Is academic testing right for your child?

Mental Health Leaders in Child and Teen Psychological Assessments
If you child or teenager requires a Psychological Assessment, we are here to cater for a variety of challenges they may be facing. Our priority is accommodating you and your child’s specific circumstances. We pride ourselves on being experts in leading you through the testing journey, providing a calm and warm environment.
Our testing process is comprehensive to ensure you have a clear pathway forward for your child.
Our experienced therapists address the barriers that may be hindering your child in reaching their full potential. We believe in working together with you and your child as well as other professionals to overcome these obstacles.
Why would you need to consider Child and Teen Psychological Assessments for your child?
- To identify strengths and weaknesses to guide learning and decision making
- To measure ability levels in a range of areas
- To obtain detailed results and recommendations to support education and employment
- To obtain recommendations to support applications for funding with school, Centrelink or the NDIS
We have 4 Categories of Child & Teen Psychological Assessments available
The Comprehensive Academic Assessment includes:
– A one hour initial assessment to gather background information (if under 14 years, the information will be provided by a parent/carer only).
– A two hour cognitive assessment of general intelligence (WISC – V or WAIS – 16+yrs).
– A two hour academic achievement test (WIAT–III).
– A two hour neurological assessment of neuropsychological development (NEPSY-II)
– A 15 minute questionnaire assessing behaviour and emotional state completed by the individual, parent/carer and educational representative as appropriate.
– Collation of results and comprehensive written report outlining results and recommendations (5 hours).
– A one hour comprehensive report feedback session 4 weeks post testing, to discuss the outcomes.
– Assessment Total Time Frame: 12 Hours
– ADHD (recommended <18yrs, have full comprehensive if querying ADHD)
– PTSD
– Drug Dependence
– Bipolar Disorder
– Body Dysmorphic Disorder
– Anxiety Disorder
– Major Depression Disorder and many other presenting issues
The Diagnostic Assessment Includes:
– A two hour initial assessment to gather background information (if under 14 years, the information will be provided by a parent/carer only).
– Screening questionnaires assessing a range of related symptoms and emotional states completed by the individual and/or parent/carer as appropriate.
– A comprehensive written report outlining diagnoses and recommendations (2 hours).
– A one hour comprehensive report feedback session 4 weeks post testing, to discuss the outcomes.
– Assessment Total Time Frame: 5 Hours (including report preparation)
The Intelligence Assessment Includes:
– A one hour initial assessment to gather background information (if under 14 years, the information will be provided by a parent/carer only).
– A two hour cognitive assessment of general intelligence (WISC – V or WAIS – 16+).
– A 15 minute questionnaire assessing behaviour, adaptive functioning (e.g. self help skills) and emotional state completed by the individual, parent/carer and educational representative as required.
– Additional screening assessments as required.
– Collation of results and comprehensive written report outlining results and recommendations (3 hours).
– A one hour comprehensive report feedback session 4 weeks post testing, to discuss the outcomes.
Assessment Total Time Frame: 7 Hours (including report preparation)
with suspected developmental delay, neurodevelopmental or a learning disorder
to make sure they reach their full potential
part of your school readiness assessment – to determine options for school
A Developmental Assessment includes:
– A one hour initial assessment to gather background information (if under 14 years, the information will be provided by a parent/carer only).
– 2 x two hour assessment sessions with both the parent/carer and the child using GRIFFITHS III & VINELAND III.
– CARS observational assessment (if required)
– A questionnaire will be sent to the parents/carer and school teacher, to complete and gather information on the individuals behaviour and emotions.
– Collation of results and comprehensive written report outlining results and recommendations (5 hours).
– A one hour comprehensive report feedback session 5 weeks post testing, to discuss the outcomes.
– Assessment Total Time Frame: 11 – 13 Hours (including report preparation)
What can I expect from the Child and Teen Psychological Assessments process at Creating Change?

