The Child Neurodiversity Specialists
Our Team
Dr. Sarah Moll
MBChB, MRes, MRCPCH
Developmental Paediatrician & Co-Founder
Dr. Sarah Moll qualified from Manchester Medical School in the UK in 2007 and undertook her specialist community and general paediatric training in the North West of England and North Wales.
She is one of the few New Zealand doctors who is dual-trained in general Paediatrics and Community Child Health and is accredited by both the RCPCH (Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health UK) and the RACP (Royal Australasian College of Paediatrics). Sarah was also the only paediatrician in New Zealand who was invited to present her groundbreaking work to the 2025 ADHD World Congress in Prague.
Sarah practices as part of the Paediatric team at Tauranga Hospital alongside her private work. Her passion is child neurodevelopmental health to recognise and support children early in their ADHD / Autism journey. Sarah had utilised the QbCheck digital ADHD diagnostic tool in the UK recognising its value in ADHD assessments and was able to secure its use in the Bay of Plenty supporting registration and implementation over a 3 month period in New Zealand. Sarah is keen to share and develop good practice and has presented work both nationally and internationally holding several publications.
She lives in The Bay of Plenty with her family. She has first-hand experience of ADHD in her household and fully understands what it feels like to juggle the demands of neurodiversity with a chaotic family life.
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys baking, cycling, walking up Mount Maunganui, and paddleboarding
“I hate to see families struggling when a child is displaying ADHD / Autism symptoms has been forgotten on public waitlists. With the correct diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing support, neurodivergence can be a superpower, so I want to do everything I can to help Kiwi families enjoy a brighter future”
Dr. Lois Evans
MBBS, MA(cantab), FRANZCP, Cert Child and Adol Psych
Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr Lois Evans trained at Cambridge University and King’s College London in the United Kingdom between 2001 and 2007.
In 2013, Lois emigrated to Tauranga with her family and completed further specialist training with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) in Tauranga and Wellington, specialising in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, an area she has always been deeply passionate about.
Lois continues to work as part of the Child MICAMHS team at Tauranga Hospital alongside her private clinical work. Throughout her career she has maintained a strong interest in psychotherapy and in helping people better understand themselves and the systems they are part of.
She particularly enjoys working therapeutically with parents and families. Lois is trained in a range of evidence-based approaches including Theraplay (parent–child attachment work), the Incredible Years Parenting Programme, Single Session Family Consultation, Family Based Treatment, Circle of Security Parenting, and Mentalising Based Training – Reflective Parenting (delivered both in groups and individual settings). She has also contributed to ADHD psychoeducation workshops for parents.
Lois lives in the Bay of Plenty with her family. Outside of work, Lois and her family love animals and share their home with a growing collection of them. She also values authentic community and believes deeply in creating spaces where people feel encouraged and hopeful as they journey through life together.
“I have first-hand experience of of neurodiversity in the home, including Autism, ADHD and specific learning disorders. This has shaped my clinical work and fuels my passion for helping families better understand one another, strengthen communication, and navigate home life while still finding moments of connection and joy”
Dr. Celeste Refief-Zarrabi
MBChB, MMED(Paeds), FCPaed(SA), FRACP
Paediatric Consultant
Dr Celeste Retief-Zarrabi is a General Paediatrician with a special interest in neurodiversity, including autism and ADHD. Her journey began in South Africa, where shegraduated in Medicine from the University of Pretoria in 2002. During her early medicalcareer, she found herself increasingly drawn to working with children and went on to complete her specialist training in Paediatrics in Cape Town in 2008.
Dr Retief-Zarrabi gained extensive clinical experience across both public and private health systems in Cape Town over more than a decade. After moving to New Zealand, she worked as a Paediatrician at Dunedin Hospital for six years, where she developed a strong understanding of the New Zealand healthcare system before relocating to Tauranga with her family.
Her professional interest in, and understanding of neurodiversity deepened following a neurodiversity diagnosis within her own family nearly a decade ago. Since then, supporting neurodivergent children and their families has become one of the most meaningful and rewarding aspects of her work.
Outside of work, Dr Retief-Zarrabi enjoys sharing life with her husband and their three children and embracing the different stages and seasons of family life. She loves playing the violin, listening to music, travelling, and forming meaningful connections with people.
“I am passionate about partnering with families through trusting relationships, focusing not only on each child’s needs but also celebrating their unique strengths.”
Dr Sophie Augarde
DClinPsy; BSc Hons
Clinical Psychologist
Dr Sophie Augarde is a Clinical Psychologist who completed her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology at the University of Bangor, North Wales (UK) in 2020. She has a special interest in working and with assessing adults and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions, learning disabilities, and physical health issues.
Sophie has recently relocated to New Zealand from the UK and currently works for Te Whatu Ora within cancer and ICU services. Prior to this move, Sophie was working for the NHS and also for a private Clinical Psychology service who specialised in neurodevelopmental condition assessment, psychological therapy and support for adults and children.
Sophie has extensive experience working in the UK working within the NHS, education system, private and charitable sectors in supporting adults and young people and children with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities and difficulties, and mental health conditions. Sophie explains how she grew up with parents who worked and managed specialist education services for young adults with additional learning needs, intertwining her own development and interest in this specific area of psychology, and thus working with neurodiverse individuals for nearly 20 years.
Alongside this experience, she has a passion for and broad experience working in the physical health field of Clinical Psychology including cancer, diabetes, burns and intensive care services with both adults and children.
Outside of work, Sophie enjoys keeping active and fit. She has recently discovered Dragon Boat racing (after years of Pilot Gig Rowing in the UK) and loves to explore the gorgeous nature of New Zealand and the many excellent tramping tracks.
“It’s such an honour to support our families in the Bay of Plenty and beyond. I love how our Bay Paediatrics team can bring expertise, commitment, innovation and passion to the help children build a brighter future”
Freddie Bennett
Guinness World Record Holder, Podcast Host & Neurodiversity Advocate
Managing Director & Co-Founder
Freddie co-founded Bay Paediatrics because he’s on a mission to give families strength in neurodiversity.
He is a behavioural change expert who spent over 15 years advising the leadership teams of Coca-Cola, Amazon, Microsoft, Virgin Atlantic, Hewlett-Packard, Heineken, PwC, Vodafone and AstraZeneca on developing high-performance mindset, strength in adversity and leading through change. He has also spoken at the United Nations on the topic of resilience and been featured on the BBC, 1News, Seven Sharp, NewsTalkZB, Men’s Health, Women’s Weekly and the Dom Harvey Podcast.
As a neurodivergent dad in a neurodiverse family, Freddie knows exactly what the struggle feels like.
Before his ADHD diagnosis, Freddie was ‘chronically overwhelmed’, depressed and unfit. After his diagnosis, he went on to cross the Sahara Desert on foot in ‘The World’s Toughest Race’, run across the frozen Arctic towards the North Pole, race 100 miles non-stop…and he’s a Guinness World Record holder.
Everybody talks about ADHD being a superpower, but Freddie is the person who proves what is possible once a person embraces their own unique mind.
When he isn’t planning his next big adventure, Freddie leads Bay Paediatrics from a business and operational perspective, as well as our EPIC Families events. He’s also the host of our EPIC Families podcast.
“Bay Paediatrics is leading the Neurodiversity Revolution. We are on a mission to give every child in New Zealand the tools to thrive. No family gets left behind.”