Meet the ISPA Board

The ISPA Board is a team of dedicated people who seek to promote the benefits of Strategic Psychotherapy to the world and provide ISPA members with a uniquely member-centric experience.

Kerry Bailey

President

Kerry Bailey founder and principal therapist of Sydney Hypno & The Functional Mind Coaching Clinic has a broad range of experience and skills acquired over decades spent in many caring and business fields.

This wide platform of expertise is what Kerry brings to her work as a dedicated, caring and results oriented therapist and coach for her clients, and to her role as a qualified trainer.
Kerry has spent decades serving in both business and people management, including as a General Manager for several successful start-up companies and had also worked in small business practices, right through to corporate roles also including, Sales and Marketing management, Business and IT Solutions Analysis, Project Management plus several of her own continuing, successful businesses created over the last 14 plus years.

Kerry brings this knowledge and skillsets from across many fields into her role as a therapist, navigating new and powerful solution-based processes and patterns for positive, long lasting change for clients who seek assistance with their issues, helping clients to get unstuck and stop struggling.

The probability of positive change is significantly greater when you get a coach &/or therapist who can help you hone and enhance your mental, emotional and physical processes. High achievers know to engage coaches for far better outcomes.

Kerry has been an active practitioner and master of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) for over 25 years and has trained at the Institute of Applied Psychology (IAP) in Strategic Hypnosis with the creator of the Gordian Pillars of Psychotherapy - Gordon Young who is an internationally recognized name in the world of NLP and Hypnotherapy along with other luminaries in their fields such as Michael Yapko and Steven Gilligan as continued professional development training is a focused pursuit for Kerry.

Kerry understands the stresses of modern life, and how to help people stop struggling and start enjoying life more. Through the therapeutic process of guiding clients to more skilfully utilise better strategies and processes that will serve them better, clients soon understand how to improve thoughts, communication and even play, for better outcomes in all aspects of their lives.

Kerry is passionate about the work that she does and loves helping people to transform their relationships, their work, and their performance, in fact, improve everything for the better.
Kerry’s Clinical Hypnotherapy and Strategic Psychotherapy practice is available through online telehealth apps, (sessions Australia Wide and Internationally).

When logistics and conditions are appropriate – there are also client rooms in Sydney’s Inner West, and some sessions can be arranged both ‘In Home’ or ‘In Office’ environments, due to the fact that Kerry works with individuals, couples, families and business clients and their teams to assist with relational dynamics that can improve communications and performance.

Kerry Bailey has a Diploma of Clinical Hypnosis and Strategic Psychotherapy 10450NAT, a Diploma of NLP Leadership and Strategic Coaching, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment amongst other qualifications and was invited to join the faculty of IAP - the Institute of Applied Psychology in 2020

Ulrika Wolf, online clinical hypnotherapist and strategic psychotherapist

Ulrika Wolf

Treasurer

Ulrika Wolf is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Strategic Psychotherapist, Treasurer of the International Strategic Psychotherapists Association (ISPA) and Board Member of the Hypnotherapy Council of Australia (HCA). She brings a unique combination of financial leadership, governance experience and behavioural change expertise to her work, helping individuals build resilience, improve wellbeing and create meaningful, lasting change.

Prior to entering the mental health profession, Ulrika built a distinguished career in finance, education and organisational leadership. Holding a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Applied Finance, she has over a decade of experience leading capital raising initiatives, financial systems, education programs and organisational strategy. Her achievements include recognition as a Director of the Year Finalist in the National Women in Finance Awards and Entrepreneur of the Year at the Western Sydney Women’s Awards.

Ulrika's passion for education, personal development and human potential has been a consistent thread throughout her career. She has developed and delivered programs for the TAFE Women in Business Program, reaching more than 16,000 participants, served as Executive Director of the Women's Commercial Finance Forum supporting a community of more than 1,000 members, and co-founded Get Commercial with Us, where she developed and delivered specialist education programs in commercial finance and private lending. She has also provided governance support as a Board Advisor to organisations focused on entrepreneurship and growth.

Today, Ulrika is the Director of Executive Mind Studio, where she works with creators, business owners, professionals and executives seeking to improve performance, resilience, decision-making and personal effectiveness. She also operates The Online Hypnotherapist, a public-facing clinical practice providing online hypnotherapy and strategic psychotherapy services to clients across Australia.

Through her work, Ulrika helps people navigate anxiety, stress, overthinking, sleep difficulties, unwanted habits, confidence challenges and major life transitions. Drawing on both professional training and lived experience overcoming adversity, she is committed to helping people develop practical psychological skills that support long-term wellbeing, resilience and meaningful personal growth.

