Why the first appointment starts with a room of adults
If you’ve rung a clinic and been told there’s a six-month wait, or if you’re not even sure what kind of support your child needs yet, this is worth a read.
Finding the right child psychologist is hard enough without having to explain three years of worry, confusion, and school drop-off meltdowns in a five-minute intake call. That’s part of why the first thing Ailsa Jerejian does is get the parents in a room, without the child.
“I encourage parents to attend a parent-only session initially,” says Ailsa, psychologist at Drummond Psychology in Mount Lawley. “To allow them to talk freely about their concerns — and to ascertain if I am the right fit for the family.”
That one sentence tells you a lot about how she works. And for families who’ve already rung a dozen clinics, sat on waitlists, and been handed referrals that went nowhere, that distinction matters.
Supporting neurodivergent kids
Ailsa works with primary school-aged children presenting with anxiety, OCD, phobias, and the full range of challenges that come with being neurodivergent. ADHD, autism, AuADHD, and everything in between. She also supports families navigating learning differences, school avoidance, felt safety issues, and the often complicated process of figuring out whether a formal assessment is even the right next step.
She works from Mount Lawley and runs clinics Wednesday through Saturday. Availability is limited. She’s a sole practitioner, and she’s built it that way deliberately. Thorough over high-volume.
How she approaches anxiety in children
Ailsa uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as her primary tool for child anxiety. “The gold standard treatment,” she says. Where phobias or OCD symptoms are present, she adds exposure therapy. The way she delivers it is deliberately different from the clinical stereotype.
“I like to make the exposure tasks fun in order for the child to remain engaged in therapy. Competitions, races, treats for effort and high levels of praise are incorporated into the treatment.”
She tracks progress through validated questionnaires and verbal parent feedback. Children also report on how they’re going, through talking, drawing, or age-appropriate forms. The child’s own voice is part of the picture, not just the parent’s.
She’s also tuned in to something that doesn’t always get named. The anxiety in the room doesn’t always belong only to the child.
“Often anxious children may have an anxious parent,” she says. “So I work with this in mind and encourage parents to model the behaviours they’d like to see develop or reduce between sessions.” That’s not blame. It’s a practical recognition that the family system matters.
Parents are in the room, and that's intentional
Ailsa uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as her primary tool for child anxiety. “The gold standard treatment,” she says. Where phobias or OCD symptoms are present, she adds exposure therapy. The way she delivers it is deliberately different from the clinical stereotype.
“I like to make the exposure tasks fun in order for the child to remain engaged in therapy. Competitions, races, treats for effort and high levels of praise are incorporated into the treatment.”
She tracks progress through validated questionnaires and verbal parent feedback. Children also report on how they’re going, through talking, drawing, or age-appropriate forms. The child’s own voice is part of the picture, not just the parent’s.
She’s also tuned in to something that doesn’t always get named. The anxiety in the room doesn’t always belong only to the child.
“Often anxious children may have an anxious parent,” she says. “So I work with this in mind and encourage parents to model the behaviours they’d like to see develop or reduce between sessions.” That’s not blame. It’s a practical recognition that the family system matters.
You don't need a diagnosis to start
One of the questions families ask most often is whether they need a formal diagnosis before seeing a psychologist. Ailsa’s answer is clear.
“Having a formal diagnostic label does not change the issues. It is just naming a cluster of symptoms the child demonstrates. Working to change or manage the issues that are impacting on the child and their family is the aim of therapy.”
She works with autistic children, children with ADHD, AuADHD kids, and children with no diagnosis at all. If questions about diagnosis arise during therapy, Ailsa takes a staged approach. Observations first, then screener questionnaires, then a conversation about whether a formal assessment is warranted. She has a trusted network of neuropsychs and clinical psychologists in Perth. She understands both the public and private assessment pathways well.
Her view on timing? “Earlier is better. While a family does not need to jump straight into a formal assessment, talking to professionals, engaging in therapy, and talking with teachers is a good place to start.” If things improve, nothing is lost. If the gap widens, the groundwork is already laid.
What neuro-affirming support actually looks like in practice
“Neuro-affirming support is whatever the child and family need it to be,” Ailsa says.
In her room, that means barefoot is fine. Ear muffs are fine. Fidget toys, wobble cushions, movement breaks, shorter sessions. All on offer. She can write for a child who doesn’t want to write, let a child choose the order of the session, or keep a parent in the room if that’s what the child needs to feel safe. Music on or off. Shoes on or off. “Whatever your brain needs to function optimally, I will try to accommodate.”
“If you have met one neurodiverse child, you have met one neurodiverse child. Everyone has differing needs despite their diagnosis.”
The approach shifts to suit the person in front of her. Not the other way around.
Felt safety and why it changes everything at school
Felt safety is a term that comes up a lot in school psychology. Ailsa defines it plainly: it’s “feeling belonging and a cared-for part of the school community.”
