About Helping Hands
About Us
The Helping Hands Centre is a purpose-built centre catering for children and young people.
Our founding Directors, Sarah and Simone, have had a variety of experiences working in the field of special needs – focusing mainly on neurodivergent clients and working closely with hundreds of families.
The Helping Hands journey began more than 20 years ago in a single room at the front of a suburban home. Since then, we have moved to a shop front in Cheltenham and from there to a larger premises in Cheltenham and finally, our new home in Mentone of over 900 sq metres of floor space.
At each stage we have been driven by a passion to deliver quality therapy to as many
individuals as we could and as cost effectively as possible. Our multi-disciplinary staff are equally as determined and enthusiastic in their relationships with our clients. We pride ourselves on sharing the lives of our families and developing individual programs that reflect our holistic approach.
Our Values
Neuroaffirming
We believe in honouring and championing the unique strengths and contributions brought to society through neurodiversity. We believe in supporting all individuals in developing a healthy personal identity and positive sense of self.
Inclusion:
We acknowledge that every child is unique. In an inclusive learning community, this diversity is respected and seen as an opportunity to learn, to grow and to implement changes that benefit the whole community.
Respect
Our centre promotes a culture which values respectful treatment of others. We value equity and diversity and a safe and supportive working and learning environment. We are committed to developing and maintaining a working and learning environment in which mutual respect, dignity and inclusion prevail.
Passion
Our staff are all highly motivated in their desire to deliver the highest quality therapy services. Their enthusiasm, dedication, commitment and devotion is an outstanding feature of the daily program we offer at the centre.
Family Focused
All individuals and their families are different and have their own personal needs. By working with our families we aim to improve outcomes by developing family engagement and effectiveness in handling associated challenges.
Neuroaffirming
We believe in honouring and championing the unique strengths and contributions brought to society through neurodiversity. We believe in supporting all individuals in developing a healthy personal identity and positive sense of self.
Inclusion:
We acknowledge that every child is unique. In an inclusive learning community, this diversity is respected and seen as an opportunity to learn, to grow and to implement changes that benefit the whole community.
Respect
Our centre promotes a culture which values respectful treatment of others. We value equity and diversity and a safe and supportive working and learning environment. We are committed to developing and maintaining a working and learning environment in which mutual respect, dignity and inclusion prevail.
Passion
Our staff are all highly motivated in their desire to deliver the highest quality therapy services. Their enthusiasm, dedication, commitment and devotion is an outstanding feature of the daily program we offer at the centre.
Family Focused
All individuals and their families are different and have their own personal needs. By working with our families we aim to improve outcomes by developing family engagement and effectiveness in handling associated challenges.
Our Team
At Helping Hands, our team comprises dedicated professionals committed to supporting individuals growth and development.
Allied Health Professionals
We believe in honouring and championing the unique strengths and contributions brought to society through neurodiversity. We believe in supporting all individuals in developing a healthy personal identity and positive sense of self.
Case Managers:
Case Managers at Helping Hands play a vital role in supporting our families and therapy teams.
They act as the central point of contact for families, helping to coordinate services, track goals, and
ensure therapy runs smoothly.
Therapy Assistants:
Working closely with our allied health professionals, therapy assistants implement therapy strategies, provide consistent support, and facilitate the generalisation of skills across various environments.
Our Approach
” We adopt a collaborative, family-centred approach, ensuring that therapy plans are tailored to each individual’s needs and goals. Our commitment to neuro-affirming practices ensures that we respect and support neurodiversity in all aspects of our services. “
Shannon Ayton
Speech Pathologist
Shannon is speech pathologist with an undergraduate degree in psychology and linguistics and master’s degree in speech pathology. She has been working as a speech pathologist at Helping Hands since 2019 and has additional training and experience in feeding and eating difficulties, literacy, AAC and gestalt language learning. Shannon works with paediatric, youth and adult clients. She enjoys working with families and multidisciplinary teams to support optimal outcomes for clients. Shannon particularly loves working with the Helping Hands team as it allows unique opportunities to generalise communication and eating skills in many different settings such as in groups with peers and in the community. She also enjoys using the many different spaces available at Helping Hands, such as the kitchen, sensory room, PMP room and group social areas to facilitate engaging and functional therapy sessions for her clients. Outside of work, Shannon enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pet dog and horses, as well as running and horse riding. She is looking forward to welcoming her first child later in 2024.
