Supporting Children and Families: The Story Behind MCPC

How We Began…

At Melbourne Children’s Psychology Clinic (MCPC), our story began with a shared passion – for children, families, and making a genuine difference.

In 2003, Felicity and Georgina met while working at the Austin Hospital Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service. Beyond shared clinical training, we discovered a common vision: to create a space where children could be truly supported, families could feel empowered, and care would always be ethical, evidence-based, and focused on meaningful outcomes.

In 2008, that vision became reality when Melbourne Children’s Psychology Clinic was founded. From the beginning, our goal was simple — to build a clinic where children feel safe, parents feel heard, and every family experiences care that is practical, collaborative, and compassionate.

Over the years, we’ve supported each other both professionally and personally – raising five children between us while growing a clinic that families across Melbourne trust. Being parents ourselves has given us a unique perspective: we understand the hopes, worries, and everyday challenges that come with raising children.

And just as family has always been central to our work, our furry companions have become part of that story too – Nellie and Maisie, our gentle labradoodles, have joined our Hampton and Ivanhoe clinics, bringing comfort and calm to both families and clinicians alike.

Our Vision

At MCPC, our vision is simple: to help children thrive, grow, and reach their full potential – while giving parents the knowledge, confidence, and support to guide them along the way.

Families come to trust MCPC because we combine professional expertise with real-life parenting experience. Being parents ourselves helps us understand the everyday hopes, worries, and challenges of raising children. We work closely with families as partners in therapy, ensuring parents feel heard, supported, and involved at every step.

Our clinic provides care for a wide range of challenges – from anxiety and trauma to developmental and behavioural concerns – always grounded in evidence, compassion, and practical strategies. Beyond supporting the families who walk through our doors, we also mentor psychologists across Melbourne and Victoria and supervise postgraduate students, sharing our experience to help grow high-quality psychological care across the state.

Putting Families at the Heart of Everything

Our story is one of collaboration, shared vision, and care that grows with every family we meet. Every day, we are guided by the same purpose that brought us together over 20 years ago – to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families across Melbourne.

Dr. Felicity McFarlane

Dr Georgina Swinburne