Mai Pham

Director

Originally completing a Master of Accounting and Finance overseas, Mai embarked on a journey, both physically and figuratively, when she emigrated to Australia in 2011.
Her education and work background to that point had not been the traditional allied health model, but her life journey, including the presence of both Autism and Down Syndrome in her extended family, led her and her heart to the health sector - and that is where the story of First Choice Allied Health begins.

Mai’s innately positive personality and willingness to take on challenges saw her grow a small podiatry-based practice into a progressive clinic, providing the highest level of care to a diverse group of patients. Originally based in Footscray, the clinic relocated to Ascot Vale in 2023 after Mai realised her dream to create a large, custom-designed and cutting-edge clinic where Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and Psychology could work collaboratively to achieve client goals. The podiatry and massage arms of First Choice remained in Footscray, under the diligent care of Mai’s protégé, Zoe Do.Guided by the principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance, Mai leads an amazing team of highly trained professionals in an inclusive environment where staff, patients and their families feel at ease, and everyone can soar and reach their full potential.

Mai’s unquenchable desire to help individuals living with challenges has seen her commence a Master of OT in 2022, so that she can support clients directly to gain independence and feel part of their community.

In her spare time Mai practices Falun Gong meditation and credits this pursuit as one of the keys to her success. In true Mai-style she has managed to tie this in with her other passion of community work and currently arranges free Falun Gong meditation workshops to the community.

Melissa Monsted

Senior Speech and Language Pathologist / Allied Health Team Leader

Melissa is passionate about her work and helping to make functional changes to her client’s lives. She enjoys providing a fun environment and integrating sensory input to help clients get the most out of their sessions. She takes a holistic family-centred approach, and works collaboratively with caregivers, and other professionals to ensure consistent input across all environments.

Melissa completed her Masters of Speech and Language Pathology at Macquarie University. She is registered with Speech Pathology Australia and has also practiced in the UK, US, and in Singapore.

Melissa has worked extensively with children with speech, fluency, and language disorders, children with dysphagia, and fussy eaters, children with disabilities, down syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder. She has also worked with adults with disabilities.

Melissa is enthusiastic about ongoing professional development. She is trained in the SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) and the Get Permission Approaches to Feeding, the ReST program, the Nuffield program, and DTTC for working with children with childhood apraxia of speech, Hanen: It Takes Two to Talk, More Than Words, and Talkability programs, the Lidcombe Program, she has trained as a Key Word Sign presenter, and is extensively experienced in low-tech and high-tech AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) including Proloquo2Go and PECS. Melissa holds the skills to effectively use a variety of assessment tools, including the ADOS-2 to conduct thorough assessments for autism. In situations requiring a multidisciplinary approach, the allied health team leaders can deliver comprehensive assessments.

Melissa loves cooking and travelling and spending time with her friends and family.

Richard Zhang

Psychology Team Leader

Richard is endorsed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) to hold full registration as a psychologist and a board-approved supervisor. He has extensive experience as a psychologist within a multi-disciplinary team, providing high-level psychology support services to school-age students covering primary, secondary and special schools. 

He completed a Master’s degree in Educational and Developmental Psychology at The University of Melbourne and is currently undertaking a registrar program for endorsement. He also had experience in a clinical and forensic setting where he provided individual and group therapy to clients with clinically diagnosable and often additional psychological issues, including adjustment and transition difficulties and family, social and relationship issues. 

Over the past years, Richard worked in the trauma and NDIS space, providing assessment, treatment, consultation, and professional reports. He is particularly interested in working with a diverse range of children and young people on equally diverse subjects. Richard has significant experience in providing support, counseling and advocacy to children and young adults in extreme circumstances and worked closely with those involved in their care.  Richard holds the skill to effectively use a suite of assessment tools, such as the ADOS-2 and MIGDAS to conduct thorough evaluations for autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. In situations requiring a multidisciplinary approach, the allied health team leaders can deliver comprehensive assessments.

Richard uses an eclectic approach blended with a trauma-informed lens. His Master’s degree also gave him a strong background in providing educational, psychological, and neurodevelopmental assessments. Richard enjoys rock climbing, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends in his spare time.

Natcha Limpianunchai

Psychologist

Natcha is passionate about supporting young people and their families to develop self-understanding and to reach their full potential. She completed a Master of Professional Psychology from Monash University, followed by extensive experience working with children and teenagers in both therapeutic and diagnostic assessment capacity. 

She is particularly interested in neurodiversity (differences in the brain), such as Autism and ADHD. She works from a neuro-divergent affirming approach, viewing differences in the brain as natural variations rather than medical conditions. There might be stigma associated with assessments as putting a label on someone, however Natcha believes that everyone has their areas of strengths and areas of development, and assessments simply help us to discover them and give them a name if needed, to promote understanding, communication, and support.  