Vision
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Vision
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Sarah Backholer
Founding Managing Director
Sarah is a founding director of Helping Hands and has worked in the Autism community for over 20 years. She is committed to providing neuro-affirming, flexible, cost effective and family focused programs and is passionate about delivering a high quality service to benefit the amazing individuals she has the pleasure of supporting at Helping Hands .
With a background in counselling and behavioural science, Sarah has a keen interest in working with families as a unit and providing necessary supports to ensure growth. She is committed to providing the training and materials needed for optimal learning through raising funds corporate events and local community functions.
When she isn’t working , Sarah loves spending time with her family and watching her two boys grow and flourish.
Simone Anderson
Founding Managing Director
Simone is a founding Director of Helping Hands and oversees all aspects of the Helping Hands programs. She has worked in the field of Autism for over 24 years and is committed to providing a centre based early intervention service that enables transition to the kinder/school environment. Additionally, Simone recognises the importance of neuro-affirming youth aged programs that develop and foster an individual’s true potential.
Simone is an advocate for understanding autism spectrum disorder and is passionate about creating an individualised therapy plan to suit the child’s age and skill level. As Case Manager, she conducts ongoing supervision of therapy teams, parent training consulting with schools and running home based programs for the children she works with as well as providing consultation and support for school/kinder/day centres.
Shannon Ayton
Speech Pathologist
Shannon is a speech pathologist with an undergraduate degree in psychology and linguistics and Master’s degree in speech pathology. She has been working as a speech pathologist at Helping Hands since 2019 and has additional training and experience in feeding and eating difficulties, literacy, AAC and gestalt language learning.
Shannon works with paediatric, youth and adult clients. She enjoys working with families and multidisciplinary teams to support optimal outcomes for clients. Shannon particularly loves working with the Helping Hands team as it allows unique opportunities to generalise communication and eating skills in many different settings such as in groups with peers and in the community.
She also enjoys using the many different spaces available at Helping Hands, such as the kitchen, sensory room, PMP room and group social areas to facilitate engaging and functional therapy sessions for her clients. Outside of work, Shannon enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pet dog and horses, as well as running and horse riding. She has welcomed her first child in August 2024 and is enjoying 12-months maternity leave.
Isabel Costa
Certified Speech and Language Pathologist
Isabel (but you can call her Izzy) is a certified speech and language pathologist who is passionate about supporting children with complex communication needs, and those requiring eating and mealtime support. Her areas of interest include speech and language, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), as well as feeding and swallowing.
Izzy strives to create trust, connection and safety with her clients. She likes to follow their lead and include their special interests in therapy. She has experience working with autistic children and she is committed to supporting them through a neurodiversity affirming approach to therapy. In her free time, she likes to play tennis, listen to music, play the piano, catch up with her friends and FaceTime her family in Italy. Izzy is fluent in both Italian and English.
Katie Wells
Psychologist
Katie is a registered psychologist with AHPRA (Psychology Board of Australia) and is a full member of the APS (Australian Psychological Society). Katie holds a Master’s degree in psychology (educational and developmental). Katie brings over 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and young adults with diverse needs. She has worked in both private practice and educational settings, where she has developed an interest in assisting individuals with anxiety, low self-esteem, school related and social challenges, and behavioural and emotional regulation concerns.
She has extensive experience with neurodivergent profiles, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, intellectual disability, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Katie practises a client-centred and holistic approach to therapy and offers a range of services, including cognitive, academic, behavioural, and social-emotional assessments, alongside care team support and treatment support.
Her therapeutic approach is diverse and includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure therapy and systematic desensitisation, psychoeducation, mindfulness, functional behaviour analysis (FBA), applied behaviour analysis (ABA), positive psychology, and coaching. Katie provides personalised and thorough care that addresses the multifaceted nature of mental health and wellbeing.
Nina Lindsey
Psychologist
Nina is a dedicated psychologist specialising in the mental health and well-being of neurodiverse children and adolescents. She is passionate about working closely with families and schools to foster environments where every child feels understood and valued. Her approach is rooted in neuro-affirming practices, which emphasise the acceptance and celebration of all different types of brains. She believes in empowering children by recognising their unique strengths and providing tailored support that meets their individual goals. Through a combination of evidence-based therapies, Nina strives to create a positive impact on the lives of the children and families she works with, helping them navigate challenges and thrive in their own way. In addition to intervention, Nina completes a range of assessments, including cognitive and educational assessments.
