
Hanisa Haizan
Senior Psychologist
Location: Brisbane / Online
I work with children, adolescents, adults, and families, including NDIS participants. I have a particular passion for supporting neurodivergent individuals and those navigating complex trauma.
I offer therapy services for the following:
- Challenges associated with Autism and ADHD
- Late diagnosis, including the impact of lifelong masking and burnout
- Identity, self-understanding, and self-compassion
- Complex trauma and attachment difficulties
- Anxiety and emotional dysregulation
- Depression and low mood
- EMDR (trauma-focused therapy)
- Schema Therapy
- Daily living skills for NDIS participants
- Caregiver and family support for neurodivergent individuals
Who would benefit from seeing you?
My clients come from a range of backgrounds and life stages — neurodivergent children, adolescents and adults, parents and families, and people living with disability or psychosocial challenges. Many are navigating ADHD or Autism, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, burnout and masking, trauma, grief and loss, relationship or family difficulties, identity and self-understanding, or significant life transitions. I particularly enjoy supporting people who are newly or late diagnosed, those who've spent much of their lives masking or adapting to meet expectations, and NDIS participants building daily living skills, relationships, and greater independence — as well as caregivers and families supporting neurodivergent loved ones.
What has your psychology journey looked like?
I hold a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Nottingham, Malaysia, and a Master of Counselling from the University of Queensland. My background spans forensic settings — supporting adults in the corrections system through trauma, mental health challenges, and difficult life circumstances — as well as university counselling, and volunteering in hospital, psychiatric, and disability settings.
I now work creatively with neurodivergent children, adolescents, adults, and their families. I've completed training in Emotionally Focused Therapy, the Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy, and EMDR, and I draw on a range of approaches — including ACT, DBT, EMDR, and attachment-based, trauma-focused, and neuroaffirming therapy — tailored to each client's needs and goals.
What values underpin your approach?
My approach is person-centred and attachment-based, grounded in the belief that every person has the right to be heard and understood. I focus on building a genuine, empathetic relationship — one that gives you space to be yourself, explore your story, and imagine new possibilities for your life. I'm ready to challenge clients too, where it's appropriate for their journey.
What do you find rewarding about being a psychologist?
At the heart of my work is a love for people and a curiosity about what makes us 'us'. I've always been drawn to understanding our unique personalities, brains, and experiences, and I'm especially passionate about breaking down the barriers that stand between people and a fulfilling, authentic life. Learning about neurodivergence has been a transformative journey for me — it's taught me to embrace difference, reframe 'challenges' as strengths, and question the norms that often limit growth and acceptance.
I'm also drawn to the way intergenerational trauma moves through families and cultures, and I'm especially attuned to relationship and family dynamics, including addressing and mitigating domestic violence. Therapy with me isn't just about 'the work' — it's also the discovery, the side quests, and sometimes getting beautifully sidetracked, because those detours often reveal what matters most. I look forward to walking alongside you — sometimes guiding, sometimes following, always collaborating — as we explore the known and unknown together.
What are some of your personal interests?
Outside of work, I have a cat named Prince (we love playing hide and seek together). In my free time, I enjoy listening to music, gaming (Alien Isolation is one of my favourites!), and doing Pilates.
I also like watching horror, fantasy, and medieval movies, along with Avatar, Godzilla, Junji Ito manga, Disney, and Spyro. Cats and spicy food round out the list of things I love. And if you're wondering what character I relate to most days — it's Gudetama.
My go-to quote as a therapist: 'Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.'