In addition to her clinical work, Ulrika contributes to the profession through her governance roles with ISPA and HCA, supporting high professional standards, practitioner development and the continued advancement of strategic psychotherapy and hypnotherapy in Australia.

As Treasurer of ISPA, Ulrika is focused on maintaining the organisation's financial integrity, transparency and long-term sustainability. She brings a structured, collaborative and forward-thinking approach to governance, supporting ISPA's mission to empower practitioners, advance strategic psychotherapy and positively impact the mental health community.

Rachel Laverick

ISPA Membership

Mia Dalessandro ISPA Board Member

Mia Dalessandro

Co-Secretary

Mia is the owner of the Road Hypnotherapy and Health Services. Her philosophy is to create an environment where various approaches can collaborate to help client's manage their problem space.

Mia's background is in financial services. Rather than look at traditional avenues to improve as a manager, she turned to strategic psychotherapy - and a whole new language and approach opened up. In her management role, she learned the importance good strategies and processes play in achieving success - and the same approach can be applied to life, so clients can strive and thrive.

She holds a Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis & Strategic Psychotherapy, Certified NLP Coaching and Gut Directed Hypnosis Certification

Philippa Bennet

Board Member

Pip Bennett is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Strategic Psychotherapist, Positive Psychology Coach, Neuroscience Coach, Transitions Coach, Menopause Coach, ADHD Coach, teacher, trainer and assessor.

She holds a BA/BTeach and trained in Clinical Hypnotherapy and Strategic Psychotherapy through the Institute of Applied Psychology where she also works as a trainer and assessor. Pip’s professional background brings together education, coaching, therapeutic practice and applied neuroscience, with a strong focus on supporting people through significant life transitions.

Her work is grounded in the understanding that transitions - both chosen and unexpected - are potent moments of possibility. Rather than simply ‘battening down the hatches’ or repeating familiar survival strategies Pip is interested in how individuals can consciously engage with change, interrupt old patterns and create different outcomes.

This lens informs her work across menopause, ADHD, relationships, identity, career, confidence and personal change. Her interest is not only in the transition itself, but in how it reshapes a person’s relationships, choices, dreams, work and sense of self.

As a board member of the International Strategic Psychotherapy Association, Pip’s primary focus is on supporting coaches and practitioners through high-quality, ICF-aligned training and professional development.

Gin Maher

Gin Maher

Board Member

Meet Our Advisory Board

The ISPA Advisory Board brings together over 150 years of experience in business and therapy. The Advisory Board supports the elected board by bringing this vast depth of experience to the table.

Peter McGuire ISPA Advisory Board Member - Business

Peter Macquire

ISPA Advisory Board Member - Business

Peter McGuire is Chief Executive Officer of XM Australia and is a responsible manager on the firm’s Australian Financial Services License. He comes to XM with over 20 years’ experience from the financial services industry and real estate market. Peter is responsible for representing XM as a regular commentator on some of the world’s leading media including Bloomberg, CNBC and Sky TV on a weekly basis where he connects via Sydney, where he resides.

Peter graduated with an Executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Technology Sydney. He holds a Graduate Certificate of Commerce / Risk Management from the University of New South Wales and also is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program, from The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Peter is a proven communicator, conference and media presenter for the financial services industry and has presented over the years to audiences in Manila, Sydney, Singapore, Tokyo, Mumbai, Berlin, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.

With global markets operating 24 hours a day, Peter can work across numerous time zones due to Australia’s geographic location and the Asia - Pacific business day.

