Our Team
I wanted The Groundworks Lab to be a place where people can explore, grow, connect, lean into vulnerability, repair past harms, become sources of strength to others, develop pathways to flourish and share their stories in a safe, caring and compassionate context.
Our practice aims to support the myriad roles that we all, as humans, fulfil: individual, sibling, parent, daughter, son, friend, lover, intimate partner, teacher, student, aspiring professional, colleague, manager, leader and so on. We take ourselves into all of these roles we have in life and they impact on each other. The different spheres are connected within us, and it is why we offer this breadth of services.
It was important to me that this support was provided with allies – the staff of The Groundworks Lab- who possess the wisdom to hear, the qualifications to guide, the diversity of experience to offer flexible pathways, and the authenticity to care. And I wanted all of this done in a way that allowed me to stay connected to my own core values.
Rayleigh Joy
Dr Rayleigh Joy
BA, BSW, PhD
Rayleigh is a highly experienced Family and Social Assessment Specialist, Child Consultant and an accredited Mental Health Social Worker. She is also the Director of The Groundworks Lab. Rayleigh has over 25 years’ experience covering the public sector, university lecturing and private practice. She was awarded an Australian Post Graduate Award in 1991 undertake her post graduate study and was awarded her PhD in 2004. She has highly developed therapeutic skills and experience in many areas including family relationships, separation, individual and couple counselling and broader issues of mental health and wellbeing. She is known for being both analytical and responsive to complex issues, providing single expert reports and assessments to the Federal Circuit and Family Court and Children’s Court.
Rayleigh is an empathetic communicator and is sought after by individuals, organisations, and legal practitioners alike for her ability to understand, convey and help address complex and intersecting aspects of human services work. In addition to her expert witness recognition throughout Australia, she brings deep experience to modern child-inclusive family dispute resolution (FDR) practices. She is also an accredited mental health practitioner, Medicare provider No 2827512T.
Liz Katona
BBehavSc(Psych), LLB(Hons), GradDipLegalPrac, MSW
Liz Katona is a highly experienced Family and Social Assessment Specialist and Child Consultant at The Groundworks Lab, with over six years of expertise in family law and mental health. She holds a Master of Social Work (Distinction), a dual Bachelor’s degrees in Behavioural Science (Psychology) and Law (Honours) and a Gradute Diploma in Legal Practice. Liz transitioned from family law practice as a lawyer to specializing in post-separation family dynamics, providing trauma-informed, evidence-based assessments and expert testimony as a Single Expert Witness. She works collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to deliver comprehensive reports, addressing complex family needs with empathy, integrity, and a focus on the safety and well-being of children.
Liz’s professional expertise spans areas such as risk assessment, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health, with a commitment to continuous learning in specialized areas like the Safe & Together Model, Strengths-Based Parenting, and child-inclusive dispute resolution practices. Liz combines her legal and clinical knowledge to offer clear, actionable recommendations and independent expert reports in family law proceedings. Her dedication to advocating for vulnerable families and supporting children through post-separation challenges is central to her work, ensuring the best outcomes for all involved.
Ali Mills
BHSc(Psych), MCPN
Ali is a Registered Counsellor and Accredited Supervisor with over a decade of experience supporting clients of all ages through grief, loss, and bereavement. Her expertise spans oncology, palliative care, perinatal support, family separation, and working with children, young people, and those impacted by sudden and traumatic losses. Ali holds a Bachelor of Health Science (Psychology) from the University of Sydney and a Master of Counselling from the University of Queensland. She is also an Accredited Supervisor under the Rise Up Model and a Level 4 registered counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).
Ali brings a specialised grief and loss perspective to life’s challenges, whether related to death—such as palliative care, perinatal loss, pet loss, or sudden death—or non-death-related losses like relationship breakdowns, chronic health issues, or fertility struggles. Passionate about transforming society’s approach to grief, Ali is committed to reshaping the narrative for those grieving and the professionals who support them. She employs various modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, and Neuropsychotherapy, all underpinned by client-centred, strengths-based, and trauma-informed principles.
Tessa Hall
BBehavSc(Psych)(Hons), BJus(Crim&Policing)
Tessa is a Assessment Support Practitioner who assists in the production of complex family, social and parenting assessments. Tessa holds an Honours degree in Behavioural Science (Psychology) and a Bachelor of Justice (Criminology and Policing) from Queensland University of Technology. Tessa assists our report writers in drafting reports on complex family issues. Tessa has over four years of experience in clinical support and mental health areas. Shehas worked with neurodiverse populations, people experiencing complex mental health challenges, and those navigating drug and alcohol dependency. Her background in psychology, justice, and criminology provides a unique perspective to the individual psyche, navigation of risk factors, and their interplay with family dynamics.
Sabine Lehane
BBehavSc(Psych), LLB(Hons)
Sabine is an Assessment Support Practitioner who assists in the production of complex family, social and parenting assessments. Sabine holds two bachelor degrees with First Class Honours in Law and Behavoural Science, minoring in Social Work, from Queensland University of Technology. She is defined by her warm, empathetic approach to listening and hopes that people leave her presence feeling heard, understood, valued and empowered.
Dr Raj Aseervatham
PhD, MBA, FDRP
Raj is a family dispute resolution practitioner (FDRP, Attorney General's Dept Reg F2001579 and Mediation Standards Board Licence No 111-6903) and has over 20 years of experience in asset and business valuations and negotiations. He specialises in facilitating, diplomatically and in a structured manner, the breakdown of negotiation barriers and the progression of agreements between disputing parties.