A safe, considered space to make sense of what's hard — anxiety, low mood, trauma, identity, relationships, life transitions. I work with children, teenagers, and adults, drawing on ACT, CBT, schema-informed, and trauma-informed approaches. The exact mix depends on what fits you.
If your concern isn't in this list, it's worth reaching out anyway — the question is rarely whether something “qualifies” for counselling and usually whether we'd be a good fit for the work you want to do.
My core orientation is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)— mindfulness, values-based action, and building psychological flexibility. From there I draw on CBT, schema-informed work, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, attachment-based work, and psychodynamic principles where they fit. The exact mix is shaped by what you bring and what's actually working session to session.
Initial session: 50-minute consultation to discuss your concerns, goals, and relevant history. From session 2 onwards, 50-minute weekly or fortnightly sessions focused on the goals we agree on together. I revisit those goals at key points so we both know whether the work is doing what you came for.
Most adult clients come in for anxiety, low mood, or working through neurodivergent identity (often post-ADHD or autism diagnosis).
Individual and collaborative. Confidentiality is a core component — what's shared in session stays in session unless there are safety concerns, with discussion of limits up front. Common focus: stress and anxiety, mood, identity development, school and study pressure, relationships, building coping skills for adult life.
The shift toward autonomy is real at this age — the work respects that without losing the family context.
Active parent involvement combined with individual work. Confidentiality is graduated — session content stays private from peers and the wider family, but parents stay actively involved in goals, progress check-ins, and any safety conversations. Approach blends ACT, mindfulness, emotion coaching, and skills-based CBT.
The 'developmental sweet spot' — teens want their own space, family is still the primary context for what's happening day-to-day.
Combined sessions with the child and parent-focused support. Initial session is parent-only (50 min) to gather developmental and medical history and current concerns. The second session is typically the first with your child. Ongoing sessions can be structured as 30 min with the child and 20 min checking in with you on progress and home strategies.
Grounded in ACT, mindfulness, and emotion coaching. Play- and activity-based for younger kids; more conversational as they grow.
Counselling is structured but not rigid — the cadence adapts to what's needed. Some plans are 6–10 sessions for a specific concern; others run longer-term. We agree on the shape at the start and revisit it as we go.
A 50-minute conversation about what's bringing you in, what you've tried, what you're hoping for. I send standardised rating scales (anxiety, mood, broader symptom screens) so we can establish a baseline to track change against. Because what we're doing should be working, and we should be able to see it.
In-person at the Berwick clinic, or via secure telehealth. We agree on goals together at the start and revisit them at key points. Sessions are paced to your energy and need — sometimes weekly through a heavier stretch, then fortnightly when things stabilise.
If you're on a Mental Health Treatment Plan, this is part of the Better Access process — and it's also good communication regardless. The letter goes to your referring doctor with a summary of what we've worked on and how it's going. You'll need a fresh referral covering sessions 7–10 if you're continuing under MHTP.
At the end of a Medicare-rebated 10-session plan I write a final summary to your GP — outcomes, what worked, what might be next. From here you can: continue under a new referral (start a fresh MHTP cycle next calendar year), shift to private-pay, or take a planned break.
When you're ready to stop — at session 10, or 4, or 22 — I prepare a treatment summary. For you, for your GP, for your records. It captures what we worked on, what shifted, and what might be useful to keep practising. So if you come back in a year or three, we have a clear starting point.
Initial consultation $250 (50 min). Ongoing sessions $220 (50 min, session 2 onwards) — from 1 July 2025. Payment taken at the end of each session via EFTPOS or credit card, with a tax invoice emailed afterwards. The funding pathway you choose determines what (if any) rebate or insurer cover applies on top.
80010 (clinical psychology, 50+ min) — check with your insurer for limits.Once you've reached out and we've agreed on a start date, the onboarding is the same regardless of which funding pathway you're using.
A short online intake via Halaxy. I'll need your name + date of birth (or your young person's, if you're a parent), referrer details if you have one, and basic context on what's bringing you in. Takes about 10 minutes.
A short services agreement covering confidentiality, cancellation policy, and how the work is structured. Sent to your email for digital signature.
Same-day or no-show: 100% of the fee. 24–48 hours notice: 50%. 48–72 hours: 25%. More than 72 hours: no charge. Full policy in the services agreement and at brainhelperspsychology.com.au/terms.
Tell me a bit about what's bringing you in. I'll write back with the next steps and confirm your funding pathway works.