Meet Your Clinician
Samantha Kernaghan
Clinical Psychologist
About Samantha
Focused, Evidence-Based Therapy for Adolescents and Young Adults
Samantha Kernaghan is a Clinical Psychologist based at the Maroochydore clinic, specialising in individual therapy for adolescents and adults. Samantha's practice is focused exclusively on building a therapeutic relationship which means her full clinical attention is devoted to the process of meaningful, lasting change.
Samantha has a particular affinity for working with younger clients — adolescents from 12 years and adults through to approximately 35 years of age, while also seeing clients through the lifespan, Samantha feels this specific age demographic face many unique life challenges specific to their stage and phase of life. She understands the unique psychological landscape of adolescence and early adulthood: the identity formation, the relationship challenges, the academic and career pressures, and the particular vulnerability to anxiety, depression, and mood difficulties that can emerge during these formative years. Her clients consistently describe her as someone who 'gets' them — who understands the specific pressures of their generation without judgment.
Her flexible schedule — including early morning appointments from 7:15am on Wednesdays and Fridays — makes her accessible to clients who have school, university, or work commitments that make standard daytime appointments difficult. She also has specific experience with autism spectrum presentations and ADHD.
Therapeutic Approach
Structured, Evidence-Based Therapy with a Collaborative Spirit
Samantha's therapeutic approach is grounded in the best available evidence, with a particular emphasis on structured, skills-based interventions that give clients practical tools they can use beyond the therapy room. She works collaboratively with each client to identify their goals and develop a clear, personalised treatment plan.
Areas of Special Interest
What Samantha Treats
The Person Behind the Clinician
Samantha's Approach to Care
The most important thing I can do in a first session is make someone feel that they are not alone — that what they are experiencing makes sense, and that there is a way through.
Samantha brings a structured but genuinely warm approach to her clinical work. She is skilled at helping clients understand the 'why' behind their experiences — building insight and self-awareness as a foundation for lasting change. Her clients often describe a sense of relief in early sessions: the relief of finally having a framework for understanding what they have been going through.
Her focus on adolescents and young adults reflects a genuine passion for this stage of life — a recognition that the patterns established in adolescence and early adulthood have a profound influence on long-term psychological wellbeing, and that early, effective intervention can make an enormous difference.
Outside of her clinical work, Samantha is committed to staying at the forefront of evidence-based practice, particularly in the areas of youth mental health, anxiety, and neurodevelopmental presentations.