About Us
Madeline Sibbing
Educational & Developmental Psychologist, Director
Hello, my name is Madeline Sibbing and I am the Director of School of Life Psychology in Melbourne’s east. School of Life Psychology was established in order to provide psychological support for people of all ages to grow through life’s many challenges.
As an Educational & Developmental Psychologist I have shaped my career on building an understanding of the ways in which people learn and develop throughout their lifetime. The principles that underpin my work when supporting clients include:
Building a strong rapport – helping my clients to feel safe and supported in a completely non-judgemental environment
Evidence-based practice – using therapeutic practices that are supported by research and shown to be effective
Early intervention and prevention – getting in early where possible, and helping to prevent small problems become big problems
Collaboration – adopting a client-centred focus, collaborating and joining with clients to work towards their goals
School of Life Psychology is available to support clients as young as pre-school through to adulthood. I work closely with parents and families for younger clients, and adapt my therapy to suit the age and developmental level of my clients. This means that you will often see me bringing in games and crafts for children, and hear the sounds of laughter emanating from my therapy room. After all, in the school of life sometimes we need to maintain a sense of playfulness to help us work through the tough stuff!
David Berka,
Registered Psychologist
David is a compassionate and dedicated Psychologist with expertise in collaboratively working with children, adolescents, and adults to navigate a diverse range of mental health concerns. He closely engages with individuals and their families to address a broad spectrum of challenges, including mood and anxiety issues, stress and adjustment difficulties, relationship struggles, trauma, self-compassion issues, challenges related to body image, and providing support for neurodivergent individuals, such as those with Autism and ADHD.
David's approach is marked by warmth and a non-judgmental stance, ensuring that those under his care not only feel heard but also valued and understood. Employing an integrative method, he draws from a diverse range of evidence-based therapeutic frameworks, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Person Centered Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness. This comprehensive approach allows David to tailor his strategies to the unique needs and circumstances of each individual.
David has availability for individual therapy, assessment and offers both on-site and off-site appointments.