Nina has a key area of interest in the following:
- neurodiversity [e.g., autism, PDA, ADHD, and learning difficulties]
- emotional regulation
- anxiety
- identity and understanding of self
- self-esteem and confidence
Nina enjoys spending time with friends and family and going to the beach with her dog when she is not at work.
Maddy Roberts-Tims
Psychologist
Maddy is a Registered Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. She is also a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and has received additional training in the assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ADOS-2).
Maddy works with individuals of all ages, addressing a range of issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, and behavioural problems. She also provides support for neurodivergent individuals, including those on the Autism Spectrum and with ADHD. Maddy employs various therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness.
At Helping Hands, Maddy enjoys collaborating with the team to provide comprehensive, neuro-affirming therapy. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family, friends, and pets and getting outdoors.
Tracy Kirk
Occupational Therapist
Tracy has been part of the Helping Hands Centre since 2009, starting as a behaviour therapist and advancing to her current role as a case manager. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology with Honours and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Tracy is passionate about augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) and their role in enhancing functional living skills. She is also dedicated to supporting clients with complex behaviours and helping them increase their participation in the community.
Additionally, Tracy runs neuro-affirming social groups that provide a safe environment for her clients to meet like-minded peers and develop meaningful social connections.
In her free time, Tracy enjoys going to the gym, watching footy and playing with her dog, Panda.
April Owen
Occupational Therapist
April is an Occupational Therapist and brings over 20 years of experience working in a range of health, community and education settings. She has focused on assisting individuals to increase their independence in functional daily activities such as personal care, school and home-related activities, community access, sensory and emotional regulation.
April is passionate about supporting clients and building connections with clients and families. She values bringing joy into their day. April aims to bring a neurodiversity-affirming and person-centred, holistic approach to therapy sessions within the centre and in the community.
April aims to enhance clients’ potential in functional daily living skills by creating meaningful and engaging sessions that reflect client goals and interests, and to assist clients in developing meaningful personal and social connections within their communities. In her free time, April enjoys ocean swimming, singing and Pilates.
Catherine Lobanov
Occupational Therapist
Catherine is an Occupational Therapist passionate about supporting children, adolescents and young adults to build independence and participate meaningfully in everyday life. Her clinical interests include sensory regulation, living skills development and using a strengths-based approach to empower each individual.
What Catherine loves most about occupational therapy is getting to know each person and finding practical, meaningful ways to support them. She recognises that everyone has unique strengths, interests, personalities and perspectives, and she enjoys helping clients embrace and build upon these qualities. For Catherine, nothing is more rewarding than seeing clients gain confidence, try new things and feel proud of their achievements.
Outside of work, Catherine loves spending time outdoors, relaxing at the beach, going for long walks and enjoying nature.
Sally Backholer
Case Manager
Sally has been a dedicated behaviour therapist at Helping Hands for over 12 years, specialising in supporting neurodiverse individuals. She is deeply committed to fostering respectful and meaningful relationships with her clients and their families, prioritising connection and trust as the foundation for achieving their full potential.
Sally’s approach emphasises building rapport and empowering her clients to thrive in all areas of their lives. Outside of her professional role, Sally enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, and she also finds joy in appreciating the beauty of sunsets.
Alice Burke
Case Manager
Alice is a dedicated Case Manager with a background in counselling and play therapy. She is passionate about providing support to autistic children, adults, and their families in a way that respects and affirms their neurodiversity. Alice prioritises teaching functional life skills, building independence, fostering self-advocacy, promoting autonomy, and helping clients build meaningful connections with others. She is committed to participating collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team. Alice places importance on working closely with each family to support her clients’ overall development in a strengths-based and engaging way. In her spare time Alice enjoys cooking and spending quality time with family & friends.
Ashleigh Conn
Case Manager
Ashleigh is a case manager and has been a part of the Helping Hands team for the past decade. Ashleigh is a Registered Music Therapist with the Australian Music Therapy Association and holds a Master’s degree in Music Therapy. She also holds a Neurologic Music Therapy degree.
Ashleigh has over 10 years’ experience working with neurodivergent individuals within the community health space and private practice. Over this time, she has worked with a wide range of individuals requiring various support. She has a particular interest in achieving early intervention goals and assisting individuals with a Pathological Demand Avoidance presentation (PDA).
