is shaped by a person’s health, relationships, identity, culture and life experiences. He provides respectful and non-judgemental care, taking time to understand each person’s circumstances, strengths and goals.
His approach is warm, collaborative and practical. Barry draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and person-centred and trauma-informed approaches. He may also incorporate experiential and creative approaches where these suit the person and the treatment being undertaken.
At Hunter Valley Psychology and Wellbeing, Barry provides psychological therapy and assessment under supervision as he progresses towards general registration as a psychologist in Australia.
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