Mondays and Fridays - 10am to 5pm, by appointment

395 Goodwood Road, Westbourne Park 5041 or by telehealth (videocall/phone)

There is plenty of free street parking on Richmond Road right next to the building. If you're using your GPS/maps, just put "Richmond Road Memorial Hall" in it (which is not my building, but I am across the street to it) which will direct you to the perfect street area to park under some shaded trees right next to the building I'm in. Once you park, just walk around to my entrance which is facing Goodwood Rd (I'm in the red brick building with the verandah just behind the patch of grass, you'll see the sign "Shore Path Psychology" next to the front door).

If coming by public transport, the closest bus stop near the front of the building is Stop 11 Goodwood Rd (East/West), or Unley Park Railway Station is nearby.

You are very welcome to access therapy without having a GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP). However, if you are wanting to claim Medicare rebates for your sessions you will need to have a referral letter and MHTP from your GP.

Starting therapy can feel like a big step, so it’s natural to wonder what to expect and whether it will help.

Psychological therapy (sometimes also called talk therapy or psychotherapy) is a safe, supportive space where you can talk openly about the challenges you're facing. Together, we explore your thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and experiences to help you understand yourself better, make meaningful changes, and feel more in control of your life. 

Each person’s therapy journey is unique, but it often involves: 

• Gaining insight into patterns or problems that might be holding you back

• Learning practical tools to manage stress, anxiety, low moods, frustration, shame or other difficult emotions

• Building healthier relationships and ways of coping

• Working toward goals that matter to you

• Using psychological tools to become unstuck from upsetting experiences and emotions that are affecting you today

What’s most important is that therapy is a collaborative process, grounded in trust and respect.

Research shows that the majority of people who engage in therapy find it helpful, and it often leads to lasting improvements in how they feel, function, and relate to others.

If you’re considering therapy, you don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin. The first step is simply reaching out.

It can be great to know what a first session looks like, which can help ease some of the normal nervous feelings you might have about starting therapy.

A first session starts by me welcoming you into the space and checking in to see how you are feeling and helping you feel comfortable.

I would then gently ask you a few questions to get to know you and how your life is currently going for you (learning about your work/studies, the people in your life, your physical health and what you enjoy doing). I would then ask about what you have been experiencing to make sure I can understand what you are going through and to understand what your therapy needs may be.

You can tell me as much as you want or as little as you want in that first session, whatever you feel most comfortable with at that time. Often people really feel relieved in having the space to discuss their experiences and to reflect together to gain a sense of clarity.

Sometimes the first session may also involve some short questionnaires about your experiences/symptoms, so together we can get a better understanding of what you may be experiencing and so we can track improvements over the following sessions.

I can then provide information to you based on the science of psychology to also help you make sense of your experiences.

You can ask me any questions at any point in the session and I will check-in with you if you do have any questions throughout.

Together we will then start devising the beginning of a stepped plan of research-based psychological strategies to work through your feelings, thoughts and actions, so you have a clearer path to go forward to gain relief and confidence.

We would then take the steps over the next sessions to work through that plan, and we can always change any part of that plan if you wish.

The number of sessions you might need would depend on what you are experiencing and how much help you feel you may need.

For some people they may find three to five sessions helpful in meeting their goals and gain the strategies they need to go forward. Other people may want to have several sessions to work through one or a few goals they have for their mental health, by having sessions to process different parts of their experiences.

I will go at the pace that you want to go at in taking the steps towards helping you improve in how you are feeling and your confidence.

In order to make sure you get the most out of your sessions, I strive to ensure that you get to take something with you by the end of each session, whether it might be a new helpful way of understanding your experiences, a plan for steps forward, a psychological tool/strategy you can use, or having taken steps in session in overcoming something you have been distressed about.

Once you are feeling better and have the confidence to go forward, you are always welcome to have a “booster” session when you may need to help you continue to go forward. 

The first two to four sessions may be a week or fortnight apart to help make sure that therapy is being effective for you, and then you may want to spread those sessions out to being every three to four weeks, or only come back for when you need a “booster” session. However, some people may benefit from keeping sessions regularly each fortnight or month for an extended period of time if that suits their goals. 

Before your first appointment, you’ll be asked to complete a short Client Intake form and Service Agreement form online (usually when booking your first session). Consent forms help explain things like privacy, confidentiality, and how your information is managed. You are more than welcome to ask any questions about these forms if you need any clarification or you have any concerns.

Some people find it helpful to write down any questions or key things they would like to share, before the session to bring in. If you are not exactly sure what you want to get out of therapy yet, that’s completely ok! I will work with you to explore and clarify your goals together.

Psychological therapy tends to be most effective when you are actively involved and take a collaborative approach with your psychologist.

Depending on the therapy approach, you might be invited to do a bit of reflection or practice between sessions. This could include trying out strategies or noting and reflecting on how things are going. Bringing those reflections into sessions can really help link what happens in therapy with your everyday life to help make positive changes to improve how you are feeling. 

Lastly, try to schedule your sessions at a time and place where you can really focus by minimising possible distractions from work, family, or devices can help you get the most out of your time (especially if the session is by telehealth).

The information you discuss with me is kept confidential (including whether you have contacted me) and will not be disclosed without your permission; however, there are some reasonable exceptions, such as the following. Psychologists must provide a brief report to your referring doctor if you are having services under a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP). Also, psychologists must disclose some information related to safety if they are concerned about risk (specifically, if you or another person is at risk of harm). Psychologists are also bound by law to report suspected abuse or neglect or children and vulnerable adults. 

Your session time is set aside especially for you when you make each booking; however, it is understandable life can be unpredictable and occasionally you may need to reschedule or cancel your appointment.

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please do so as early as possible, with more than 48 hours notice before your session. This timeframe allows for someone else to be booked in who might be waiting for much needed services (if you cancel under the requested timeframe, it is unlikely that at short notice someone else can be scheduled in).

In the event of a late cancellation or rescheduling (within 48 hours), or a missed appointment, without extenuating circumstances, a cancellation fee of $105 will be applied for privately funded and Medicare funded consultations (and Medicare or private health insurance rebates cannot be claimed for this fee).

For NDIS participants, the cancellation policy and fees are as per the NDIS pricing arrangement guidelines.

Thank you for your understanding.

For crisis situations: 

Call triple 000 to access emergency services: ambulance services

Present to any Emergency Department at your local Hospital.

Mental Health Triage (24 hrs, 7 days a week) for Emergency Mental Health support, assessment and consultation 13 14 65

Urgent Mental Health Care Centre 215 Grenfell Street, Adelaide, SA. Open 24 hours, free, walk in, no appointment or referral required.

Suicide Call Back Service (24 hrs, 7 days a week) phone and online counselling to people affected by suicide.

Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7)

Other counselling support options (click on links below):

Lifeline

Beyond Blue

Sonder Mental health services in the greater Adelaide area

Lived Experience Telephone Support Service (LETSS)

QLife LGBTI peer support and referral

The University of Adelaide Counselling support service and University Crisis Line

Flinders University Counselling service and After Hours Crisis Support Line

Uni SA Counselling Service and Out of Hours Crisis Line

Counselling support for your young person at your school

Drug and Alcohol Services of SA

1800 RESPECT National Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Counselling Service

MenLline

Sexual Health Information, Networking and Education SHINE SA