At Helping Hands, Ashleigh works with individuals of all ages. She values team collaboration and believes it is integral to supporting client goals. Ashleigh utilises a neuro-affirming and client centred approach and brings her unique set of skills to provide meaningful and individualised therapy.
Outside of work Ashleigh enjoys singing, travelling, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Catie
Case Manager
Catie is a Case Manager at Helping Hands with a background in psychology. She employs a client centred and strength-based approach, following client’s interests and needs to inform her therapy. Catie prioritises making meaningful connections with her clients and their families to build rapport and create an environment of trust in her therapy sessions. She is especially interested in encouraging the development of
functional life skills, emotional regulation and self-advocacy. Catie is passionate about helping her clients thrive in all areas of their life by providing support in home, school and community environments. In her spare time, Catie enjoys playing boardgames and watching movies with her friends and family.
Claire
Case Manager
Claire holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology with Honours and has been a dedicated member of Helping Hands since 2022. She is especially passionate about supporting neurodiverse individuals in building everyday life skills, such as cooking, personal care, and time management. Claire also takes pride in helping clients access the community and build independence through real-world experiences. Known for her creative and flexible approach to sessions, Claire loves finding fun, engaging ways to teach—especially if it’s an excuse to get into the kitchen! Outside of work, Claire enjoys crafting, coffee, and exploring Victoria with her husband and two daughters.
Aska
Case Manager
Aska started at Helping Hands as a junior therapist whilst pursuing a Bachelors in Psychology, followed by an Honours degree. Over the years she has grown to become a dedicated therapist who has continued to build meaningful, long lasting relationships with her clients, offering support in a variety of settings including the centre, at home, and kinder environments.
Aska’s approach to therapy is deeply rooted in the belief that every child has the potential to thrive given the right support for the individual. Her personal connection to work comes from her own experiences of supporting a family member on the spectrum. This has allowed her to witness the impact a supportive team can have on a child’s development, which has driven her passion to give back to the community. Aska uses play as a tool to build trust and rapport, while guiding clients through individualised programs that allow the client to feel comfortable and confident in their learning journey. She is dedicated to working within a multidisciplinary team focusing on communication, functional life skills and providing compassionate, person centred care. Outside of work Aska enjoys creative hobbies like scrapbooking, practising Pilates and spending quality time with friends and family.
Michele Backholer
Office Manager
What can you say about a job that you say “I’ll give it a go” and then find thirteen years later, you still love every second of it? Michele was a primary school teacher (for more years than she cares to mention here) and after working with special needs children in her classroom she jumped at a chance of being involved in a different capacity.
Helping Hands was a small centre when she first began thirteen years ago – five therapists and two Directors, Simone and Sarah in a shop front in Station Road, Cheltenham. She found the work they did with the children was inspirational and obviously so did others because as word spread, the demand for a bigger centre also grew.
And so today the brand-new purpose-built facility at Mentone has a current staff of 42 and the love, care and devotion to improving the lives of all clients is still a top priority. Michele couldn’t be prouder than to say she has shared a most inspirational journey the highlights of which still touches her heart whenever she thinks about them!
Nigel Anderson
Finance Manager
Nigel Anderson is the Finance Manager at Helping Hands with over 25 years’ experience in the finance industry. Nigel has been with the company since it was founded over 20 years ago and seen its growth and development over the years. He holds certificates 1 and 2 in finance, information technology and middle level management from the Swinburne University of Technology. He has also held positions as a production planner supervisor at Boral Ltd and program planner/finance at Emerald Community Centre. Outside of work Nigel enjoys his footy, barracking for the Saints, Aqua exercises, gardening and socialising with family and friends
Fiona Monch
Office Assistant
Fiona is part of the reception and administration team at Helping Hands and loves being a friendly, familiar face around the centre. She enjoys getting to know clients and their families and making sure they feel welcome, supported and looked after throughout their time with us.
Currently studying psychology, Fiona has a genuine interest in mental health and wellbeing and cares deeply about helping people feel heard, understood and valued.
Fiona supports families from their initial intake through to appointments and ongoing
communication, working closely with clinicians to help keep things running smoothly.
She values building genuine relationships with clients and their families and being a reliable source of support throughout their time at the centre. Outside of work, Fiona enjoys travelling, music festivals and raves, and hot yoga.
Sarah Backholer
Founding Managing Director
Sarah is a founding director of Helping Hands and has worked in the Autism community for over 20 years. She is committed to providing neuro-affirming, flexible, cost effective and family focused programs and is passionate about delivering a high quality service to benefit the amazing individuals she has the pleasure of supporting at Helping Hands .
