Services
Our services can help you with a wide range of presenting issues. These might range from dealing with depression, anxiety, or stress; getting through a tough time in life; processing grief, loss or change, or traumatic experiences that have impacted your life; making difficult decisions; or simply improving a skill or goal you are already working towards.
Counselling
We offer individual psychological services for people ages 14 and over, to help you improve your wellbeing in a way that feels right for you. Counselling is your space to talk about and take steps towards things that are bothering you, that you are finding hard to deal with, or that you want to change or improve.
We offer:
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In clinic
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Outdoors
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Walk and talk
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Telehealth (video or phone)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR therapy is a specialised form of psychotherapy designed to help individuals process and overcome distressing or traumatic experiences. It was originally developed to treat trauma-related conditions, but it has proven effective for various mental health challenges as well.
During an EMDR session, your therapist will guide you through a structured process that involves recalling distressing memories or experiences while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation. This stimulation can be in the form of eye movements, taps, or sounds, and it helps your brain process the traumatic memories in a more adaptive way.
The goal of EMDR is to help you reprocess the memories, reducing their emotional charge and allowing you to gain new insights and perspectives. By doing so, you can release the emotional hold these memories may have over you, and you can experience relief from symptoms like anxiety, nightmares, or flashbacks.
EMDR is a well-researched and evidence-based therapy approach that has shown significant success in helping people heal from various forms of trauma and distress.
For more information see:
https://emdraa.org/
https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/EMDR.pdf
Animal Assisted Therapy
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a goal-directed intervention in which an animal meeting specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process. Animals, particularly dogs, are being incorporated into many health settings, including psychology, counselling, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and educational settings like school classrooms. Animal-assisted therapy is designed to promote improvement in human physical, social, emotional, and cognitive function.
Over the years, research investigating the positive impact that the human-animal bond can have on people of all ages is growing significantly. Animals by nature are non-judgemental and show unconditional love, and in doing so they help to build and strengthen the rapport between therapist and client. Research has also shown that including animals in the therapeutic process can help reduce anxiety, increase relaxation, increase social interaction, increase communication within sessions, as well as act as an intrinsic motivator to attend sessions and engage with the process.
AAT is particularly effective for supporting clients to build social and communication skills, by using an animal's body language to provide direct feedback about behaviour, emotions, comfort levels and communication styles. It is also effective in supporting attachment and relational interventions, and in helping reduce arousal levels when working through trauma responses.
Our clinic dog Tully is working hard towards his accreditation as a therapy dog, and is looking forward to showing off his skills in sessions very soon.
If you are interested in animal assisted therapy, contact us to find out more or to join our waitlist. AAT will be accessible under Medicare, NDIS, and private fees.
More information about AAT can be found here:
https://animaltherapies.org.au/
Workshops
We run workshops throughout the year both in person and online. Register your interest for future workshops or sign up to our mailing list for updates here.
Self-compassion workshop
According to Dr Kristen Neff, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with difficult thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and experiences, as opposed to judging and criticising yourself.
Our self-compassion workshop explores what self-compassion is, why it's important, and how we can use it in everyday life.
Take your next step workshop
Do you have goals related to weight, health, study, or exercise? Are you struggling to stay motivated, keep to a routine, or do what your GP or Physio prescribes? This program is for you!
What is it?
We meet with you to create a series of short appointments designed to help you set clear goals, understand your blockers and learn ways to get motivated so you can reach that goal. We talk about:
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Setting goals with your values in mind
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Understanding motivation
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Addressing your barriers and thinking styles
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Staying focused
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Managing stress and looking after yourself
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Planning and time management
Psychometric Assessments
We offer assessment and reports for ages 6 years and over, investigating the following:
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Cognitive and Educational challenges (including learning disorders, giftedness and identifying strengths/ weaknesses)
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Intellectual disabilities
Cognitive assessments investigate a person’s general thinking and reasoning abilities, also known as intellectual functioning or IQ. Cognitive assessments can be helpful in education, employment, or disability settings, and may be recommended for a number of reasons:
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Investigating overall intellectual functioning or IQ level, including identifying strengths and weaknesses.
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Determining learning or processing difficulties, and help develop strategies and recommendations.
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Assessing for the presence of conditions such as intellectual giftedness, specific learning disabilities, intellectual disability, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Assessments we administer
The assessments that we administer include:
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Clinically structured DSM-5 interviews
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WISC-V
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WAIS-IV
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WIAT-III
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Connors 3
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Brown EF/A
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MMPI
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And others as clinically required.
The Assessment Process
Our admin team will book your first 90 minute initial interview with your clinician. After this appointment, your clinician will let you know the plan to proceed and offer you a quote. The plan will outline:
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Other further interviews with client and other parties (eg parents, spouse, teachers, employer as appropriate)
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School or employment observations
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Formal assessments administered
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1 hour feedback session and provide copy of the report.
Paying for your Assessment
When you book your first session, you will be asked to provide credit or debit card details that will be stored securely in our practice management system. You can choose to pay the total fee upfront, or you can enter into a payment plan which involves paying for each phase of the assessment before your appointments. Each appointment’s fee must be paid before the next stage of assessment can occur.
Medicare
Unfortunately, Medicare rebates do not cover assessments of this type.
Health Insurance
If you have health insurance, please contact your insurance company for information about your cover and their claims process.
Referrals
You do not need a referral to book an assessment. If you are unsure about what assessment you may need, please ask to speak to a clinician before booking.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about our assessments and the cost, please contact us.