Counselling and Psychotherapy

At Still Waters Psychology counselling and psychotherapy are offered for a range of adult life issues. For example, clients can receive support and care in relation to anxiety, depression, stress, relational and attachment issues, personal formation and personal development, life adjustments and life transitions, and disability and illness.

Still Waters Psychology also specialises in five key areas:

• Carers’ health and wellbeing

  “I recognise that carers are often overlooked and that their health and wellbeing is crucial to their own longevity and the ongoing provision of support to those that they care for within their families and local communities. I offer a space where carers can take time to explore and reflect upon their own lives and experiences, recognising and acknowledging the demands and challenges of the carer role”.

• Women's health and wellbeing/parenting and coping

  "I appreciate the contribution that women make to their families and communities, many in unpaid roles and often in addition to employment and/or volunteering in their communities. Whether parenting children, contributing to the care of others (e.g., parents, grandchildren, other family members), and/or trying to establish a professional life, there is often little time and energy left to care for themselves. I offer a safe space where women can speak about and reflect on their lives, uninterrupted by the pressures and demands of daily life, whether wanting to address their own health needs, navigate fertility challenges, cope with parenting demands, understand disability, deal with menopause-related changes, adjust to adult children leaving home, and/or grieve losses experienced across the course of their lives'.

• Bereavement, Grief, Loss and Times of Change

  “I realise that life is in constant flux, change often confronting, especially when unexpected. Change can take many forms, some significant changes experienced as a loss with accompanying grief. Whether dealing with illness, disability, death of a loved one, changes in health, relationship, employment or in other areas of your personal or professional life, I can support you through this time of transition".

• Attachment and Complex Conditions/Trauma

  “Enduring trauma adversely affects all areas of an individual’s life, whether its trauma persisting from childhood or arising from more current life events. Working in collaborative partnership with you and your other healthcare professionals (e.g. GP), I seek to create a safe, caring and stable space in which you can address the ongoing effects of trauma in your life. I recognise that often significant relationships have been affected by trauma, working with clients on how they relate to and connect with themselves, others and the world around them in healthier ways”.

• Spirituality and mental health

  “I appreciate that an individual’s approach to life affects how he/she experiences and responds to life circumstances. I can help clients whose worldview is informed and framed by their faith, spirituality and/or religion, especially those with a Christian worldview, to explore and pursue health and wellbeing in ways that respect their beliefs and practices”.

Therapy is tailored to each client, with the length of time in therapy guided by each client’s unique history, personal needs and concerns, therapeutic aims and life goals. While some clients have complex personal histories, which may take time to address, other clients face short-term challenges which are resolved in a briefer timeframe. As such, no two client therapy journeys are the same. More broadly, counselling involves an active, collaborative, conversational partnership, wherein the therapist works for the benefit of each client, individual circumstances considered within a developmentally oriented, lifespan perspective. Drawing upon contemporary evidence-based, trauma-informed models of care set within a lifespan perspective, there is an overall focus on client safety, symptom stabilization and management, recovery and integration, restoration and transformation. As a team, the client and therapist work together to achieve each client’s personal therapy goals.

Therapeutic approaches

Psychologists and psychotherapists are trained in a range of therapy models and approaches. If you have experienced counselling in the past you may recognize some of the approaches and activities used during your sessions. However, at times you may be asked to ‘experiment’ with something new. This may leave you feeling unsure. It is important to ask questions if anything seems unclear and to provide regular feedback, so your counselling continues to effectively address your life issues and therapeutic aims. The approach(es) used during your therapy will be determined by your needs and goals. Some of the clinical approaches used may include:

• trauma informed models such as the Conversational Model and Sensorimotor Therapies.
• cognitive therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
• relational models such as Person-Centred Counselling and Attachment-focused Therapies.
• models that consider the deeper elements of personal experience, such as Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.

Types of Clients

You can attend as a private client (no referral required), paying a fee per session. You may be eligible for a rebate from your private health insurance fund (e.g., BUPA, Medibank etc).

You can attend as a Medicare client, under a Referral Letter and Mental Health Plan (MHP) provided by your GP. You need to obtain your GP referral letter and MHP. Where you have a MHP, normally you are entitled to a Medicare rebate for up to 10 sessions (within a calendar year). You will need to provide your GP with the practice details as this needs to be included on the MHP and referral letter. A MHP is tailored to each client’s unique situation. You will need to provide your GP referral letter and MHP prior to your first session so there is time to check that it includes all the information required by Medicare to make it a valid referral.

Appointment Attendance Options

Clients can attend counselling in 3 different ways, all of which are covered under Medicare:

• In-person at the Camden office.
• Via video conferencing using a secure program.
• Via a phone call.

In December 2021 the Australian Government made Telehealth a permanent attendance option under Medicare for receiving psychological care. Telehealth includes both video conferencing and phone options. It provides a convenient way to access a psychologist of your choice, and/or one specialised in your area of need, without having to physically travel to the practice location. It can be delivered safely. The practice uses a health delivery program (COVIU) which meets the Australian Digital Health Regulation Standards as specified by the Australian Government.