Our Team
I wanted The Groundworks Lab to be a place where people can explore, grow, connect, lean into vulnerability, repair past harms, become sources of strength to others, develop pathways to flourish and share their stories in a safe, caring and compassionate context.
Our practice aims to support the myriad roles that we all, as humans, fulfil: individual, sibling, parent, daughter, son, friend, lover, intimate partner, teacher, student, aspiring professional, colleague, manager, leader and so on. We take ourselves into all of these roles we have in life and they impact on each other. The different spheres are connected within us, and it is why we offer this breadth of services.
It was important to me that this support was provided with allies – the staff of The Groundworks Lab- who possess the wisdom to hear, the qualifications to guide, the diversity of experience to offer flexible pathways, and the authenticity to care. And I wanted all of this done in a way that allowed me to stay connected to my own core values.
Rayleigh Joy
Dr Rayleigh Joy
Director BA, BSW, PhD
AASW Member No.: 196567 Medicare Provider No.: 2827512T
Rayleigh is a highly experienced Family Consultant, Family Report Writer, Single Expert Witness, Child Consultant and an accredited Mental Health Social Worker. She is also the Director of The Groundworks Lab. Rayleigh has over 25 years’ experience covering the public sector, university lecturing and private practice. She was awarded an Australian Post Graduate Award in 1991 undertake her post graduate study and was awarded her PhD in 2004. She has highly developed therapeutic skills and experience in many areas including family relationships, separation, individual and couple counselling and broader issues of mental health and wellbeing. She is known for being both analytical and responsive to complex issues, providing single expert reports and assessments to the Federal Circuit and Family Court and Children’s Court.
Rayleigh is an empathetic communicator and is sought after by individuals, organisations, and legal practitioners alike for her ability to understand, convey and help address complex and intersecting aspects of human services work. In addition to her expert witness recognition throughout Australia, she brings deep experience to modern child-inclusive family dispute resolution (FDR) practices. She is also an accredited mental health practitioner.
Dr Raj Aseervatham
Director PhD, MBA, GradDipFDRP
Raj is a family dispute resolution practitioner (FDRP, Attorney General's Dept Reg F2001579 and Mediation Standards Board Licence No 111-6903) and has over 20 years of experience in asset and business valuations and negotiations. He specialises in facilitating, diplomatically and in a structured manner, the breakdown of negotiation barriers and the progression of agreements between disputing parties.
Liz Katona
Partner BBehavSc(Psych), LLB(Hons), GradDipLegalPrac, MSW, GradDipFDRP
AASW Member No.: 499448 FDRP Registration No.: F2005072
Liz Katona is a highly experienced Family Report Writer, Single Expert Witness and Child Consultant at The Groundworks Lab, with over six years of expertise in family law and mental health. She is also a Partner at The Groundworks Lab and is now accepting referrals for Family Dispute Resolution (FDR). She holds a Master of Social Work (Distinction), a dual Bachelor’s degrees in Behavioural Science (Psychology) and Law (Honours) and a Gradute Diploma in Legal Practice. Liz transitioned from family law practice as a lawyer to specializing in post-separation family dynamics, providing trauma-informed, evidence-based assessments and expert testimony as a Single Expert Witness. She works collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to deliver comprehensive reports, addressing complex family needs with empathy, integrity, and a focus on the safety and well-being of children.
Liz’s professional expertise spans areas such as risk assessment, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health, with a commitment to continuous learning in specialized areas like the Safe & Together Model, Strengths-Based Parenting, and child-inclusive dispute resolution practices. Liz combines her legal and clinical knowledge to offer clear, actionable recommendations and independent expert reports in family law proceedings. Her dedication to advocating for vulnerable families and supporting children through post-separation challenges is central to her work, ensuring the best outcomes for all involved.