Mike Conway ISPA Advisory Board Member - Coaching

Mike Conway

ISPA Advisory Board Member - Coaching

Mike is the Founder and CEO of XVenture, a unique learning, leadership and media group. TV
Director, writer, business leader, clinician and mental coach to elite sports stars, senior executives
and entertainers.
Mike is also currently the Emotional Agility and Mind Coach for the Australian National Soccer team,
(the Socceroos) and Technical Director for the Tottenham Hotspur/UOW Global football program.
He has been appointed honorary professor at University of Wollongong in recognition of his work in
the areas of emotional agility, resilience and leadership. His latest research relates to
communications and language in elite sport.
He was the Emotional Agility, Resilience and Mind Coach for the championship winning Sydney FC Aleague
team from 2017-2019. This work translated into working with many of Australia’s national
team players individually including EPL goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, Trent Sainsbury, Awer Mabil, Matt
Jurman and Matilda, Amy Harrison.
He has written and directed three tv series, now on to his 4th and numerous documentaries.
Prior to establishing XVenture, Mike’s global career has seen him work as a strategist, leader and
consultant at executive level with Deloitte, EY, Standards Australia, The Wiggles Pty Ltd and holding
Board positions Central Coast Mariners and Australian Children’s Music Foundation.
Mike’s qualifications include: BA Hons Pub Admin (health) (UK) Diploma in Health Services
Management (UK). MBA (UK) Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis and Strategic Psychotherapy. Certified
Member of the Australian Human Resources Institute. CBT Beck Inst USA. His health and clinical
memberships include: Member of the Australasian Society of Behavioural Health and Medicine;
Member of the Australian Hypnotherapy Association; Member of Institute of Positive Psychology
Association; Member of Australasian Neuroscience Society. He is also a member of the International Society for Psychotherapy Research.
Amanda Dounis ISPA Advisory Board Member - Building Practice

Amanda Dounis

ISPA Advisory Board Member - Building Practice

Amanda Dounis is the Director and Founder of four Early Learning Education Centres
located in Sydney. She is also the Founder of The Positive Thinking Clinic ( Private
Practice: Strategic Psychotherapy: Clinical Hypnotherapy : Master NLP : and Professional
Counselling).
In private practice Amanda consults with individuals, couples and families, offering
services for children, teens, and adults. Amanda is also a professional supervisor, author
and course creator.
Credentials
Bachelor of Counselling
Bachelor of Science (in Psychology)
Bachelor of Teaching (0-5)
Diploma Clinical Hypnotherapy and Strategic Psychotherapy
Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming
Sally Tiltman ISPA Advisory Board Member

Sally Tiltman

ISPA Advisory Board Member

Sally Tiltman is the Executive Director and Digital Transformation Consultant at Tiltman Coaching.

Sally is recognised as a change leader having led digital transformation across organisations impacting 45,000 employees. Sally is respected for her passionate, curious, and innovative ways of working. Sally is sought after by executive teams who want to partner with a truth talker to achieve digital transformation that takes a people-first approach.

Richard Hill ISPA Advisory Board Member - Research

Richard Hill

ISPA Advisory Board Member - Research

Richard Hill, MA, MEd, MBMSc, is a practicing psychotherapist, author, educator, and professional supervisor. He is Science Director for CIPPS in Salerno, Italy; Clinical Science Director and Managing Editor for The Science of Psychotherapy; and resident therapist at The Davis Health Centre in Sydney, Australia. He is co-author with Ernest Rossi, PhD, of The Practitioner’s Guide to Mirroring Hands (Crown House, 2017), and with Matthew Dahlitz of The Practitioner’s Guide to the Science of Psychotherapy (Norton, 2022). He is Patron of The Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists and Past-president of the Global Association of Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies (GAINS). He is the author of several other books and book chapters. More information can be found at www.richardhill.com.au and www.thescienceofpsychotherapy.com
Dr Bill Herfel ISPA Advisory Board Member - Ethics

Dr William Herfel

Ispa Advisory Board Member - Ethics

Dr Bill Herfel is a philosopher of science and technology interested in the study of complex and chaotic dynamics wherever it is found. He co-edited a book, Theories and Models in Scientific Processes, and he has published articles on a wide range of topics including the dynamics of the scientific process, the role economic dynamics in technological development, complex systems ecology, academic integrity, and the complex dynamic foundations of Chinese medicine.

Currently, he coordinates a critical thinking course playing a foundational role in the biomedical sciences major at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He has lectured extensively in Asia, Europe and North America. He coordinated a course in the PSB engineering program in Singapore and delivered more than two dozen lectures in universities, hospitals and research institutes in China, whilst maintaining a close research relationship with several Chinese research institutions, including the prestigious China Academy for Chinese Medical Science in Beijing.

He has supervised postgraduate students at PhD and Honours levels. He has taught across a wide range of the philosophy curriculum, including the philosophy of science and technology, social dynamics of science, philosophy of psychology, philosophy of sex and sexuality, engineering ethics, social work ethics, business ethics, Chinese philosophy and the philosophies of Marx, Nietzsche and Foucault.

He believes that the IAP is at the leading edge of personal development and the approach to applied psychology pursued under the leadership of Gordon Young at the IAP will be the next big development, following on from CBT and ACT, in fostering mental health in the community. This made the offer to join the faculty very appealing, and Bill is currently developing courses and pursuing research for the IAP.