Specialties
Our approach is collaborative, tailored to the individual and empowering.
We aim to create a safe space for clients to feel emotionally validated and to learn new strategies from a range of evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Schema Therapy, EMDR and Gottman Relationship Therapy.
Depression
Everyone experiences low mood at times in response to life’s challenges. However, when feelings of sadness and emptiness persist for more than two weeks, you may be experiencing depression. Depression symptoms can also involve disrupted sleep, changed appetite, reduced energy and motivation, difficulties with concentration and memory, increased irritability and reduced pleasure from things that you would usually enjoy.
You may also notice increasing self-critical thoughts, feelings of hopelessness and helplessness and even suicidal thoughts.
Depression symptoms can affect your sense of wellbeing, your relationships, and activities which are important to you such as study, work or hobbies.
Psychological therapy can help with:
- Improving your mood and functioning to enable you to re-engage in your relationships and valued activities.
- Reducing your self-critical thoughts and developing healthy thinking patterns.
- Assisting you to engage in activities that can give you more energy, pleasure and a sense of achievement.
- Improving your wellbeing by working on sleep patterns and other self-care activities.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a natural human response to stress. While it can feel unpleasant, it is designed to keep us safe by helping us respond effectively to threats. However, when the experience of anxiety is prolonged and/or disproportionate to the actual level of threat in a situation, it can become a problem. You may experience tension in your body and panic sensations, persistent worries or catastrophic fears, disrupted sleep, difficulties with concentration and decision making and start to avoid triggers for anxiety.
We treat a range of anxiety issues including generalised anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, health anxiety and obsessive compulsive symptoms.
Psychological therapy can help with:
- Learning mindfulness and relaxation strategies to help you manage panic symptoms and intrusive worries and fears.
- Developing strategies to contain your worries and to problem-solve effectively.
- Reducing your catastrophic thoughts and increasing your sense of coping.
- Supporting you through graded exposure to anxiety and triggers in order to reduce avoidance behaviours.
Self-esteem
Most people can identify positive qualities about themselves, but also have self-doubt or be self-critical at times. Low self-esteem involves having a generally negative view of yourself and persistently judging or evaluating yourself negatively.
You may also assume that others view you in a negative light, and frequently compare yourself with others. Making decisions can become a challenge, you may be extremely hard on yourself and intolerant of your own mistakes. Low self-esteem can make it hard to form and maintain healthy relationships and lead you to avoid meaningful activities.
Psychological therapy can help with:
- Changing unhealthy thinking patterns and developing your self-worth and self-compassion.
- Processing traumatic experiences which have contributed to the development of low self-esteem.
- Skills training to help you develop and maintain healthy relationships.
Relationships
We all have unique perspectives, needs and values. When these clash with the people in our lives including friends, family, romantic partners and work colleagues, conflict can occur. This can leave us feeling hurt, betrayed or alone.
When conflicts become intensified or persistent, this can cause significant emotional distress and impact your ability to function effectively.
Psychological therapy can help with:
- Learning about healthy relationship patterns.
- Learning strategies to improve your communication with others.
- Learning to set healthy boundaries with others.
- Coping with relationship betrayals.
- Coping with relationship loss.
Couples therapy
Being in a romantic relationship can provide contentment, happiness and fulfilment. It can also help us feel respected, accepted, valued and understood. However, your relationship can be put under pressure when you and your partner find it difficult to work through differing perspectives, needs or values. In addition, you may encounter challenges such as work stress, parenthood, mental health struggles or pressure from extended family. If these are not dealt with collaboratively it can lead to ruptures in your relationship. This may leave you feeling confused, abandoned, empty or depressed.
Research shows that couples often experience feelings of unhappiness for an average of six years before approaching couples therapy. This can greatly reduce the quality of life for both partners and impact other family members. It is beneficial to address issues early so that you and your partner can get back to enjoying your friendship, communicating more effectively and working on your shared goals and values.
Couples therapy can help with:
- Communication and conflict management issues.
- Loss of loving feelings, intimacy and connection.
- Sexual challenges.
- Overcoming differences in attitudes or approaches.
- Improving parenting or co-parenting skills.
- Recovering from infidelity.
