Dr Samantha Ryan
Provisional Psychologist
B. Psych (Hons), Master of Clinical Psychology (current), PhD (Health and Clinical Psychology)
About
I am a Provisional Psychologist, currently completing a Master of Clinical Psychology at Western Sydney University (WSU). I have experience working with children and adults with a range of presentations, including anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder and personality disorders. My experience has been within a university clinic setting. I have previously completed a PhD at WSU exploring women's premenstrual embodiment and body dissatisfaction and am an Associate Research Fellow at WSU researching women's sexual and reproductive health and marginalised population health. I am an Associate Editor at the Women's Reproductive Health Journal.
I practice predominantly within a CBT framework. I aim to provide a safe and collaborative space for my clients where treatment is tailored to meet their needs and inclusive of their goals.
Special Interest Areas
Samantha has special interests in the following areas:
Academic-related stress
Anxiety
Antenatal Anxiety
Academic related stress
Bipolar Disorder
Body image
Bullying
Eating disorders
Grief and loss
Parenting
Post-Natal Depression/Anxiety
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Self-esteem and Self-development
School issues
Treatment Approaches
Samantha is trained and experienced in the following treatment approaches:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Samantha is trained in administering the following psychometric tests for Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders:
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Cognitive Assessments
Global Developmental Delay
Specific Learning Disorder
Treatment Modalities
You can access a session with Samantha in one of the following ways:
In-Person Sessions
Video Sessions
Telephone Sessions
Client Groups
Samantha offers treatment for the following clients:
Child (5-12 yo)
Adolescent (13-17 yo)
Adult
Older Adult
Languages
Samantha can understand or speak the following languages:
English
Registrations & Memberships
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
Registration Number: PSY0002719092
Australian Psychological Society
Student Member
Society for Menstrual Cycle Research (SMCR)
Australian Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics
Referral Types
Samantha is able to offer appointments to individuals booking under the following referral schemes/pathways:
Self-managed or plan-managed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants
Private/Full Fee Consultations
Other - Concession Fee Consultations
Research & Publications
Ryan, S., Hawkey, A. (2026). Premenstrual Bodies Across Borders: Negative Premenstrual Embodiment Among Migrant Women from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds in Australia. Women’s Reproductive Health (IN PRESS)
Ryan, S., Charter, R., Ussher, J., Perich, T., Power, R., & Sperring, S. (2025). Navigating Menopause at Work: A Rapid Review and Narrative Synthesis of Psycho-Educational and Behavioral Interventions to Support Menopausal Women in the Workplace. Women’s Reproductive Health, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2025.2495975
Ryan, S., Ussher, J. M., & Hawkey, A. (2022). Mapping the abject: Women’s embodied experiences of premenstrual body dissatisfaction through body-mapping. Feminism & Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593535211069290
Ryan, S., Ussher, J.M. & Hawkey, A. Managing the premenstrual body: a body mapping study of women’s negotiation of premenstrual food cravings and exercise. J Eat Disord 9, 125 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-021-00478-6
Ryan, S. (2021). Exploring women’s experiences of premenstrual embodiment utilising a material-discursive-intrapsychic framework (Doctoral dissertation, Doctoral thesis, Western Sydney University).
Ryan, S., Ussher, J. M., & Perz, J. (2020). Women's Experiences of the Premenstrual Body: Negotiating Body Shame, Self-Objectification, and Menstrual Shame. Women's Reproductive Health, 7(2), 107-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2020.1740482