Michelle van Dyk is a registered child psychologist with 20 years experience working with infants, preschoolers and young children. She is passionate about supporting families to build confident parents and happy children. Michelle is also a proud mother of three children, and a grandmother to four.
Michelle’s approach is professional and practical. She can provide assessment, advice, guidance and strategies to families to support their child’s development. Michelle is located in Christchurch and is available for face to face consultations at her office. For more information about her services, click here.
Michelle can help children with:
ADHD
• Anxiety
• Attachment
• Autism
• Behavioural plans
• Cognitive assessments
• Developmental delay
• Eating problems
• Prematurity
• Separation anxiety School readiness and school refusal
• Sleeping problems
• Social skills
Michelle has experience in:
- Providing psycho-education, advice and guidance to parents of infants, preschoolers and young school-aged children.
- Devising behaviour plans for families, preschools and schools.
- Providing trauma counselling for children affected by the earthquakes.
- Carrying out observations of children in preschool or school settings.
- Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) sessions. These are
designed to improve attachment and bonding between parent and child by using child directed play and parent directed play guided by the therapist.
- Liaison with teaching staff to provide advice and guidance on optimising learning for your child.
- Written reports of observations and recommendations.
- Referrals to other professionals and services where required.
- Advice on parenting skills for typical children and children with special needs.
- Cognitive assessments to assess your child’s developmental levels.
- Written report of assessment results including recommendations.
- Child behaviour checklists.
- Advice on the extra needs of children born prematurely.
To email Michelle about the above services or for any other enquiries, please click here.
Qualifications
Registered Developmental Psychologist.
Master Of Arts (Honours) Auckland University, New Zealand (1984).
Bachelor Of Arts Auckland University (1981).
Work Profile
Psychologist with the Ministry of Education in Christchurch, specialising in Early Intervention and primary school age.
Researcher, Education Department, University of Canterbury
in a multi-site, seven year longitudinal study into a cohort of premature infants and associated risks of being born Very Low Birthweight.
Parent child interaction therapy (PCIT).
Cognitive Therapist at the Champion Centre for Children with Disabilities in Burwood Hospital.
Supervisor of 5th year University of Canterbury Child and Family Pyschology students. Michelle trains students in administration of cognitive assessments, for example, the Bayleys Scales of Infant and Toddler Development
Supervisor of University of Canterbury Psychology Interns.
Accredited Enhanced Triple P Practitioner.
Administer of assessments to subjects in University of Otago research studies.
Formerly editor and free-lance writer of the Australasian Educational Quarterly Magazine.
Contributor to a variety of publications on parenting and child development.