Clinical Psychology Services
A variety of evidence-based therapies are offered, including:
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
- Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Schema Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Appointments
- Appointments are available during business hours, subject to the availability.
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Standard sessions are 50-60 minutes in duration. Longer session times may be negotiated if the time is available. Additional fees will be applied.
- Late Arrival - sessions will end at the scheduled time, and charged at the full fee.
- Cancellations are not accepted by phone, please email admin@simpsyc.com
You should bring:
- A copy of your Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP and/ or a referral letter.
- Your Medicare card.
- Any previous reports, or information, you feel would be useful to your care.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal and healthy reaction to perceived threat that everyone experiences. For some people though, this reaction is out of proportion to the actual circumstances and exists through most areas of their day-to-day life, Common symptoms include: difficulty concentrating, difficulty sleeping, being easily tired, having tense, tight or sore muscles and feeling restless. (Includes social anxiety, generalised anxiety, panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder.)
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Depression
Depression lasts longer than sadness and involves a wide range of symptoms that are different for each individual both in nature and severity. Common symptoms include: difficulty making decisions and thinking clearly, a lack of energy and motivation, disturbed sleep patterns and feeling unable to cope with everyday demands.
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Trauma
Traumatic events include actual or threatened death, serious injury to oneself or another person, or a threat to the personal beliefs of oneself or others. It is common for people to continue to have many thoughts, images and feelings for some days, or even weeks, following the trauma. These reactions are common and are a sign that the body is recovering from a severe stress. The most commonly reported reactions include:
- Symptoms of Depression
- Symptoms of Anxiety
- Avoidance of situations or thoughts that remind you of the traumatic event
- Being easily startled by loud noises or sudden movements
- Flashbacks where images of the traumatic event come into your mind suddenly for no apparent reason, or where you mentally re-experience the event
- Physical symptoms such as tense muscles, trembling or shaking, diarrhoea or constipation, nausea, headaches, sweating, tiredness
- Guilt and self-doubt
- Anger or irritability
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Stress & Sleep
Stress Problems
Acute stress usually comes on suddenly and lasts for a relatively short time. Chronic stress, on the other hand, seems never to go away. It may vary from a bad commute to work to bigger problems, such as being in an unhappy relationship, being stuck in an unsatisfying job or being unable to get out of poverty. Chronic stress may also arise from traumatic childhood experiences that leave scars, internally if not externally. Far more damaging than acute stress, chronic stress presents potential dangers because it can wear you down in time physically and psychologically. When it lasts for a long time, people often assume they must learn to live with it rather than trying to improve it. Addressing the core problem or learning how to cope may help avoid or reduce the damaging side effects of stress.
Sleep Problems
The most common sleeping difficulty reported by people of all ages is insomnia. Sleeping pills are often the first sought treatment for sleeplessness, however, there are serious side-effects associated as well as the possibility of developing a drug dependence. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an established non-drug treatment for insomnia which addresses the factors maintaining long-term insomnia. This therapy achieves lasting improvements, decreasing the time spent laying awake and improving daytime functioning.
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Grief
Losses challenge a person's beliefs and assumptions about themselves and their world. They disrupt hopes and dreams for the future, and are likely to result in intense distress. Recently bereaved show increased anxiety and somatic complaints, and general decrease in functioning. Common grief responses include: decreased concentration, a sense of numbness, disrupted sleep, changed eating habits, a roller-coaster of emotions and emotional isolation.
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Illness & Pain
Chronic Illness
Chronic or long-term illness (or injury) and its treatment lead to life changes. Psychological therapy can provide education and teach skills to assist with the adjustments needed to cope with these life changes. In particular:
to live with the physical effects of the illness (such as fatigue and pain)
to deal with the treatments (including planning and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits like exercise and eating well, and adhering to medical treatments
to communicate clearly with health professionals and in relationships
to cope with emotional distress
Pain
While pain is a very common condition, it is also a very personal condition. Studies suggest that a person's outlook and the way they cope emotionally with long-term (chronic) pain can influence their quality of life. Psychological therapy can help support you and provide skills and strategies to manage the physical, emotional, behavioural and psychological effects of chronic pain. Understanding the causes of your pain can help reduce your fear and anxiety.
Dealing with the stresses of chronic illness and pain can be demanding and puts extra pressure on you. It is important you speak to your doctor about your feelings and how effectively you think you are coping with the illness/pain and its treatment.
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Updated October 2023