- Detailed feedback and recommendations from professionally registered and provisionally registered Psychologists
- A comprehensive report including diagnosis to assist in the application of funding for support, programs or payments
- Clarifying what you or your child needs
- Identify and enhance strengths
- Change in capacity following a traumatic brain injury or brain surgery
- Targeted interventions and behaviour management plans for teachers, teachers aids and caregivers including routines, homework plans and discipline approaches
- Direction on the consultation and additional services required such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy etc.
Our team create a calm and safe environment, ensuring you have a comfortable experience with us.
We safeguard that you will leave Creating Change well informed and feeling confident of your future pathway.
Our Child & Teen Testing Therapists

Paris Gibson
Psychologist Bella Vista, Sydney
MProfPsych, GradDipPsychAd, BArts (Psych), BHumSc (Human Mov), MAPS
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Paris Gibson
Psychologist Bella Vista, Sydney
MProfPsych, GradDipPsychAd, BArts (Psych), BHumSc (Human Mov), MAPS
KNOW PARIS
Paris Gibson is a dedicated Psychologist committed to engaging with adults, adolescents, children and their parents, educating them on emotional management techniques to develop healthy coping strategies. Understanding and personable, her approachable nature provides a safe atmosphere for you to explore your barriers and needs. Bringing humour, focus and empowerment to what can be overwhelming issues, Paris devotes herself to you, your story, and your needs. She really takes the time to work through your challenges, focusing on outcomes and goals that are personalised to your situation.
Growing up locally in the area, for Paris, mental health has always stood out as one of the most important parts of a healthy life, and an area that too many people don’t feel fulfilled. Through her own experiences, Paris valued the importance of having someone understand you, and give you the tools you need to manage difficult times. This, along with her interest to explore people and relationships, is what led Paris to the world of Psychology. She has an endless fascination for the mind, and the affect our thoughts and behaviours can have over every part of our life.
Paris’ Experience & Approach
Paris centres her therapy sessions around your goals, providing the guidance and support you need to develop a sustainable, healthier mind. Through her planning approach, Paris is always equipped to make the most of your time together. Her focus is always a collaborative one, and she has a curiosity for learning what is behind your challenges and feelings, and how together you can work towards overcoming them, setting goals for your future.
Paris is inquisitive to find out what your experiences mean to you, taking a client-centred and individualised approach. She evokes openness, making no assumptions, and has a way of ensuring you feel safe and not alone in your struggles.
Her level of expertise is evident in the broad range of presentations she treats: adolescent challenges, parenting, generalised anxiety, depression, social anxiety, panic disorders, mood disorders, stress management, emotional regulation, OCD, family and interpersonal issues.
As an experienced Psychologist at Creating Change, Paris combines a Master of Professional Psychology, Graduate Diploma of Psychology Advanced, Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and Bachelor of Human Sciences (Human Movement) degrees, with training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Known For
Paris’ accomplishments include the completion of her thesis which researched the public’s perceived usefulness and happiness of service dogs, compared to pet dogs. This fascinating study explored the public’s opinions of working dogs, which did raise some concerns over them working excessively. The results found that service dogs actually have happier and more useful lives, than pet dogs. Her valued research given to Guide Dogs Australia, enabling them to inform their practices and education to the general public.
Paris is also an integral part of the Creating Change Clinical Leadership Team.
Passion
Paris has a real passion for helping the local community, and particularly likes working with adolescents and young people, setting them up with the tools to cope with life’s challenges. She encourages young people to be the best version of themselves, now and into their future, and focuses on building their confidence.
On a Personal Level
Paris loves being in the kitchen – whether it’s baking, cooking, trying new recipes, or eating. She also enjoys travelling and seeing new places, having new experiences, and meeting new people.
Paris’ Appointments
Paris is a full time therapist and devoted to our practice. She is available for appointments on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays.
