Ruth Schmidt Neven

Ruth Schmidt Neven established the Centre for Child and Family Development in Melbourne in 1994. 

Ruth is a child psychotherapist who trained at the Tavistock Clinic in England.  She came to Australia in 1989, to take up the first position of Chief Psychotherapist at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, a post she held until 1994.

With over 25 years' experience of work with children, parents and adolescents, Ruth is committed to promoting knowledge and understanding about child and family development in the broader community.  In the UK, she founded the innovative national support service for parents, Exploring Parenthood.

Ruth writes and lectures extensively on all aspects of child development and parenting.  She develops and runs training programs for professional groups in Australia and overseas.  In Victoria she provides training and consultancy to the Healthy Families Project auspiced by the Board of Studies and the Victoria Health Promotion Foundation.

Ruth Co-ordinates the international project Parents in Transition, which deals with the effects of migration and trauma on young children and their parents.

Ruth has written two books, Exploring Parenthood and Emotional Milestones: From Birth to Adulthood, both published by the Australian Council for Educational Research.