Natcha currently works at First Choice Allied Health for assessment services for children and teenagers only (Autism, ADHD, cognitive assessments). 

Outside of her assessment work, Natcha sees teen and adult clients for counselling through her own practice, Journey and Thrive Psychology. 

Tina Dang

Assistant Office Manager

Tina has over 10 years’ experience working in Human Resources and Administration Departments. She loves organisation and is keen to take on responsibility for all the operational and general administration functions of the office, quality review and client satisfaction. Graduated in Master of Human Resource Management, Tina is passionate about increasing influence on others to leverage performance and positive results.

Tina enjoys walking to keep fit, and loves travelling.

Tingting Wang

Senior Occupational Therapist

Ting is a dedicated Occupational Therapist with a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy Practice from Monash University, Australia. She takes a holistic, client-centred, and family-centred approach to therapy, working closely with clients and relevant stakeholders to support them to overcome challenges and achieve goals that are meaningful to each individual and family. Ting is guided by a strengths-based and neuro-affirming approach, empowering each client to build on their functional capacity and thrive in their everyday lives.

Ting has a strong foundation in the key worker model and is fluent in both English and Mandarin. Ting is skilled in connecting with clients from diverse backgrounds, ensuring that every session is inclusive, culturally sensitive, and supportive. She provides comprehensive Occupational Therapy assessments to support funding applications for kindergartens, schools, and NDIS. She always tailors her approach, modifies the environment and the occupation, to meet the unique needs of each client and their family.

Ting is committed to ongoing professional growth and continually seeks to expand her expertise. She has completed a range of specialised trainings, including ADOS assessment, Dunn’s Sensory Processing Framework, the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach, Teacher Talk Training (The Hanen Centre), Handwriting Without Tears, Traffic Jam in My Brain, DIR Floortime, etc.

Outside of work, Ting enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog and practicing dance, embracing the balance between a fulfilling career and personal passions.

Carla Martinez Paredes

Paediatric Occupational Therapist

Carla is an enthusiastic and experienced Paediatric Occupational Therapist, who is passionate to help children and their families to achieve their goals. Carla has vast experience working in early intervention, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and sensory processing challenges.

Carla completed her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaiso, Chile in 2013. She has then finalised her skill assessment in Australia and is a registered practitioner with AHPRA.

Carla’s experience includes 3+ years working in a special school in Chile, assessing the children’s needs and tailoring treatment plans for them, as well as giving home and school recommendations. She also has 2+ years working in a private practice in Melbourne, working with NDIS caseload and early intervention programs.

Carla’s approach to therapy is play-based, strength-based and holistic, focusing on having fun while learning, enhancing the child’s strengths and supporting the client’s family in the therapy journey.

When Carla is not at work, she enjoys listening to music, dancing, singing and cooking. She also likes to practice some yoga, boxing and play board games.

Phoebe Chan

Occupational Therapist

Phoebe is an experienced and passionate paediatric occupational therapist from the Philippines, and recently received her registration from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Phoebe completed her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Santo Tomas in 2018 and has been practising in paediatrics since then. She is also certified in Developmental Play since 2019. She has already accomplished units in Master of Rehabilitation Science at the University of the Philippines-Manila. Phoebe still hopes that she will be able to contribute to the progress of paediatric practice in her hometown while living in Australia as she believes the value of occupational therapy in community and societal development is beyond geographic and cultural boundaries.

Phoebe has extensive experience working in a special education school and in a private paediatric therapy clinic in the Philippines. She has been working with children across different ages, from infancy to adolescents. She actively collaborates with families and teachers in creating individualized education plans and home instruction programs to ensure that goals and strategies are tailored to the needs of the children and their context.

Phoebe adopts a play-based approach, holistic approach, and family-centred approach. She values creating a safe space for learning and play, and at the same time, the roles, preferences, wellbeing of families in child development. 

Outside of work, Phoebe enjoys listening to music, watching films, and solo traveling.

Piyumi Gunasekara

Occupational Therapist

Piyumi graduated from the Swinburne University of Technology with a Master of Occupational Therapy and Bachelor of Health Science. Piyumi highly values practising person over patient care and is passionate about assisting people to overcome challenges in their daily activities. Piyumi’s kind, patient, empathetic approach and active listening skills have enabled her to build trusting therapeutic relationships with her clients and their families.

Piyumi has clinical placement and work experience working across the life span and providing services such as modifying environments, prescribing assistive aids and equipment, adapting tasks, and providing techniques and strategies to maximise her clients’ autonomy and quality of life. She strives to tailor her services according to the client’s needs, wants and interests while ensuring every session is interactive and enjoyable. She is multilingual and has the capacity to provide services in English, Sinhala, and Hindi. Piyumi also recognises the importance of evidence-based service provision and continues to improve her practice by engaging in continuous professional development.

