Founder, Clinical Psychologist & AHPRA Supervisor

Narmatha (Narmi) Thillainathan​

Academic | UWS |Adjunct Fellow (Macquarie University) | FCCLP Clinical College |Aff. Ed&Dev Psych| Board Clin. Supervisor| MClin Psych | Msc Hlth Beh | Bsc Psych 

"Change begins with feeling understood — and in a space free from judgement, growth becomes possible."

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Narmatha (Narmi) Thillainathan is a Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years of experience supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families. She is the Founder and Clinical Director of Breakthrough Psychology Practice, based in West Pennant Hills in Sydney's Hills District.

Narmi's work is rooted in a single conviction: that real change starts with feeling genuinely understood. Whether she is working with a child whose school refusal has the whole family at breaking point, an adult who has spent decades wondering if they might be autistic, or a parent trying to bridge the gap between their cultural world and their teenager's — Narmi brings both the clinical depth and the human warmth to help.

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Her Story

Narmi was born in Sri Lanka and, as a child, her family was displaced by ethnic conflict. What followed were years of migration across Zimbabwe, New Zealand, and Australia before settling in Sydney. These early years — marked by cultural transition, questions of identity, and the effort of belonging somewhere new — shaped not just who she became, but how she practises.

That lived experience gives Narmi a particular attunement to families navigating cultural pressures: the weight of expectations that don't always translate, the gap between what a parent hopes for and what their child is experiencing, and the complexity of growing up between worlds. It is her deep expertise and broad global experience that make her a sought after clinician for people from CEOs to Multicultural families.

Narmi also identifies as neurodiverse — an identity that deepens her empathy and grounds her in the day-to-day reality of the clients and families she supports.

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Children, Adolescents & Families 

Narmi has a long-standing passion for working with young people and their families, and early intervention is a particular focus of her practice.

She works with children and adolescents experiencing:

• Anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation

• Grief, loss, trauma, and PTSD

• School refusal and selective mutism

• Neurodevelopmental differences — autism (ASD), ADHD, PDA, and learning difficulties

A central part of this work is supporting parents. Narmi works closely with families to build practical, evidence-based strategies that strengthen relationships, improve communication, and build resilience at home — because lasting change in a child rarely happens in a therapy room alone.

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Adults

For adults, Narmi provides both therapy and comprehensive diagnostic assessments — including for ADHD and autism, where late diagnosis is increasingly common and often life-changing.

She supports adults navigating:

• ADHD and autism — including late and first-time diagnosis

• Anxiety, depression, and stress

• Trauma, grief, and loss

• Relationship difficulties and life transitions

Narmi's approach goes beyond symptom management. She works with clients to explore what a meaningful, purpose-driven life looks like for them — including, where relevant, the role of values, spirituality, and personal identity as part of the healing process.

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Qualifications and Academic Work

Narmi trained as a Clinical Psychologist at the University of Sydney, with additional academic experience at the University of Auckland. She is a Fellow of the Clinical College of the Australian Psychological Society (FCCLP) and holds qualifications in both Clinical Psychology and Health Behaviour.

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Appointments:

She currently holds an Adjunct appointment at Macquarie University, she also teaches and supervises postgraduate Clinical Psychology students in neuropsychology and child and family practice at UTS/USW at  Masters in Clinical Psychology Level.

Narmi is a Board-Approved Supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia and provides clinical supervision to provisional psychologists, registered psychologists, and school counsellors across Australia. 

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Before founding Breakthrough Psychology Practice, Narmi worked extensively in hospitals, schools, and government mental health services across Australia — experience that continues to inform her practical, real-world approach to clinical care.

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How Narmi Works

Narmi is trained in a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches, including:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

• Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)

• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Her style is integrative and deliberately flexible. Rather than applying a fixed framework, Narmi draws on the approach that best fits each individual client — their personality, their history, and what they are trying to achieve. Mindfulness and self-compassion are woven throughout her work, alongside a genuine respect for each client's sense of meaning and purpose.

Known for her warmth, directness, and non-judgmental presence, Narmi creates a space where clients feel safe enough to be honest — and where that honesty becomes the starting point for real change.

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Beyond the Clinic

Outside the consulting room, Narmi is a mother of two whose own experience of balancing family life, neurodiversity, and personal wellbeing gives her a particularly grounded empathy for the clients and families she works with.

She finds renewal in yoga, pilates, and running, in cooking, and in the quieter rituals — like creating traditional flower garlands, singing — that keep her connected to her roots.

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"There is no single path to healing — together, we find the one that works for you."

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Narmi consults at Breakthrough Psychology Practice, Suite 6/560 Pennant Hills Road, West Pennant Hills NSW 2125,

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10:00am to 6:00pm.

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Medicare rebates are available with a Mental Health Care Plan (referral from your GP required). NDIS funding is also accepted.

 

[Book a Consultation with Narmi] ← link to booking page
[Learn about Clinical Supervision] ← link to /supervision page

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