When a child loses that sense of safety, through bullying, anxiety, social difficulties, or just not knowing who to turn to, the signs can look like a hundred other things. School avoidance, withdrawal, irritability, reduced appetite, changes in behaviour, a general flatness that parents notice at home even when the school reports nothing unusual.
“Children need to know who their wellbeing officer, chaplain, and deputy principal are, as well as the class teacher,” Ailsa says. “Parents need to know their child is able to initiate support when distressed or unsafe at school.”
When felt safety has broken down, she builds it back with a clear plan. Who the child talks to. Who knows what’s happening. What happens when issues come up. Regular communication between parents, teachers, and the head of wellbeing should continue, she says, until the child is genuinely settled.
How she works with schools, without creating conflict
Ailsa sees the relationship between families and schools as something that needs to be actively tended. Her approach is practical and deliberately non-adversarial.
With family consent, she liaises with class teachers, chaplains, and school psychologists. She helps teachers understand what a diagnosis might look like in the classroom. She involves them in screener questionnaires, supports IEP and Learning Adjustment Plan development, and helps families navigate NDIS funding and Education Assistant applications.
The systems side of school can be exhausting. She knows the pathways.
“Children with diagnoses need a collaborative team around them with a shared understanding of how to get the best from that child,” she says. She attends school meetings via Zoom or phone when she can’t be there in person. Her tip for making the school relationship work? “Make your teacher an ally. Be open and honest about any challenges your child is facing. Seeking regular feedback is important, but don’t bombard your child’s teacher with long emails. Set up meetings and come prepared.”
A strengths-based approach from the very first session
From the first or second session, Ailsa asks the child to name as many positive traits and strengths as they can think of. Then she asks parents to add some, in front of the child.
“I explain that they need to draw on all those awesome things to get on top of anxiety.” The goal is to build resilience from the start, and to shift how both the child and the family understand what’s happening. “I take a strengths-based approach in order to build resilience and help the child see that they are having a challenge, rather than being a problem that needs to be fixed.”
It sounds simple. But for a child who’s been struggling for months or years, having a room full of adults name what they’re good at before getting into what’s hard can genuinely change the shape of therapy. Lots of praise for effort is built into every session.
What Ailsa wishes every family knew before they started
Ask any experienced child psychologist what they’d put on a billboard for parents, and you learn something about their philosophy.
Ailsa’s answer: “You are already doing more than you think you are.”
Her practical tip for right now, wherever you are in the process? “Name it to tame it. The sooner you start labelling and validating the emotion, worry, distress, fear, the quicker it comes down. Model naming your own emotions and encourage your children to do the same. All feelings are allowed.”
Is Drummond Psychology the right fit for your family?
Ailsa is direct about this. She’s not the right fit for everyone, and she’s comfortable saying so. “I may not fit with every family and that is OK. Everyone is looking for something that works for them and if I am not it, then I will try to make recommendations based on what the family is looking for.”
That kind of candour is what makes the parent-only first session so useful. It’s not just a history-taking exercise. It’s a genuine two-way assessment, for her and for you.
She’s a good fit for families who want to be actively involved, not just updated. For parents who want straight talk and flexibility. For families with neurodivergent children who need a long-term, adaptive relationship rather than a short-burst intervention. For anyone who’s been through the system, come out exhausted, and is looking for a psychologist who will meet their child where they are.
Quick links: Drummond Psychology
Based in Mount Lawley
Clinic days: Wednesday to Saturday | Limited availability
Availability updates: https://perthkidshub.com.au/listing/drummond-psychology-child-adolescent-psychology-services/
Website: https://www.drummondpsychology.com.au/
Contact: reception@drummondpsychology.com.au
Key takeaways
- Ailsa Jerejian at Drummond Psychology starts with a parent-only session so you can speak freely and assess fit before your child comes in.
- She uses evidence-based CBT and exposure therapy for child anxiety, adapted to be engaging and age-appropriate rather than clinical and dry.
- You don't need a formal diagnosis before starting therapy. Ailsa works with both diagnosed and undiagnosed children and believes the support needed doesn't change based on a label.
- Her neuro-affirming approach means sessions adapt to the child — movement, sensory tools, flexible structure, and parents in the room where helpful.
- She actively works with schools: liaising with teachers, supporting IEP development, attending meetings via Zoom, and helping families navigate funding systems like NDIS.
- Felt safety at school is something she takes seriously — when it's broken down, she builds it back with practical strategies and coordinated support.
- She takes a strengths-based approach from day one, naming what a child is good at before working on what's hard.
- She's honest that she's not the right fit for every family — and she'll say so directly if that's the case.
Helpful links
Perth Kids Hub connects WA families with trusted local providers. This profile is based on information provided directly by Drummond Psychology and published with consent. Perth Kids Hub is a directory platform and does not provide clinical advice.