With a background in counselling and behavioural science, Sarah has a keen interest in working with families as a unit and providing necessary supports to ensure growth. She is committed to providing the training and materials needed for optimal learning through raising funds corporate events and local community functions.
When she isn’t working , Sarah loves spending time with her family and watching her two boys grow and flourish.
Simone Anderson
Founding Managing Director
Simone is a founding Director of Helping Hands and oversees all aspects of the Helping Hands programs. She has worked in the field of Autism for over 24 years and is committed to providing a centre based early intervention service that enables transition to the kinder/school environment. Additionally, Simone recognises the importance of neuro-affirming youth aged programs that develop and foster an individual’s true potential.
Simone is an advocate for understanding autism spectrum disorder and is passionate about creating an individualised therapy plan to suit the child’s age and skill level. As Case Manager, she conducts ongoing supervision of therapy teams, parent training consulting with schools and running home based programs for the children she works with as well as providing consultation and support for school/kinder/day centres.
Katie Wells
Psychologist
Katie is a registered psychologist with AHPRA (Psychology Board of Australia) and is a full member of the APS (Australian Psychological Society). Katie holds a Master’s degree in psychology (educational and developmental). Katie brings over 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and young adults with diverse needs. She has worked in both private practice and educational settings, where she has developed an interest in assisting individuals with anxiety, low self-esteem, school related and social challenges, and behavioural and emotional regulation concerns.
She has extensive experience with neurodivergent profiles, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, intellectual disability, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Katie practises a client-centred and holistic approach to therapy and offers a range of services, including cognitive, academic, behavioural, and social-emotional assessments, alongside care team support and treatment support.
Her therapeutic approach is diverse and includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), exposure therapy and systematic desensitisation, psychoeducation, mindfulness, functional behaviour analysis (FBA), applied behaviour analysis (ABA), positive psychology, and coaching. Katie provides personalised and thorough care that addresses the multifaceted nature of mental health and wellbeing.
Shannon Ayton
Speech Pathologist
Shannon is a speech pathologist with an undergraduate degree in psychology and linguistics and Master’s degree in speech pathology. She has been working as a speech pathologist at Helping Hands since 2019 and has additional training and experience in feeding and eating difficulties, literacy, AAC and gestalt language learning.
Shannon works with paediatric, youth and adult clients. She enjoys working with families and multidisciplinary teams to support optimal outcomes for clients. Shannon particularly loves working with the Helping Hands team as it allows unique opportunities to generalise communication and eating skills in many different settings such as in groups with peers and in the community.
She also enjoys using the many different spaces available at Helping Hands, such as the kitchen, sensory room, PMP room and group social areas to facilitate engaging and functional therapy sessions for her clients. Outside of work, Shannon enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pet dog and horses, as well as running and horse riding. She has welcomed her first child in August 2024 and is enjoying 12-months maternity leave.
Nina Lindsey
Psychologist
Nina is a dedicated psychologist specialising in the mental health and well-being of neurodiverse children and adolescents. She is passionate about working closely with families and schools to foster environments where every child feels understood and valued. Her approach is rooted in neuro-affirming practices, which emphasise the acceptance and celebration of all different types of brains. She believes in empowering children by recognising their unique strengths and providing tailored support that meets their individual goals. Through a combination of evidence-based therapies, Nina strives to create a positive impact on the lives of the children and families she works with, helping them navigate challenges and thrive in their own way. In addition to intervention, Nina completes a range of assessments, including cognitive and educational assessments.
Nina has a key area of interest in the following:
- neurodiversity [e.g., autism, PDA, ADHD, and learning difficulties]
- emotional regulation
- anxiety
- identity and understanding of self
- self-esteem and confidence
Nina enjoys spending time with friends and family and going to the beach with her dog when she is not at work.
Isabel Costa
Certified Speech and Language Pathologist
Isabel (but you can call her Izzy) is a certified speech and language pathologist who is passionate about supporting children with complex communication needs, and those requiring eating and mealtime support. Her areas of interest include speech and language, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), as well as feeding and swallowing.
Izzy strives to create trust, connection and safety with her clients. She likes to follow their lead and include their special interests in therapy. She has experience working with autistic children and she is committed to supporting them through a neurodiversity affirming approach to therapy. In her free time, she likes to play tennis, listen to music, play the piano, catch up with her friends and FaceTime her family in Italy. Izzy is fluent in both Italian and English.
