Meet the Team
We exist to revolutionise mental health across Australia through access to exceptional mental health care and education.
Jace is a leading clinical psychologist, trauma specialist, mental health innovator and co-founder of Birchtree Group.
She has worked as a clinician across private and public health settings. Her work has included treatment of eating disorders, acute and general psychiatry and bereavement services.
Jace initially trained as a Registered Nurse and worked primarily in mental health and treatment programs for drug and alcohol addiction. Prior to opening Birchtree, Jace worked for 14 years as a psychologist within drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres, where she designed and co-ordinated a six-week residential rehabilitation program, with a focus on the treatment of complex trauma for women with histories of substance dependence.
She has completed intensive Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) training and subsequently co-ordinated the implementation of a 12 month out-patient DBT program. Jace has developed and delivered education programs to health services, NGO’s, professional colleagues, and lectured at the University of Sydney, UNSW and UTS within the postgraduate Clinical Psychology programs.
In 2018, Jace co-founded Birchtree Foundation as a charity in response to recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, to address the inequity in the availability of treatment services in rural and regional Australia.
Jace doesn’t accept the status quo and is loudly determined to (courageously) improve Australia’s mental health for the benefit of all. Innately a collaborator and connector, Jace invites others to join forces with the Birchtree team in reshaping Australia’s mental health system.
Qualifications:
- Masters of Clinical Psychology (University of New South Wales)
- Bachelor of Science (Psychology) (Hons) (University of New South Wales)
- Bachelor of Nursing (University of Technology, Sydney)
Professional Memberships:
- Australian Psychological Society
Sophie is a leading clinical psychologist, trauma specialist, mental health innovator and co-founder of Birchtree Group.
Sophie has over 20 years of clinical experience. She holds a Masters of Clinical Psychology and a PhD in Child and Adolescent Psychology.
Understanding families, relationships and the day-to-day challenges of both growing up and raising children underpin her clinical work. A passion for child advocacy has led Sophie to focus her clinical work on helping people heal from the trauma of childhood difficulties and trauma and to assist people to become a more peaceful integrated self and return to the person they were born to be.
In her work with parents and couples, Sophie seeks to support adults to interrupt the intergenerational impact of childhood trauma. Sophie has extensive experience working with adults, children and adolescents, parents and families at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, with Sydney’s homeless community, school communities, and in private practice. Sophie specialises in helping both individuals and families to recover from trauma, anxiety and depression, eating disorders, grief and loss, addictions, relationship issues, workplace and childhood bullying, and childhood illnesses.
Together with Jace Cannon-Brookes, Sophie co-founded Birchtree Centre in 2015 to address the pressing need to provide a place for adult survivors of childhood trauma to be welcome, held and heal. Sophie is a passionate educator and runs regular workshops and training for clinicians and allied health professionals on complex trauma. She co-founded Birchtree Foundation in 2018 to provide trauma support and care to regional communities and to conduct cutting edge research to impact and interrupt the outcomes of childhood trauma.
Qualifications:
- PhD (University New South Wales)
- Masters Clinical Psychology (University of Melbourne)
- Bachelor Science (Psychology), Hons 1 (University New South Wales)
Professional Memberships:
- Australian Psychological Society
- Australian Clinical Psychology Association
- Australian Health Practitioners’ Registration Agency – Clinical Psychology Endorsement
Sinclair is an experienced executive leader with a deep commitment to mental health and social justice.
He has held several trusted executive leadership roles across financial services, property and construction sectors. During his time at Westpac Banking Corporation, Sinclair was CEO of the Westpac Foundation, CEO of the Davidson Institute, Head of Self-Managed Superannuation Funds, General Manager of Business Banking (NSW/ACT), and was a long-term media spokesperson for the bank.
Sinclair pioneered and led Westpac’s strategic alliance with Many Rivers Microfinance – one of Australia’s leading social enterprises. He is an experienced commercial banker and lawyer by training. Sinclair is also an experienced board member and advisor.
Sinclair has worked closely with Birchtree’s co-founders, Jace Cannon-Brookes and Dr Sophie Reid, since 2018. He helped establish Birchtree Foundation and was the founding Chair.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Laws (University of Technology Sydney)
- Graduate Certificate of Legal Practice (University of Technology Sydney)
- Certificate of Executive Leadership (University New South Wales / AGSM)
Directorships:
- Many Rivers Microfinance Ltd
- UTS Haberfield Rowing Club Ltd
David was a Major General in the Australian Army, retiring in 2019 after serving in Australia and abroad for 36 years. Having witnessed first-hand the impacts of trauma and the profound effects on survivors, their families, and communities, David is determined to deliver meaningful and sustainable change.
Following his retirement, David was appointed through 2020 as the Senior Advisor (Defence Reform) to the Minister of Defence. He commenced providing strategic advice to corporate clients in early 2021, before joining the National COVID-19 Vaccination Taskforce as the national lead for vaccination rollout to Australia’s disability sector and aged care workers. Today he runs his own small business and is appointed as a Director on the Board of the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation, and as an independent advisor to the Birdon Advisory Board.
With specialisation in logistics and a nearly a decade in senior military command appointments, David has deep experience in service delivery, commercial contracting, governance and risk management, complemented by high-level expertise in cultural and organisational change, reputation management, and managing relationships with Ministers, Government and regulatory agencies.
David joined the board in December 2018.
Directorships:
- Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation
Qualifications:
- Masters of Engineering (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University)
- Masters of Defence Studies (University of Canberra)
- Graduate Diploma of Strategic Studies (Australian Defence College)
- Post Graduate Diploma of Transportation Planning and Management (Cranfield University, United Kingdom)
- Bachelor of Professional Studies (University of New England)
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Sarah is a business and marketing executive whose career has spanned Financial Services, Management Consulting and Technology for the past 20 years.
She has held management positions at ANZ, Bankers Trust, Zurich Financial Services and Westpac. She made the transition to Technology in 2007 by joining Red Ant Design where she continues to hold a Business Management position. Sarah is passionate about providing all Australians who are experiencing the effects of complex trauma the chance to thrive.
Sarah joined the board in 2018.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Business (International Marketing) (UTS)
Chief Executive, Northern Sydney Local Health District
Former CEO, St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney
Professor and Director at Matilda Centre, University of Sydney
Former National Mental Health Commissioner
Former Royal Commissioner Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Former Queensland Police Commissioner
Acclaimed Trauma Psychiatrist
Senior Banking Executive & Board member
Phd Organisational Psychology
Former Major General in the Australian Army
Board Governance Experience
Strategy & Corporate Advisory
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Psychotherapist & Educator
World leading coach & Educator
Eight-time Olympic rowing coach
Australian Sports Hall of Fame inductee
Founder of Modern People
Modern leadership development & cultural change
MBChB, FRACGP, Dip Trop Med, Dip Child Health, Cert Family Planning
Conjoint lecturer at University of New South Wales Medical School