Dr Kate Jacobs - Melbourne Psychologist | Raise The Bar Psychology

Dr. Kate Jacobs

Pronouns: she/her
Director / Educational & Developmental Psychologist
Heatherton

Dr. Kate Jacobs is a leading expert in educational and developmental psychology, with a career dedicated to bridging the gap between research and clinical practice. After completing her PhD/Masters at Monash University—where she was honored with the prestigious Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal for her research—Kate founded Raise the Bar Psychology in 2013.

As one of the clinic’s directors, Kate balances her clinical work with a passion for education. She is a sought-after speaker across Australia, delivering workshops on learning difficulties and assessment to medical and allied health professionals, as well as educators and parents. Her clinical expertise is vast, spanning the identification of ADHD, Autism, giftedness, twice-exceptionality (2e), intellectual and developmental delays, and specific learning disorders like dyslexia. Kate’s mission is to empower families through evidence-based insights, ensuring every young person has the adjustments they need to thrive in school and the workplace.

Outside the clinic, Kate is usually found exploring new travel destinations, enjoying Melbourne’s dining scene, or spending quality time with her husband and two young children.

Languages

English

Clinic Schedule

Kate’s clinic days are Wednesday and Thursday

Assessment

Currently accepting pre-school and primary school age assessment clients

Counselling

Not currently accepting counselling clients

Qualifications

  • Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice
  • PhD/Masters Educational & Developmental Psychology
  • Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology
  • Bachelor of Arts

Professional Associations / Accreditations

  • Registered member of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
  • Area of Practice Endorsement: Educational & Developmental Psychology
  • Psychology Board of Australia registered supervisor under Area of Practice Endorsement
  • Member of the Association for Australian Psychologists (AAPi)

Research Publications

  • Zendarski, N., Haebich, K., Bhide, S., Quek, J., Nicholson, J. M., Jacobs, K. E., Efron, D. & and Sciberras, E. (2020). Student-teacher relationship quality in children with and without ADHD: A cross-sectional community based study. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 51, 275-284.
  • Bench, J., Jacobs, K., & Furlonger, B. E. (2019). On differentiating Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD): An illustrative example using the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Model of Cognitive Abilities. International Journal of Audiology. DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2019.1682199.
  • Sadusky, A., Freeman, N. C. Jacobs, K. E., & Reupert, A. E. (2018). Preservice Psychology Training About (Specific) Learning Differences. Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 35, 51-66.
  • Lindelauf, J., Reupert, A., & Jacobs, K. E. (2018). Teachers’ use of psycho-educational reports in mainstream classrooms, Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 28, 1-17.
  • Sharma, U., & Jacobs, K. (2016). Predicting in-service educators’ intentions to teach in inclusive classrooms in India and Australia. Teaching and Teacher Education, 55, 13-23.
  • Sheedy, J., McLean, L., Jacobs, K. E., & Sanderson, L. (2017). Living well with chronic pain. Advances in Mental Health, 15, 15-27.
  • James, L., Jacobs, K. E., & Roodenburg, J. (2015). Adoption of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll model of cognitive abilities by Australian psychologists. Australian Psychologist, 50, 194-202.
  • Mowbry, T., Jacobs, K., & Boyle, C. (2015). Validity of the German Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI-G) in an Australian sample. Australian Journal of Psychology, 67, 121-129.
  • Mowbry, T., Boyle, C., & Jacobs, K. (2014). Impact of item orientation on the structural validity of self-report measures: An investigation using the TAI-G in an Australian sample. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 33, 278-290.
  • Jacobs, K. E., & Roodenburg, J. (2013). The Development and Validation of the Self-Report Measure of Cognitive Abilities: A Multitrait-Multimethod Study. Intelligence, 42, 5-21.
  • Jacobs, K. E., & Costello, S. (2013). An Initial Investigation of an Australian Adaptation of the Multidimensional Aptitude Battery — II. Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 30, 84-102.
  • Soh, L., & Jacobs, K. E. (2013). The Biasing Effect of Personality on Self-Estimates of Cognitive Abilities in Males and Females. Personality and Individual Differences, 55, 141-146.
  • Jacobs, K. E., Szer, D., & Roodenburg, J. (2012). The moderating effect of personality on the accuracy of self-estimates of intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 52, 744-749