Tracy Kirk
Occupational Therapist
Tracy has been part of the Helping Hands Centre since 2009, starting as a behaviour therapist and advancing to her current role as a case manager. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology with Honours and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Tracy is passionate about augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) and their role in enhancing functional living skills. She is also dedicated to supporting clients with complex behaviours and helping them increase their participation in the community.
Additionally, Tracy runs neuro-affirming social groups that provide a safe environment for her clients to meet like-minded peers and develop meaningful social connections.
In her free time, Tracy enjoys going to the gym, watching footy and playing with her dog, Panda.
Maddy Roberts-Tims
Psychologist
Maddy is a Registered Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. She is also a member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and has received additional training in the assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ADOS-2).
Maddy works with individuals of all ages, addressing a range of issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, and behavioural problems. She also provides support for neurodivergent individuals, including those on the Autism Spectrum and with ADHD. Maddy employs various therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness.
At Helping Hands, Maddy enjoys collaborating with the team to provide comprehensive, neuro-affirming therapy. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family, friends, and pets and getting outdoors.
April Owen
Occupational Therapist
April is an Occupational Therapist and brings over 20 years of experience working in a range of health, community and education settings. She has focused on assisting individuals to increase their independence in functional daily activities such as personal care, school and home-related activities, community access, sensory and emotional regulation.
April is passionate about supporting clients and building connections with clients and families. She values bringing joy into their day. April aims to bring a neurodiversity-affirming and person-centred, holistic approach to therapy sessions within the centre and in the community.
April aims to enhance clients’ potential in functional daily living skills by creating meaningful and engaging sessions that reflect client goals and interests, and to assist clients in developing meaningful personal and social connections within their communities. In her free time, April enjoys ocean swimming, singing and Pilates.
Catherine Lobanov
Occupational Therapists
Catherine is an Occupational Therapist passionate about supporting children, adolescents and young adults to build independence and participate meaningfully in everyday life. Her clinical interests include sensory regulation, living skills development and using a strengths-based approach to empower each individual.
What Catherine loves most about occupational therapy is getting to know each person and finding practical, meaningful ways to support them. She recognises that everyone has unique strengths, interests, personalities and perspectives, and she enjoys helping clients embrace and build upon these qualities. For Catherine, nothing is more rewarding than seeing clients gain confidence, try new things and feel proud of their achievements.
Outside of work, Catherine loves spending time outdoors, relaxing at the beach, going for long walks and enjoying nature.
Alice Burke
Case Manager
Alice is a dedicated Case Manager with a background in counselling and play therapy. She is passionate about providing support to autistic children, adults, and their families in a way that respects and affirms their neurodiversity. Alice prioritises teaching functional life skills, building independence, fostering self-advocacy, promoting autonomy, and helping clients build meaningful connections with others. She is committed to participating collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team. Alice places importance on working closely with each family to support her clients’ overall development in a strengths-based and engaging way. In her spare time Alice enjoys cooking and spending quality time with family & friends.
Sally Backholer
Case Manager
Sally has been a dedicated behaviour therapist at Helping Hands for over 12 years, specialising in supporting neurodiverse individuals. She is deeply committed to fostering respectful and meaningful
relationships with her clients and their families, prioritising connection and trust as the foundation for achieving their full potential.
Sally’s approach emphasises building rapport and empowering her clients to thrive in all areas of their lives. Outside of her professional role, Sally enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, and she also finds joy in appreciating the beauty of sunsets.
Catie
Case Manager
Catie is a Case Manager at Helping Hands with a background in psychology. She employs a client centred and strength-based approach, following client’s interests and needs to inform her therapy. Catie prioritises making meaningful connections with her clients and their families to build rapport and create an environment of trust in her therapy sessions. She is especially interested in encouraging the development of
functional life skills, emotional regulation and self-advocacy. Catie is passionate about helping her clients thrive in all areas of their life by providing support in home, school and community environments. In her spare time, Catie enjoys playing boardgames and watching movies with her friends and family.
Ashleigh Conn
Case Manager
Ashleigh is a case manager and has been a part of the Helping Hands team for the past decade. Ashleigh is a Registered Music Therapist with the Australian Music Therapy Association and holds a Master’s degree in Music Therapy. She also holds a Neurologic Music Therapy degree.
