Camille Totterdell

Camille was working as a Clinical Psychologist in Melbourne before moving to the Territory for a new challenge.

“I have a young family and we decided that we were ready for a new challenge and adventure. My sister and her family have lived in Nhulunbuy for about two years, and they have loved the supportive community, rich culture, and exploring the beautiful environment. I was drawn to East Arnhem Land because I wanted the opportunity to work with schools/students/families in regional and remote communities, and the opportunity to travel and explore within this beautiful region.”

The NT Department of Education relocated Camille’s family from Victoria to the East Arnhem region to build its multidisciplinary, regional teams that support the wellbeing and inclusion of children and young people.

As the first Clinical Psychologist in the team who is a Board Approved Supervisor, Camille is qualified to support early career psychologists seeking their clinical psychology endorsement to practice.

Mentoring and support for early career practitioners is just one of the ways the Department ensures it has the right people in the right place at the right time to support children’s access to learning. The Department also offers other early career and scholarship initiatives to grow the workforce and professional learning opportunities to support employees.

The huge diversity in the multidisciplinary teams – profession, culture, experience and background – means that there are rich learning experiences and different perspectives. “Everyone works together and supports each other.” The teams enjoy connecting with one another through peer supervision, reflective practice and cross-cultural yarning sessions.

Camille is proud of working with educators to develop a clear understanding of individual student needs, providing recommendations around inclusive adjustment and systems of support, and seeing improved outcomes for students.

“I have already had so many incredible experiences and opportunities for learning both personally and professionally.”

Reflecting on her adventure, Camille emphasised the lifestyle, strong sense of community and beautiful environment.

“We love the outdoor lifestyle – spending weekends camping and exploring with friends at local beaches and freshwater streams/waterfalls, local markets and cultural festivals, BBQ’s on the beach, and watching the amazing sunsets.”

“The never-ending sky full of fireworks on Territory Day – wow!”