Nikoo Chamani
Founder & Clinical Director
MA (Art Therapy), La Trobe University
Registered Art Therapist (AThR)About us
A practice built around children, and the people who love them
Founded in 2021 by Nikoo Chamani, Wonderful Mind is a specialised paediatric allied health and mental health practice serving families across Whittlesea and Hume in Melbourne’s north.
Wonderful Mind is a registered NDIS provider founded in 2021, with clinics in Doreen and Craigieburn. Our multidisciplinary team of psychologists, occupational therapists, speech pathology, play, art and music therapists and a nutritionist provides clinic-based, outreach and telehealth services focused on early childhood intervention, creative therapies and psychological support, including for families affected by domestic violence.
Our mission
What we are here to do
We support children and young people with mental health and early development needs, working closely with their families and carers.
- Individualised, evidence-based, recovery-focused support
- Close partnership with families, schools and carers
- Collaboration with health, community and government organisations
- Inclusion across cultures, genders, sexualities, abilities, ages and backgrounds
Our symbol
The ensō in our logo
The gold circle in the Wonderful Mind logo is an ensō, a symbol from Zen tradition painted in a single brushstroke. It is associated with wholeness, presence and acceptance, and each of those ideas shapes how we work.
- Wholeness Family-centred
- The circle stands for completeness. We see each child as a whole person, not a diagnosis or a list of difficulties, and we work alongside the family and community around them.
- Presence Child-centred
- An ensō is painted in one unhurried stroke and cannot be corrected afterwards. In sessions we slow down, follow the child’s lead and stay with what is happening in the moment.
- Beauty in imperfection Neuro-affirming
- No two ensō are alike, and their uneven edges are part of their beauty. Our neuro-affirming approach values difference and does not ask children to fit a single standard.
- An open circle Trauma-informed
- Our ensō is left slightly open. It holds without enclosing: a safe space with room to breathe, to grow and to move forward at the child’s own pace.
How we work
Our core values
01
Trauma-informed
Safety and regulation come first, using approaches such as IFS and somatic art therapy.
02
Neuro-affirming
Neurodivergent traits are natural variation, not problems to fix.
03
Child-centred
Children’s interests and readiness guide sessions, through play, arts and movement.
04
Family-centred
Parents, carers and siblings are part of the plan, so strategies work at home.
We practise with presence, compassion, acceptance, mindfulness, balance and harmony: being fully with each child, responding without judgement, and working in step with families, therapists and educators.
Areas of focus
Who we support
- Psychological assessment
- Early childhood development
- Autism and neurodivergence
- ADHD
- Intellectual disability
- Developmental delay
- Trauma and domestic violence
- Grief, loss and bereavement
- Anxiety
- Eating difficulties and ARFID
- Sensory processing
- Gender identity and LGBTQ+ inclusion
- Positive behaviour support
- Migration and refugee experiences
- Medical trauma and serious accidents
Leadership
Our leadership team
Partners
Professional bodies and partners
Registrations & associations
- Registered NDIS provider
- AHPRA (psychologists and occupational therapists)
- Speech Pathology Australia
- ANZACATA (creative arts therapies)
- APPTA (play therapy)
- AMTA (music therapy)
- Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
Academic partners
We supervise students and support research and training with La Trobe University, Deakin University, The Cairnmillar Institute and The University of Melbourne.
Community partners
We work alongside Child Protection, The Orange Door, Kids First, Anglicare Victoria, VACCA, WorkSafe, the Royal Children’s Hospital, Austin Health and local trauma support networks.
Not sure where to start?
Tell our intake team what you are noticing. We will match your child with the right clinician, or a small team if they need more than one kind of support.