Ashleigh has over 10 years’ experience working with neurodivergent individuals within the community health space and private practice. Over this time, she has worked with a wide range of individuals requiring various support. She has a particular interest in achieving early intervention goals and assisting individuals with a Pathological Demand Avoidance presentation (PDA).
At Helping Hands, Ashleigh works with individuals of all ages. She values team collaboration and believes it is integral to supporting client goals. Ashleigh utilises a neuro-affirming and client centred approach and brings her unique set of skills to provide meaningful and individualised therapy.
Outside of work Ashleigh enjoys singing, travelling, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Aska
Case Manager
Aska started at Helping Hands as a junior therapist whilst pursuing a Bachelors in Psychology, followed by an Honours degree. Over the years she has grown to become a dedicated therapist who has continued to build meaningful, long lasting relationships with her clients, offering support in a variety of settings including the centre, at home, and kinder environments.
Aska’s approach to therapy is deeply rooted in the belief that every child has the potential to thrive given the right support for the individual. Her personal connection to work comes from her own experiences of supporting a family member on the spectrum. This has allowed her to witness the impact a supportive team can have on a child’s development, which has driven her passion to give back to the community. Aska uses play as a tool to build trust and rapport, while guiding clients through individualised programs that allow the client to feel comfortable and confident in their learning journey. She is dedicated to working within a multidisciplinary team focusing on communication, functional life skills and providing compassionate, person centred care. Outside of work Aska enjoys creative hobbies like scrapbooking, practising Pilates and spending quality time with friends and family.
Claire
Case Manager
Claire holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology with Honours and has been a dedicated member of Helping Hands since 2022. She is especially passionate about supporting neurodiverse individuals in building everyday life skills, such as cooking, personal care, and time management. Claire also takes pride in helping clients access the community and build independence through real-world experiences. Known for her creative and flexible approach to sessions, Claire loves finding fun, engaging ways to teach—especially if it’s an excuse to get into the kitchen! Outside of work, Claire enjoys crafting, coffee, and exploring Victoria with her husband and two daughters.
Nigel Anderson
Finance Manager
Nigel Anderson is the Finance Manager at Helping Hands with over 25 years’ experience in the finance industry. Nigel has been with the company since it was founded over 20 years ago and seen its growth and development over the years. He holds certificates 1 and 2 in finance, information technology and middle level management from the Swinburne University of Technology. He has also held positions as a production planner supervisor at Boral Ltd and program planner/finance at Emerald Community Centre. Outside of work Nigel enjoys his footy, barracking for the Saints, Aqua exercises, gardening and socialising with family and friends
Michele Backholer
Office Manager
What can you say about a job that you say “I’ll give it a go” and then find thirteen years later, you still love every second of it? Michele was a primary school teacher (for more years than she cares to mention here) and after working with special needs children in her classroom she jumped at a chance of being involved in a different capacity.
Helping Hands was a small centre when she first began thirteen years ago – five therapists and two Directors, Simone and Sarah in a shop front in Station Road, Cheltenham. She found the work they did with the children was inspirational and obviously so did others because as word spread, the demand for a bigger centre also grew.
And so today the brand-new purpose-built facility at Mentone has a current staff of 42 and the love, care and devotion to improving the lives of all clients is still a top priority. Michele couldn’t be prouder than to say she has shared a most inspirational journey the highlights of which still touches her heart whenever she thinks about them!
Fiona Monch
Office Assistant
Fiona is a Psychology Honours student with a dream to become a clinical psychologist. Known for her organisation, initiative, and genuine care for others, she brings a thoughtful, proactive, and detail-oriented approach to every task she takes on.
Before joining Helping Hands, Fiona spent six months travelling through more than 14 countries, including Morocco, Portugal, the United States, Greece, Thailand, and Croatia. Her travels broadened her global perspective and strengthened her ability to connect with people from all walks of life. This experience reinforced her commitment to creating welcoming, supportive environments for anyone and everyone.
Prior to travelling, Fiona built a strong foundation in management and customer service, working for around four years in fast-paced environments. During this time, she developed excellent administrative and organisational skills and ensured the smooth, professional running of day-to-day activities.
Now, Fiona brings her interpersonal skills, leadership experience, and passion for helping others to the Helping Hands team, where she is excited to continue supporting children and families while pursuing her studies in psychology.
In her spare time, Fiona enjoys discovering new places – whether its a cosy café or a new country – along with cooking and practising hot yoga.