Dr. Natasha Riard
Dr. Natasha Riard
Dr. Natasha Riard
Psychology Clinic Manager | Lecturer, Clinical Psychology
Qualifications
- Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), James Cook University, 2010-2013
- Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology, Monash University, 2008-2009
- Bachelor of Art (Psychology & Communications), Monash University, 2005-2007
Biography
Natasha is a clinical psychologist with over 10 years of experience, and she is listed on the Singapore Register of Psychologists. She joined JCU (Singapore) in July 2021 as a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, and is also the Clinic Manager in the JCU (Singapore) Psychology Clinic. Natasha oversees the day-to-day operations of the psychology clinic, and supervises the clinical psychology interns who provide psychological services at the clinic to adult and child clients who present with a range of mental health needs.
Natasha was a Senior Psychologist at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), as well as a consultant for KidSTART. She specialised in providing psychological services to pre-school aged children who presented with developmental delays and disorders, as well as behavioural and emotional difficulties. Natasha has expertise in the diagnosis of childhood disorders including Intellectual Disability, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. At the same time, she views diagnosis as a means to accessibility, and values psychological conceptualisation over a deficit-based diagnostic model. Natasha is highly interested in the earliest form of prevention for mental health issues, which is why she has worked very closely with parents to help them understand and support their children’s developmental and emotional needs. She focuses on equipping parents with skills to better communicate, connect, and build healthy boundaries and limits with their children.
Natasha’s primary clinical interest is in Anxiety Disorders, particularly Selective Mutism. She led a team that specialised in providing clinical intervention to children with anxiety disorders, and was also the Principal Investigator in research evaluating the efficacy of a parent-based programme for preschool-aged children with anxiety disorders. This research was a collaboration with Professor Eli Lebowitz from the Yale Child Study Center. Natasha was also part of a team that created a comprehensive Selective Mutism Treatment Manual for preschool-aged children that involved working with children, parents, and teachers. She was also the lead psychologist involved in creating digital content for a parent-based course on anxiety disorders.
Natasha has clinical and research experience in Autism Spectrum Disorder. She was part of a specialised team that managed Autism referrals at KKH. She is trained in both the ADOS and ADI-R. She was a co-investigator in various research studies including assessing the use of autologous umbilical cord blood infusion, as well as investigating sleep and screen time in children with Autism. She also headed a team that provided Social Skills Group intervention to children with Autism and other neurodevelopmental difficulties.
Research Interests
Early intervention, childhood anxiety disorders, attachment, parenting, pedagogy of clinical supervision.