Allied Health
All appointments, enquiries and costs with Allied Health need to be directed to the Allied Health Specialist themselves – phone numbers are listed below.
El Laird – Diabetes Educator and Dietitian
El’s Dietetic Career spans over 30 years, and includes private practice, community, and clinical practice, as well as student tertiary education training.
Since immigrating from Cape Town, South Africa, to Australia in 2002, El was employed by NSW Health for 19 years as a Community and Hospital Dietitian, with the latter part of her tenure serving as a Specialist Diabetes Dietitian for the Tweed Byron Local Health District. El has a special interest in Diabetes, because of her recognition of the positive role she has had in assisting people living with diabetes lead their best lives. In 2017, she expanded her scope of practice by completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Education and Management, to become a Diabetes Educator.
El and her husband relocated to the beautiful Bega Valley in mid-2021, where she combined her skills to commence private practice as both a Credentialed Diabetes Educator and Accredited Practicing Dietitian.
El recognises there is an overabundance of information out there regarding both nutrition and diabetes, which can be overwhelming to navigate and to discern what is true or otherwise. She welcomes the opportunity to support you with accurate and credible information, based on current best practice. She strives to create a positive environment where you can feel confident, supported, and encouraged to make healthy changes that are both realistic and sustainable.
El believes her ability to develop a rapport – listening and understanding is key to developing a strong partnership with clients to achieve their health goals. As a result, El’s approach is holistic, with consideration of the social, environmental, and physiological aspects, as well as the emotional aspects pertaining to food and nutrition.
El has a warm, compassionate, and caring personality, and can achieve an environment that supports her clients with client-centred care, to achieve outcomes that are both meaningful and valuable and aim to lessen their burden.
Appointments can be made by phone on (02) 6495 4700.
Adele Schultz – Art Therapist & Counsellor
Hello, my name is Adele
Since 2018, I have had the privilege of working as a mental health professional. I provide face-to-face and online services, specialising in creative client-centred mental health care.
Originally from South Africa, my family and I have called Australia home since 2008. In 2022, we relocated to Merimbula and love living here.
Those closest to me know me as empathic, creative, and slightly quirky. Professionally, my work ethic and interests are influenced by being part of a neurodivergent family and lived experiences volunteering in aged care and being a trauma survivor.
As my Instagram page is evidence of I am slightly obsessed with taking photographs of nature and architecture.
Paul Ledger – Podiatrist
Paul Ledger is a Podiatrist who provides both generalist podiatry foot and nail care along with specialist care to clients with diabetes, arthritis and other injuries of the foot and lower limb. Paul has experience in treating people of all ages.
He currently consults at the clinic on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9am to 4:20pm, and appointments can be made by phone on (02) 6442 4801.
For more information, please visit Paul’s website Ledger Podiatry.
Merimbula Psychology
Merimbula Psychology; David West and Tamsin Ede provide a wide range of evidence-based psychological therapy services to children, adolescents, adults and families. They are attached to Sapphire Clinic in the adjacent building, Coast Health.
Their team of therapists have all worked in the mental health field for many years and are experienced in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of psychological and psychiatric disorders including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Trauma, and post-traumatic stress
- Childhood disorders
- Parenting problems
- Complex grief reactions
- Various other psychiatric disorders
They provide individually tailored and personalised care, and welcome clients from all cultural backgrounds. They are an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider for Bega Valley Shire Coungil
Appointments can be made by phone on (02) 6495 3970.
See their experience below and for more information, please visit their website Merimbula Psychology.
David West
David is a Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, and has been practising since 1987. He has worked in a range of settings including Community and Inpatient Mental Health services, Community and Inpatient Drug & Alcohol services, General Hospitals, and Private Practice.
At Merimbula Psychology he provides psychological therapy for adults with a range of presentations including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, complex trauma, personality disorder and addiction. He also works with people who are having difficulties adjusting to major life changes, and those with chronic physical illnesses where the illness is having a significant psychological impact. He regularly works with veterans.
David primarily works within a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) framework, but also uses Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy when working with trauma-related conditions. He is available for appointments 4 days per week, excluding Wednesdays.
Tamsin Ede
I am an experienced psychologist who joined the Merimbula Psychology team in 2021, with 10 years of clinical experience in the Bega Valley (Community Mental Health and privately). I work with a diverge range of clients: children, adults, families, parents, and couples.
I have training in a variety of therapeutic approaches which I draw upon to address and relieve symptoms, manage and regulate emotions, improve relationships, develop insight and self-awareness, and face life stressors.
I will work with specific, short-term issues and interventions, or over the longer term to deal with chronic difficulties and patterns. As a rural psychologist, I have a breadth of experience, and will work with a diverse range of issues and mental health disorders, however I do have a particular interest in Eating Disorders, Personality Disorders, and trauma.
I have training and experience in the following therapeutic approaches: Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Schema Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Brief Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Famil Based Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, and CBT-Enhanced for Eating Disorders.
Tamsin is currently on sabatical leave and is not accepting referrals at this time.