Educational Articles/Videos by Paris
Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine
Roy Bennett

Nancy Marano
Psychologist (Provisional) Bella Vista, Sydney
MProfPsych, BPsych Sc (Hons)
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Nancy Marano
Psychologist (Provisional) Bella Vista, Sydney
MProfPsych, BPsych Sc (Hons)
KNOW NANCY
Nancy Marano is a compassionate and warm psychologist who creates a safe, non-judgmental space for her clients. With a gentle and approachable nature, she is committed to helping individuals navigate life’s challenges with understanding and support. Nancy believes that therapy should be collaborative, empowering clients to build the skills they need to move forward with confidence.
Nancy’s Experience & Approach
Nancy has a structured yet client-centred approach, ensuring that therapy is a space where individuals feel safe to express their thoughts and emotions. She adopts a holistic view of her clients, integrating solution-focused techniques to help them develop practical strategies that extend beyond the therapy room.
Nancy’s expertise spans adolescent and child development, emotional regulation, psychological testing, and assessments related to learning disabilities and mental health diagnoses. She also has a strong passion for supporting individuals experiencing anxiety and depression.
Trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Nancy incorporates evidence-based strategies to guide her clients through their journey of self-improvement.
Nancy has a deep appreciation for the complexities of human behaviour, which initially led her to pursue psychology. From a young age, she was intrigued by the way people think and act, and her love for research complemented this curiosity. Her empathetic nature and firsthand experiences with the power of understanding and support have shaped her into the psychologist she is today.
Passion
Nancy is passionate about working collaboratively with her clients to help them achieve personal growth. She takes pride in providing structured guidance while fostering a warm, validating environment.
On a Personal Level
Nancy grew up in Sydney and comes from an Italian background. She pursued her psychology studies after having children, who inspired her to follow her passion for helping others.
Outside of work, Nancy enjoys staying active—she loves going to the gym, taking walks by the water, practicing Pilates, and playing golf. She also enjoys spending time at the beach and swimming in the ocean.
Nancy’s Appointments
Nancy is a full time therapist and devoted to our practice. She is available for appointments on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays.
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” – Martin Luther King Jr

Jessica Champan
Psychologist (Provisional) Bella Vista, Sydney
BPsychSc (Hons), BCouns, MProfPsych, AssocMAPS
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Jessica Champan
Psychologist (Provisional) Bella Vista, Sydney
BPsychSc (Hons), BCouns, MProfPsych, AssocMAPS
KNOW JESSICA
Jessica is a thoughtful, genuine Psychologist who brings a gentle, reflective presence to her work. She holds space for people navigating life’s hardest moments—whether it’s grief, anxiety, pain, or unexpected change—with warmth and just the right touch of humour. Clients often describe her as easy to open up to, with a style that is calm, grounding, and deeply respectful.
Born in New Zealand and raised between Pakistan and Sydney, Jessica grew up immersed in different cultures. This gave her a natural curiosity about how culture, conditioning, and unspoken expectations shape how we see ourselves—and how we live. These early insights are part of what led her to psychology: a desire to help people explore their inner world, challenge unhelpful patterns, and move towards greater clarity and emotional freedom.
Jessica’s Experience & Approach
Jessica has experience supporting adults across a range of challenges, with particular interest in grief and loss, anxiety, chronic pain, and life transitions. Her sessions are client-centred and collaborative, grounded in the belief that therapy is a meeting of two experts: the client, who knows themselves best, and the psychologist, who brings insight and guidance through the therapeutic process.
Jessica’s role is to walk alongside her clients—to help them understand their patterns, reconnect with their values, and develop meaningful pathways forward. She draws on evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, integrating these in a way that’s responsive to the individual.
Known For
Jessica is known for her reflective, calm energy and her ability to sit gently with people in their pain. She brings a depth of thoughtfulness that invites self-awareness and growth, helping clients to feel safe, understood, and empowered to change. Her culturally-informed lens and respect for the complexity of human experience make her especially attuned to the subtle influences shaping a person’s mental health journey.
Passion
Jessica is particularly passionate about working with people during times of transition—whether that’s the death of a loved one, changes in health, identity, or life direction. She is drawn to supporting people experiencing grief and loss, as well as those living with chronic pain or anxiety. Her aim is to help clients not just manage their symptoms, but to move through suffering in a way that fosters self-compassion and insight.