Tessa Hall
BBehavSc(Psych)(Hons), BJus(Crim&Policing)
Tessa is an Assessment Support Practitioner who assists in the production of complex family, social and parenting assessments. Tessa holds an Honours degree in Behavioural Science (Psychology) and a Bachelor of Justice (Criminology and Policing) from Queensland University of Technology. Tessa assists our report writers in drafting reports on complex family issues. Tessa has over four years of experience in clinical support and mental health areas. She has worked with neurodiverse populations, people experiencing complex mental health challenges, and those navigating drug and alcohol dependency. Her background in psychology, justice, and criminology provides a unique perspective to the individual psyche, navigation of risk factors, and their interplay with family dynamics.
Sabine Lehane
BBehavSc(Psych), LLB(Hons)
Sabine is an Assessment Support Practitioner who assists in the production of complex family, social and parenting assessments. Sabine holds two bachelor degrees with First Class Honours in Law and Behavoural Science, minoring in Social Work, from Queensland University of Technology. She is defined by her warm, empathetic approach to listening and hopes that people leave her presence feeling heard, understood, valued and empowered.
Vanessa Diana
BA (Psych / MSW
Vanessa Diana has over two decades of experience in counselling, child protection, and trauma-informed practice. Vanessa brings deep clinical expertise and compassionate care to her role as a therapeutic practitioner at The Groundworks Lab. She has worked across government and non-government sectors, including roles as a Fertility Counsellor with Queensland Fertility Group, Social Worker at Mater Family and Youth Counselling Service, and Senior Advisor with the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women. Her therapeutic work has included supporting individuals and families impacted by domestic and family violence, harmful sexual behaviours, and child protection concerns. She is skilled in reflective practice, family therapy, parent-child relationship work, Circle of Security Parenting, and writing forensic reports for family court. Vanessa is also a credentialed mental health practitioner and accredited social worker (AASW), committed to supporting families through complex and sensitive transitions with professionalism and warmth.
Kelly Holcroft
Kelly Holcroft is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) with over 10 years’ experience providing systemic individual and family counselling with people of all ages. She is experienced working with infants, children, young people, and adults. She has a particular interest in systemic and family counselling having completed training in
Family Therapy and pending accreditation as a Family Therapist.
Kelly has worked with diverse clients, and across many settings and roles within her career in social work including within the sexual assault and family violence sector, and
both health and community sectors. She has experience across crisis, clinical and leadership roles.
She draws from a variety of different therapeutic approaches and models, depending on the hopes and preferences of those she works alongside. She understands that every person and family is different, and so are the challenges and potential solutions that families bring to therapy. She is willing to explore with each person or family what best works for them, as they figure out a new normal in the context of separation.
Ali Mills
BHSc(Psych), MCPN
Ali is a Registered Counsellor and Accredited Supervisor with over a decade of experience supporting clients of all ages through grief, loss, and bereavement. Her expertise spans oncology, palliative care, perinatal support, family separation, and working with children, young people, and those impacted by sudden and traumatic losses. Ali holds a Bachelor of Health Science (Psychology) from the University of Sydney and a Master of Counselling from the University of Queensland. She is also an Accredited Supervisor under the Rise Up Model and a Level 4 registered counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).
Ali brings a specialised grief and loss perspective to life’s challenges, whether related to death—such as palliative care, perinatal loss, pet loss, or sudden death—or non-death-related losses like relationship breakdowns, chronic health issues, or fertility struggles. Passionate about transforming society’s approach to grief, Ali is committed to reshaping the narrative for those grieving and the professionals who support them. She employs various modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, and Neuropsychotherapy, all underpinned by client-centred, strengths-based, and trauma-informed principles.
Angus Boyd
Angus is our administrative assistant. He has a with a strong background in behavioural science, holding an undergraduate degree in psychology and recently completing an honours degree with a thesis focused on childhood maltreatment. With experience as an administration assistant supporting psychologists and as a sports coach working with children, Angus brings a diverse skill set to his work. Driven by core values of curiosity, kindness, and authenticity, he strives to embody these principles in all his professional endeavours.