For much of her career, Danielle Akayan has told other people’s stories. After completing a Bachelor of Science at the University of Sydney, she moved into film and television and carved out a niche as a documentary editor. She spent her days shaping narratives about real people and complex lives, often working with human interest stories that needed care and nuance.
At the same time, a quiet but persistent interest in psychology and mental health kept resurfacing. She had always been fascinated by why people behave the way they do, and she felt a growing pull towards supporting neurodivergent children and young people more directly.
“I have been working in documentaries as an editor for many years,” she says. “But I wanted to extend myself into psychology due to my burning interest in mental health and helping people, especially neurodivergent kids.”
UNE’s flexible online model gave Danielle the chance to retrain without abandoning her existing life. Over time she completed a Graduate Diploma, Honours and a Master’s degree in psychology, and then decided to add the Graduate Certificate in School Psychology on top of her fifth year.
For Danielle, the decision to enrol was driven by a belief in the power of early intervention in school settings.
“I saw the Graduate Certificate in School Psychology as an exciting opportunity to learn about an area I see as critical to our youth, our future,” she explains. “Some kids may only ever see a psychologist at school and this may be their only contact with the mental health system. Providing good quality service and a positive experience can allow an opportunity for potentially healthier help seeking in the future.”
In her current work in schools, Danielle has drawn heavily on the skills she developed during the Graduate Certificate. One example has stayed with her. She was running a group program when one student began to regularly disrupt the sessions. He was easily distracted and displayed open oppositional behaviour. The simplest response might have been to exclude him for the sake of the group.
“Rather than exclude him from the group, I decided to talk with my Learning Support team,” she recalls. “I asked whether we could gain some extra support in that particular group so someone could sit beside him and help him focus and regulate. This worked extremely well and the group was able to continue cohesively.”
It is a small story, but it captures a lot of what the Graduate Certificate encourages: seeing behaviour in context, collaborating with school teams and designing support that keeps students included wherever possible.
Danielle found the course structure at UNE manageable alongside her other responsibilities. The content was delivered in a way that fit around work and life, although she is honest that assessment periods required extra effort.
Her practical advice for future students is clear:
- Keep up with weekly readings and activities so they do not pile up
- Create a realistic timetable and stick to it, especially around assessments
- Break longer lectures and tasks into smaller pieces that can be slotted into busy days
Although she is not yet in a full time school psychologist position, Danielle is seriously considering that path. She sees the Graduate Certificate as a valuable credential early in her career.
“Gaining the certificate early in your career can provide valuable insight into the school environment,” she says. “Applying intervention at various early stages of child development can make a real life difference for most kids. Kids are our future and so investing in a worthwhile career such as this is invaluable.”
Looking ahead, Danielle hopes to combine her interests in psychology and storytelling with a further passion: animal assisted therapy. She believes animals can provide a sense of trust, non‑judgement and calm that may take months to develop through conventional means. In school environments, she sees enormous potential for this work.
Outside of psychology, she still enjoys watching and editing documentaries, reading psychology and science fiction, bushwalking and spending time with friends, family and her dog. In many ways, Danielle’s journey shows that changing careers need not mean starting from scratch. Instead, it can mean bringing old skills and new training together in a setting where stories are still central, but now unfold in classrooms and playgrounds.
If early intervention and real change for young people matter to you, explore the Graduate Certificate in School Psychology.