On a Personal Level
When she’s not in session, Jessica loves walking her dog, watching her cat’s quirky antics, knitting, diving into a good film or book, and embracing the simple comforts of everyday life. She believes in the power of quiet rituals to nurture wellbeing and brings this same steady, human approach into her therapy work..
Jessica’s Appointments
Jessica is a full time therapist and devoted to our practice. She is available for appointments on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays.
“Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts” – Soren Kierkegaard

Bethany Scott
Psychologist (Provisional) Bella Vista, Sydney
MProfPsych GradDipPsych(Adv) BAPsych (Hons)
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Bethany Scott
Psychologist (Provisional) Bella Vista, Sydney
MProfPsych GradDipPsych(Adv) BAPsych (Hons)
KNOW BETHANY
Bethany is an insightful psychologist, known for her approachable, compassionate, and understanding demeanour. Born in England and raised in the Hills District from a young age, Bethany has always been deeply entrenched in the community she serves, bringing a unique and personal understanding to the dynamics of the families and individuals in the area. With a genuine passion for helping her clients unravel the why behind their thoughts and behaviours, Bethany is dedicated to guiding each person through their unique challenges. Her open-minded and accepting approach creates a safe and supportive space where clients feel comfortable discussing any aspect of their lives.
Bethany’s philosophy centres on the power of collaboration in therapy. She believes that everyone needs a trusted person to talk to, someone who can listen without judgment and assist in steering away from negative patterns. Her goal is not just to help, but to work alongside her clients, empowering them to achieve lasting change and reach their full potential.
Bethany’s Experience & Approach
With Bethany, therapy is a partnership. She is committed to helping you understand and adapt your approach, ensuring that you are equipped to meet your goals and embrace an optimistic outlook on life. Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, or seeking to improve your overall well-being, Bethany is there to provide the guidance and support you need to thrive.
Bethany’s tagline, “Empowering you to redefine your story,” captures her essence perfectly, she is here to guide you through rewriting your narrative towards a healthier, more fulfilling life. Whether dealing with personal trauma, grief, or everyday stresses, Bethany provides a supportive and insightful environment for healing and growth.
Bethany leverages her extensive training and innate warmth to help clients trust again and adopt new life experiences. Her sessions are infused with humour and calm, making serious and distressing issues more approachable. This unique blend of empathy and practicality ensures that her clients feel content in their independence and aligned with their potential and goals.
Bethany’s professional journey in psychology has been marked by a dedicated pursuit of knowledge and skills to provide the best possible care for her clients. Her approach is deeply rooted in the belief that understanding the influence of the past, while focusing on building a sound and stable future, is key to successful therapy.
As a Provisional Psychologist at Creating Change, Bethany combines a Master of Professional Psychology, a Graduate Diploma and a Bachelor Degree in Psychology, with training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness.
Passion
Bethany’s dedication to her clients shines through in her compassionate approach to addressing a spectrum of emotional and psychological challenges. Her clinical expertise spans a diverse range of areas including grief and loss, stress management, trauma, adjustment to change, depression, and anxiety. With a profound commitment to helping individuals navigate the complexities of these issues, Bethany provides tailored support that fosters healing and personal growth.
On a Personal Level
Outside the therapy room, Bethany is an avid reader, with an insatiable appetite for all types of books and genres, finding both solace and excitement in the pages of a good story. Her love for cooking and baking sees her experimenting with new recipes, turning her kitchen into a creative playground that not only nourishes the body but also the soul. Travel is another of Bethany’s passions, as she loves to explore new places and immerse herself in different cultures, believing that every journey enriches her understanding of the world and herself. Bethany’s zest for life is evident in her love of laughter and adventure, traits that infuse her professional work with positivity and energy.
Bethany’s Appointments
Bethany is a devoted therapist at our practice, and is available for appointments on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
“It’s easy to say the right things – but words are meaningless without action” – Pip Williams
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