- Navigating separation healthily.
We also provide Marathon Therapy, which offers intensive therapy over a full day or two consecutive days.
Adjustment to medical issues
Going through a medical journey can be a distressing time. You may experience feelings of shock associated with a new diagnosis and anxiety about prognosis, proposed treatment plans or navigating the medical system. You might experience unpleasant side effects which can impact your participation in normal activities including study, work, parenting, being a carer and leisure activities.
Changed levels of functioning can impact your self-esteem. Relationship stress can also occur as a result of the medical journey or differing views around how to navigate it together. You may experience feelings of loss around how you were able to live your life before the diagnosis, the time taken out of your life to undergo treatment or the anticipated losses ahead.
We specialise in working with medical issues such as cancer and fertility challenges.
Psychological therapy can help with:
- Managing strong emotions that arise and providing you a safe space to explore your fears and losses.
- Developing strategies to cope with common symptoms such as sleep disruption, anxiety and low mood.
- Building your resilience to cope with the medical journey.
- Providing emotional support to Carers.
Adjustment to life changes, grief and loss
Planned life changes such as moving interstate or overseas, commencing new study or work, becoming a parent or retiring often come with feelings of excitement.
However, even when life transitions are intentional they can bring about discomfort, stress, changed mood, anxiety and uncertainty. It can take time to work through the changes, cope with loss and get used to the new normal.
Psychological therapy can help with:
- Supporting you to set healthy expectations for yourself.
- Teaching you stress management strategies.
- Processing loss and refocussing on the potential gains.
- Problem-solving any issues which arise with the transition.
There are also times when life changes happen suddenly or unexpectedly such as a loss of a relationship or loved one or the deterioration of a loved one’s health. You may experience intense emotions including shock, denial, sadness, anger, guilt, regret or loneliness.
Psychological therapy can help with:
- Emotionally processing the loss.
- Teaching you emotion regulation skills.
- Gently supporting your journey towards acceptance of the loss and finding meaning in your experience.
- Supporting your transition to your new life.
- Helping you prepare for potential triggers such as anniversaries, birthdays or special occasions.
Sex therapy
Sexual health is important to our emotional and physical wellbeing. Sex can help meet various needs including physical pleasure, relieving tension, providing emotional connection, or growing a family. When difficulties occur with your sexual health it can impact your self-esteem and your relationships.
Sexual difficulties can arise from trauma, medical issues, psychological issues or relationship challenges.
We provide a safe space to explore concerns such as:
- Vaginismus
- Orgasm difficulties
- Erectile dysfunction
- Premature ejaculation
- Reduced libido
- Mismatched libidos
- Sexual identity
Trauma
Life can expose us to traumatic events which cause us to feel terrified for our wellbeing, helpless and out of control. Traumas can be a single event such as a serious accident, an assault or a natural disaster. They can also occur over a period of time such as emotional or physical abuse, bullying or armed conflict.
Some people may develop symptoms such as sleep disturbance, feeling jumpy and on edge, high levels of distress, irritability, anger or feeling numb and detached. Other potential trauma symptoms include re-experiencing the trauma through nightmares or flashbacks and avoidance of potential triggers. These symptoms may last for a short period of time or become persistent, and can cause people to experience changed beliefs about themselves, others and the world around them.
Psychological therapy can help with:
- Learning distress tolerance strategies to help regulate emotions.
- Gently processing painful memories to reduce symptoms.
- Recognising unhealthy coping strategies and developing healthy alternatives.
- Gradual exposure to triggers that have been avoided.
- Enabling people to feel safe and empowered.
Enhancing wellbeing and performance
Psychological therapy is not only beneficial when life challenges become overwhelming. Being proactive can ensure that you experience high quality of life and optimise your chances of fulfilling your life goals.
Psychological therapy can help with:
- Optimising your stress management strategies.
- Developing insight around your personal values to help you set meaningful life goals.
- Creating healthy life balance.
- Managing perfectionism.
- Minimising procrastination and improving your productivity.
- Enhancing your communication and conflict resolution skills.
- Building and maintaining healthy relationships.
We're here to help you cope, learn and grow from life’s challenges
Book an appointment today and emerge even stronger than before.