Meet Us - QPAH

Meet the team

Leadership team

Our leadership team brings decades of combined experience in allied health. Each of us is registered with and regulated by our professional peak bodies, ensuring the highest standards of care and accountability.

Monica Zidar

Director & Principal Registered Music Therapist

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Monica Zidar

Director & Principal Registered Music Therapist

Meet Monica Zidar – Director & Principal Registered Music Therapist at QPAH

Monica Zidar is the Founder and Director of QPAH, bringing over two decades of experience in paediatric and lifespan allied health. A leader in neurologic and clinical music therapy, Monica is deeply committed to integrated, person-centred care that empowers individuals and families to thrive.

Professional Journey and Leadership

Monica holds a Bachelor of Music (1998) and a Graduate Diploma in Music Therapy (2000), both from the University of Queensland. Her dedication to the profession was recognised in 2014, when she received the Richard Thompson Award for Excellence in Music Therapy, honouring her outstanding contributions.

Beyond her clinical work, Monica is a clinical supervisor for the University of Melbourne and a co-Director of QPAH’s multidisciplinary team, which includes speech pathologists, occupational therapists, music therapists and allied health assistants. She also serves as the President of the Australian Music Therapy Association and was a founding Director of the charity Everyone Deserves Music, advocating for access to music therapy for all.

Passions and Expertise

A passionate leader and practitioner, Monica is particularly fascinated by the neurology of music and how music therapy can influence brain function and support therapeutic outcomes. She finds joy in collaborating with her team and clients, celebrating progress, and fostering a workplace culture that prioritises creativity, collaboration and clinical excellence.

Beyond QPAH

Outside of her professional life, Monica enjoys growing vegetables, beekeeping, knitting and cooking for friends and family, bringing her love for connection and creativity into every aspect of life.

With a career built on authenticity, professionalism and purpose, Monica continues to push the boundaries of music therapy, advocating for inclusive and evidence-informed therapy services that make a lasting impact.

In a mostly team-facing role, Monica works Monday to Friday at our Southport clinic. She co-runs our Singchronous all-abilities choir on Tuesday afternoons and is heavily involved in the development of community-based music groups.

Hanna Bowler

Director & Principal Speech Pathologist

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Hanna Bowler

Director & Principal Speech Pathologist

Hanna Bowler, the esteemed practice principal at Gold Coast Speech Therapy, brings a wealth of experience and expertise as a speech pathologist to her role as Director of QPAH. With a distinguished career spanning various settings, including health, education, and private practice, Hanna has excelled in managerial positions and project officer roles. Her extensive work across metropolitan, rural, and remote locations throughout Australia has provided her with invaluable knowledge and experience in serving both children and adults across multiple clinical areas, including communication, swallowing, literacy, and disability services.

At QPAH, Hanna and her dedicated team embrace the diverse nature of their work, as they treat clients across the lifespan. Their commitment to promoting the importance of speech pathology services is unwavering, ensuring that individuals receive the support they need. Hanna is not only passionate about delivering exceptional care but also about imparting her expertise to the next generation of speech pathology professionals. She offers quality clinical education to speech pathology students and serves as a mentor to other health professionals, fostering growth and development within the field.

Driven by her dedication to ongoing training and professional development, Hanna remains at the forefront of her profession as a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist. Her commitment to excellence is evident through her extensive training certifications, which include:

the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach to feeding
Hanen It Takes Two To Talk
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
Prompts for Restructuring Oral Motor Phonetic Targets (PROMPT)

Key Word Sign
BEST program for Social-Emotional Learning
Little Learners Love Literacy
Sounds-Write
DIR Floortime

Hanna’s vision is to ensure that Gold Coast speech therapy services are client-centered and accessible to all who require them. Her unwavering passion for her field, combined with her commitment to ongoing learning and dedication to providing high-quality care, positions Hanna as a leader in the speech pathology community. Join Hanna and her team on a transformative journey, where their expertise and compassion create a path towards enhanced communication, improved swallowing, literacy development, and overall well-being.

Eliza Fish

Clinical Lead Registered Music Therapist

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Eliza Fish

Clinical Lead Registered Music Therapist

With a wealth of experience spanning over a decade, Eliza is a dynamic and vibrant Clinical Lead Registered Music Therapist at QPAH. In addition to her role at QPAH, Eliza is dedicated to supervising students at the University of Melbourne who are studying to become Registered Music Therapists.

Eliza’s qualifications include an MMusThy from the University of Queensland and a BMus from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Her professional expertise extends to families with young children, special education settings and paediatric health settings. Through her unwavering passion, Eliza champions the well-being of her clients, utilising the transformative power of music.

Recognizing the significance of holistic support, Eliza is committed to nourishing the well-being of her fellow allied health professionals. She possesses a deep passion for mentorship and provides invaluable professional and clinical supervision, empowering her colleagues to prioritise their own health and thrive in their respective practices.

To enhance her skills and knowledge, Eliza has completed specialised training courses including:

Institute Training with The Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy
Successful Supervision – Supervisor Training for Allied Health.

Eliza offers music therapy sessions and provides supervision on Mondays to Thursdays. Her dedication to her profession, extensive experience and commitment to mentoring make her an invaluable asset to both her clients and the aspiring music therapists under her guidance.

Qualifications:
Registered Music Therapist
Masters in Music Therapy
Member of the Australian Music Therapy Association
Neurologic Music Therapist.

Anna Foran

Clinical Lead Speech Pathologist

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Anna Foran

Clinical Lead Speech Pathologist

Anna has a wealth of expertise and is committed to empowering individuals through effective communication. She completed a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) at the University of Queensland, establishing a strong foundation for her exceptional practice.

Anna is a bilingual Licensed Speech Language Pathologist, fluent in both English and Japanese. Her proficiency in both languages allows her to provide comprehensive and culturally sensitive care to a diverse caseload of clients.

With a wide range of clinical experience, Anna has honed her skills in various practice areas including speech, language, literacy, fluency, voice, social communication, alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) and adult dysphagia. She upholds the values of client-centered care, evidence-based practice and interprofessional collaboration, ensuring the delivery of top-quality speech pathology services.

Anna’s commitment to continuous professional development is evident through her extensive training certifications. She is proficient in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), which is an invaluable tool for facilitating effective communication. She has attained expertise in Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD), enabling her to empower individuals with improved vocal capabilities. Anna is also certified in Sounds-Write, a comprehensive literacy program that enhances reading and writing skills.

Beyond her clinical expertise, Anna actively contributes to the QPAH Blog, sharing her knowledge and insights with the community. Her informative posts cover essential topics, including Late Talkers, where she provides guidance to parents seeking to understand their child’s speech development journey.

Experience the unparalleled care and leadership of Anna, a Clinical Lead Speech Pathologist at QPAH. With her passion, expertise and dedication, she is committed to helping individuals overcome communication challenges and achieve their full potential.