Outside work, Piyumi enjoys baking and sharing her freshly baked goodies with family and friends. She loves caring for plants and grows succulents as a hobby.

Currently Piyumi is on a Career Break

Lucy Rhodes

Speech Pathologist

Lucy is an energetic and passionate speech therapist working with people across the lifespan to achieve their communication goals. In her work with children, Lucy takes a play-based and child centred approach to therapy, creating a safe and welcoming environment for her clients and families.

Lucy completed her Bachelor of Speech Pathology at Australian Catholic University and is a registered practitioner with Speech Pathology Australia.

Lucy has experience working in a variety of areas including, early intervention, literacy, language, stuttering, social communication and augmentative and alternative communication. She is confident in working with a variety of populations from 2-80 years old including those with autism, down syndrome, intellectual disability, global development delay, auditory processing disorder and more.

Lucy is a keen advocate of life-long learning and has completed a range of professional development including, the Hanen More than Words program, DIRFloortime 101, LAMP Words for Life training, the Derbyshire Language Scheme, and courses on Dyspraxia and ADHD.

Lucy enjoys bushwalking, camping and hosting dinner parties for her friends and family.

Chloe Vuong

Speech Pathologist

Chloe is a dedicated graduate Speech Pathologist committed to providing comprehensive care tailored specifically to each client’s needs. She prioritises building trusting relationships with her clients and their families to foster collaboration throughout their therapeutic journey.

Chloe completed her Master of Speech Pathology at The University of Melbourne and is a registered practitioner with Speech Pathology Australia. From her degree, she has experience in areas including early intervention, literacy, language, speech, swallowing, augmentative and alternative communication, and fluency. Chloe has experience working across the lifespan with populations from 2 to 80 years old, including individuals with autism, intellectual disability, global development delay, and the TBI community.

Chloe is a passionate lifelong learner and strives to continually upskill herself to provide the best evidence-based care to her clients.

Chloe enjoys reading, crocheting, and walks on sunny days during her spare time.

Miza Marzuki

Speech Pathologist

Miza is an experienced and compassionate Speech Pathologist who possesses a profound interest and passion for working with adolescents and adults. She excels in supporting clients from diverse backgrounds, particularly focusing on language and social communication, which are her main areas of expertise.

With extensive experience working with clients from various backgrounds, including those with disabilities, neurodiversity, and cultural and linguistic diversity, Miza is dedicated to delivering personalized therapy that accentuates each client’s strengths while advocating for inclusive environments that uplift and empower individuals. Grounded in her core values of client-centered care and fostering supportive therapeutic relationships, Miza approaches her work with compassion and empathy.

Committed to lifelong learning to better support her clients, Miza engages in professional development activities such as trauma-informed care training, mental health first aid training, Pearson Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-III) training, and courses on neurodiverse affirming practices, Autism, and ADHD.
In her downtime, Miza finds solace in reading and sets ambitious reading challenges each year to further fuel her passion."

Hanan Mohamed

Administration Assistant

Hanan is a valuable new member of our First Choice Administration team, bringing with her a wealth of experience from various administrative roles. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Melbourne and is currently pursuing her honours degree at Monash University. Her most recent position was with the Australian Defence Force, where she worked as a Psychology Examiner, providing support to ADF psychologists and gaining valuable insights from them.

From a young age, Hanan has been deeply passionate about studying the human mind and aspires to become a Clinical Psychologist in the future. She thrives on problem-solving and cherishes social interactions. In her leisure time, Hanan enjoys spending quality moments with friends and family.

Janice Tseng

Speech Pathologist

Janice is a graduate Speech Pathologist dedicated to delivering comprehensive and integrated speech pathology services tailored to the individualised needs of each client and their family. She is passionate about empowering clients to thrive through improved communication skills andswallowing function. She believes that fostering reciprocal trust and close collaboration withclients and their families is essential throughout their therapy journey.

Janice completed her Master of Speech Pathology from the University of Melbourne and is acertified practicing member of Speech Pathology Australia. Her overseas clinical experiences,combined with her graduate studies in Melbourne, have consolidated her ability to providespeech pathology services across the lifespan to diverse populations, including individuals withautism spectrum disorder, developmental delays, stroke, traumatic brain injuries, and voiceconcerns. Her clinical expertise spans areas such as early intervention, language, speech, fluency, literacy, voice, and swallowing rehabilitation.

As a passionate lifelong learner, Janice is committed to continuous professional development, striving to deliver the best evidence-based care for her clients. In her downtime, Janice enjoys travelling, swimming, and exploring different adventure sports.