Before you arrive
You do not need to prepare anything specific. You do not need to have your thoughts perfectly organised, a clear diagnosis, or a sense of what you want therapy to achieve.
Most people arrive with a general feeling that something is not right, or that they want things to be different. That is enough.
If you are coming under a Mental Health Care Plan (Medicare), you will need a referral from your GP before your first appointment. See below for how to arrange this. Once you have it, you can book directly through this site.
How to get a Mental Health Care Plan
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Call your GP and make an appointment. Tell them you would like to discuss your mental health and get a referral to a psychologist.
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Ask for a longer appointment — 20 to 30 minutes — so there is enough time. Let the receptionist know it is for a Mental Health Care Plan when you call.
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At the appointment, your GP will talk with you about how you have been feeling, and if appropriate, prepare a Mental Health Care Plan and a referral to me.
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Once you have the referral, book your first session through this site or by calling 0468 310 853.
You do not need a referral if you are paying privately.
Your first session
The first session is primarily about getting to know each other. We will talk about what has brought you here, what has been going on, and what you are hoping for. I will ask questions to build a picture of your situation — not to run through a checklist, but because understanding the context matters.
You will also have space to ask me questions. It is important that you feel comfortable with the way I work, and that this feels like a good fit.
The first session is 50 minutes.
Confidentiality
Between sessions
How long does therapy take?
What you share in sessions is confidential. There are legal exceptions to this — situations where I am required to break confidentiality — and I will explain these clearly in our first session. These exceptions are limited: primarily where there is risk of serious harm to yourself or someone else, or where required by a court.
I may sometimes suggest things to try or reflect on between sessions — but this is always something we agree on together and is never mandatory. Therapy is not homework. What matters most is what happens in the room.
There is no single answer, and I will not pretend there is. Some people do focused work over 6 to 12 sessions on a specific concern. Others are working with patterns that have developed over many years, and the work is longer.
Under Medicare's Better Access initiative, you can access up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year with a psychologist. Your GP's initial referral covers the first 6 sessions. After session 6, you return to your GP for a review, and they can then refer you for the remaining sessions.
I will be honest with you about what I think is realistic and we will review progress together throughout.