Meet Melissa Freestun (Psychologist)
Your Compassionate Guide Through Life’s Challenges
I'm a psychologist and the principal of Self Psychology, a private psychology practice based in Townsville, Queensland. I work with children, adolescents and adults, with a particular clinical and research interest in perinatal mental health, psychological birth trauma, trauma-informed care, attachment, neurodivergence, and emotionally safe therapeutic relationships.
My therapeutic style is warm, respectful and collaborative. I aim to create a space where people feel able to speak honestly, slow things down, and make sense of their experiences without shame or judgement.
My work is grounded in evidence-informed practice but healing is also deeply relational. Feeling safe and understood matters.
Clinical areas of focus
Melissa works with clients across a range of areas, including:
Perinatal mental health
Psychological birth trauma
Pregnancy-related distress and adjustment to parenthood
Anxiety, depression and adjustment difficulties
Trauma and posttraumatic distress
Grief and loss
Parenting and attachment-related concerns
Child and adolescent emotional wellbeing
Relationship and interpersonal difficulties
Work stress, burnout and vicarious trauma
Autism, ADHD and neurodivergence
Cognitive, functional and NDIS-related assessments
Self-harm and suicidality
Life transitions and identity-related concerns
EMDR for children, teens and adults
Qualifications and professional background
I graduated from James Cook University and have worked in private practice since 2009. I hold a Master of Clinical Leadership from the University of Tasmania and a Master of Suicidology from Griffith University, along with postgraduate qualifications in Psychology and Child Protection Practice.
I've worked across private practice, primary healthcare, disability, child protection, youth mental health, suicide postvention, and organisational wellbeing. My previous roles have included senior and executive leadership positions with the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network and the National Disability Insurance Agency, as well as local, state and national roles across mental health, child safety and community services.
This broader systems experience informs my clinical work, particularly when supporting clients who are also navigating healthcare, disability, education, family law, workplace, or support systems.
I'm a Board-approved supervisor and provide supervision to provisional psychologists, psychologists and professionals working across health, allied health, social services and related fields. I also offer clinical consultation, professional coaching and leadership coaching, drawing on my experience across psychology, healthcare leadership and community services.
Working with Melissa
My approach is thoughtful, steady and relational. Sessions may involve practical strategies, reflective conversation, psychoeducation, trauma-informed therapy, parenting support, assessment, or careful exploration of patterns that have become painful or difficult.
I draw on a range of evidence-informed therapeutic approaches and tailor treatment to each person's needs, goals, developmental stage and circumstances.
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Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) for children, adolescents and adults
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Schema Therapy
Narrative Therapy
Mindfulness-based approaches
Play Therapy
Theraplay®
Attachment-informed and trauma-informed approaches
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Circle of Security® Parenting
1-2-3 Magic® Parenting
Research and professional contribution
I'm currently completing a PhD through James Cook University, focused on psychological birth trauma and adult attachment styles. My research explores how attachment patterns may shape women's experiences of childbirth, trauma symptoms, birth satisfaction, and relational safety within maternity care.
My broader professional work includes contributions to perinatal mental health, birth trauma awareness, disaster response, primary healthcare commissioning, and psychologically informed service development.
Professional memberships
Full member, Australian Psychological Society (MAPS)
Full member, Australian Association of Psychologists Incorporated (MAAPi)
Committees and advisory roles
Australian Psychological Society Disaster Response Network
Australian Psychological Society Perinatal and Infant Psychology Interest Group clinical committee
Queensland Health Birth Trauma Working Group
Living Evidence for Australian Pregnancy and Postnatal Care Guidelines project
ThinkNatal Steering Committee (GP Toolkit and Awareness project with Birth Trauma Australia)
Margaret Roderick Centre for Mental Health Research, James Cook University
No single therapeutic approach is right for everyone.
I work collaboratively with clients to develop an approach that is responsive
to their individual needs, strengths and goals.
The work is not about forcing change quickly. It's about understanding what has been happening, what has helped you survive, what may no longer be serving you, and what might support a more grounded way forward.