Our Team
Meet the team behind Talknest. We support children and families across homes, schools and early learning settings throughout Melbourne's western and north-western suburbs.
Our Team
Meet the team behind Talknest. We support children and families across homes, schools and early learning settings throughout Melbourne's western and north-western suburbs.
Moumin Shepherd
Director
Supporting families, schools, kinders and clinicians with intake, onboarding, scheduling and service coordination.
Areas of Support
Moumin manages the day to day operations at Talknest, supporting children, families, schools and kinders across Melbourne’s western and north-western suburbs.
He is the first point of contact for families, schools, and early learning centres, managing enquiries, onboarding, and coordinating services across schools, homes and kinders.
He works closely with the clinical team to support consistent, high-quality service delivery, while managing systems and the behind the scenes operations that keep Talknest running.
Marjana Hussien
Head Speech Pathologist
Supporting children and adolescents with a wide range of communication needs, including AAC, speech, language, literacy and complex communication.
Areas of Support
Marjana is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist who is passionate about providing neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based therapy for children, adolescents, and adults.
Before qualifying as a Speech Pathologist, Marjana worked for several years as a Speech Therapy Assistant in school settings, where she gained extensive experience supporting neurodiverse students and collaborating with educators and families.
Marjana has a special interest in speech sound disorders, language intervention, early intervention, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and literacy development. She believes in celebrating each individual’s unique communication style and works alongside families to make therapy meaningful, practical, and empowering.
Outside of work, Marjana enjoys reformer Pilates, fitness, and spending time at the beach.
Reet Tucker
Occupational Therapist
Supporting children and adolescents with emotional regulation, neurodiversity, independence and participation in daily life.
Areas of Support
Reet is a qualified Occupational Therapist with three years of experience working in Integrated Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (ICAMHS).
In this role, she works as part of a multidisciplinary team to support young people experiencing a wide range of mental health challenges, including anxiety, low mood, emotional dysregulation, and self-harm.
Passionate about neurodiversity, Reet has been a key member of the Attention and Behaviour Team, where she contributes to the assessment and support of young people with ADHD and co-occurring conditions such as ASD, anxiety, and learning differences.
As an Occupational Therapist, Reet is focused on helping young people engage in meaningful activities that support their wellbeing, independence, and development. She works collaboratively with young people and their families to identify strengths and overcome barriers to participation in daily life, whether at home, school, or in the community.
Veronica Saad
Speech Pathologist
Supporting school-aged children with speech, language, literacy and social communication goals.
Areas of Support
Bio coming soon.
Amrutha Murthy
Occupational Therapist
Supporting children to build confidence, independence and participation across home, school and community settings.
Areas of Support
Amrutha is a paediatric Occupational Therapist passionate about supporting children to thrive in their everyday lives.
She takes a child-centred and strengths-based approach, focusing on building each child’s confidence, independence, and ability to participate in meaningful daily activities.
Amrutha supports children across areas such as fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing, self-care skills, emotional regulation, and school readiness. She tailors therapy to suit each child’s individual needs, interests, and environments.
She works closely with families, educators, and other professionals to ensure therapy is practical, collaborative, and aligned with each child’s goals.
Ish Parmar
Speech Pathologist
Supporting school-aged children and adolescents with literacy, language and social communication goals.
Areas of Support
Ish is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist passionate about supporting children and adolescents in developing their communication skills, with a strong focus on literacy and language.
With experience working in school-based environments, she understands the important role communication plays in learning, confidence, and participation. Ish takes a neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based approach, working collaboratively with families and educators to create meaningful and functional outcomes.
She is dedicated to creating safe, inclusive spaces where her clients feel understood, respected, and empowered.
In her free time, Ish enjoys discovering new cafés, spending time in nature on hikes, and unwinding with a good book.