Learn a little more about us.
Our story
Sal and Cat grew up together in an all-sister household on a farm in regional Victoria. Family dinner time conversations often centred around curious discussions about the thoughts and feelings that influenced human behaviour. Soon enough, this foundation set the stage for two careers in clinical psychology.
In 2023, Cat was presenting her PhD research at the European Health Psychology Society conference in Germany while Sal was on a sabbatical hiking across Europe. They met in Berlin on a warm autumn evening, sitting on the terrace of a tucked-away bar, enjoying a meal together and exchanging family stories. There was something in the air-a creative buzz among the locals, the pleasure of each other’s company, and the unmistakable sense that an idea was forming between them…
Between them, they had spent years sitting across from women in therapy rooms - women carrying depression, anxiety, and the quiet weight of feeling like they were the only one. Brilliant, capable women who often expressed a similar wish: I wish I could talk to someone who gets it. Cat and Sal knew the research, and they knew it from their own lives too: there is something uniquely powerful about women healing alongside other women. Not in isolation. Together.
Twelve months later, SisterTalk was born from that night in Berlin.
We're glad you found us.
Who we are
PSYCHOLOGIST, GROUP FACILITATOR
Dr Catherine Brown
Cat is a psychologist with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. She has worked in both public and private sectors, offering evidence-based group and individual therapy. This includes Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Compassion-Focused Therapy for adults facing diverse mental health difficulties including mood and anxiety disorders. Her passion lies in empowering women to build meaningful lives and connection with others through self-compassion and reflection.
Cat has expertise in digital mental health, behaviour change and lifestyle medicine – a fancy way of saying she uses the latest evidence to help people adopt healthier habits to support their mental health and thinking skills – and completed her PhD in this field. Her current research focus is looking at developing a digital lifestyle program to help youth with anxiety and depression.
Based in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, Cat enjoys camping, hiking, and diving into creative pursuits - from cheese knife whittling to pottery, nothing is off limits!
SENIOR CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, GROUP FACILITATOR
Sally Brown
Sal is a clinical psychologist with over eight years of experience in the field, including senior leadership roles within healthcare teams. She began her career in digital mental health at Headspace's national office, which ignited her passion for ensuring that all Australians, regardless of where they lived, could access high-quality mental health care.
Sal has continued to expand her expertise in digital mental health, working across telehealth addiction treatment, online social prescribing, digital education, and virtual wellbeing workshops. In 2022, she expanded her knowledge by travelling to North America to learn from global leaders in digital health at the ISRII conference. After North America, Sal took an 'adult gap year’, embarking on a journey that saw her walking across Spain, building a yoga studio in Georgia, and teaching English in Morocco.
Sal is now based in Naarm/Melbourne and currently works at the Food and Mood Centre at Deakin University. Here, she delivers group therapy for people with depression and bi-polar and is investigating the impact of healthy eating and exercise on depression.