Meet The Team
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Allira Sazdanoff - Psychologist - Director
Allira Sazdanoff - Psychologist - Director
Allira is a registered psychologist, with an approach to therapy that is person-centred and holistic in nature, taking into account the many aspects of the human experience and the influences that shape us. Allira strives to create safety for her clients to explore their vulnerabilities and is passionate about supporting people to reduce suffering, live authentically, enhance curiosity, and achieve their goals. Allira endeavours to work collaboratively, and to provide psychological care that encompasses matters of the mind, and the somatic experiences of the body, while also considering relational health, and the impact of past influences and present-day experiences.
Allira has experience in assessing and providing therapeutic services to adolescents and adults with a diverse range of mental health conditions, and has a special interest in working with complex trauma presentations, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociation, anxiety, and attachment difficulties. Allira draws upon techniques from a range of modalities including:
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
Interpersonal Therapy
Therapies for Dissociative Processes
Mindfulness and Somatic Practices
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Taking a harm-minimisation approach, Allira also has an interest in supporting clients to integrate experiences with non-ordinary states of consciousness.
Please note: Allira does not advocate, encourage or endorse the use of illicit substances for any purposes, including recreational, self-guided or underground therapy.
Renee Bennett - Psychologist - Director
Renee Bennett - Psychologist - Director
Renee is a compassionate and approachable psychologist, known for her warm and friendly demeanour. Her primary focus is on fostering a secure and trusting environment in her therapeutic relationships, which enables a collaborative approach where she dedicates time to comprehending the unique requirements and aspirations of each individual.
Renee draws upon a diverse array of therapeutic techniques in her approach to care, including:
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
Neurofeedback
Mindfulness-based strategies
Interpersonal therapies
Renee tailors her approach to suit the distinct needs of her clients. Renee has expertise in offering therapeutic assessment and support to both adolescents and adults. She has experience with a variety of mental health disorders such as complex trauma, PTSD, dissociation, anxiety, attachment and interpersonal difficulties, as well as perinatal mental health. Renee also specialises in conducting assessments for Autism, ADHD, and learning disorders across all age groups, encompassing children, adolescents, and adults.
Renee is occasionally accompanied to the clinic by her pup Frankie, a 12-month-old Golden Retriever in training to become a therapy dog. Frankie is a lively, loving, affectionate and gentle boy. He loves running along the beach, playing with his brother, and ordering a Puppuccino at local Newcastle cafés.
Renae Yarnold - Psychologist
Renae Yarnold - Psychologist
Renae's books are now closed. Renae will be finishing up at Begin Again Therapy at the end of March 2026 to start her next chapter of motherhood. We wish Renae all the best.
Renae is a registered psychologist who is passionate about supporting people to heal from complex/developmental trauma experiences. Renae prioritises the therapeutic relationship and the relational health of clients, and works with children and adults. She is intentional in meeting people where they are at and deciding together where to go from there in therapy.
Renae works primarily with complex trauma presentations, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociative disorders, intellectual disabilities, and attachment difficulties. Renae uses the below modalities in her therapeutic approach:
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
Neurofeedback
Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT)
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) Level 1 and Level 2 Training
Safe and Sound Protocol
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Renae is phase one trained in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), and is able to complete trauma-informed psychological assessments and reports. Renae is a board-approved supervisor and is able to provide supervision to provisional psychologists on their pathway to gaining registration, and trauma-informed supervision to mental health professionals.
The Begin Again Collective
The Begin Again Collective
At Begin Again Therapy, we believe that a healing environment is enriched by a diversity of perspectives and specialised care. While we operate as a unified sanctuary for growth, our space also serves as a professional home for a dedicated collective of independent practitioners.
These allied health professionals and psychologists choose to run their own autonomous businesses from within our heritage building, sharing our commitment to emotional safety, connection, and trauma-informed care. While they operate independently, they are an integral part of our supportive ecosystem.
Below, you can learn more about these providers and the unique expertise they bring to our clinical community.
Emily Lewis | Omnia Lifestyle Psychology
Psychologist
Emily Lewis | Omnia Lifestyle Psychology
Psychologist
We are so pleased to welcome Emily Lewis to the Begin Again community! Emily will be practicing from our rooms every Tuesday starting March 31st, 2026, with plans to offer more days in the near future.
Emily’s practice, Omnia Lifestyle Psychology, is built on the belief that true wellness is found where mental and physical health meet. She is currently accepting referrals for in-person consultations and is eager to support individuals who are ready to explore a more holistic path to wellbeing.
Emily understands what it means to feel “stuck.” Over her years as a psychologist, she has met countless people who have done everything “right”. They have ticked the boxes they planned for their life: education, career, family; but still feel unfulfilled. It is this ‘stuck’ that Emily believes is holding people back from their true potential. Stuck in unhelpful habits and thinking patterns. Lost in their sense being. Emily is passionate about supporting people to move out of their Stuck and into their Expansiveness.
Born in England, Emily moved to Australia in 2016 and now calls Newcastle home. She holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Psychology and a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology and became a registered psychologist in Australia in 2019. Her clinical background is broad, spanning child, adolescent, and family therapy, community and inpatient adult mental health, psychiatric intensive care, disability and neurodivergence supports, substance recovery, and the criminal justice system. This depth of experience means she can meet clients where they are, whether in crisis, transition, or searching for purpose.
Emily is particularly passionate about Lifestyle Psychology, the understanding that mental and physical health are inseparable. Sleep, movement, nutrition, connection, and values are central to lasting wellbeing. She continues to study and apply these principles so her clients can access practical tools that create real, sustainable change.
Connect with Emily: We warmly encourage you to visit her website to explore her approach and see if she is the right fit for your journey.
Visit Website: omnialifestylepsychology.au
Enquiries: Contact Emily directly via her website or reach out to our team at admin@beginagaintherapy.com.au to have your details passed along.
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