Psychology Place

Our Services

Individuals

Individual psychotherapy can be useful in addressing specific episodes of psychological or emotional distress as well as long-standing life patterns which disrupt relationships and your capacity to function optimally. At your first call, we will identify your needs and arrange an initial meeting time with the appropriate psychologist. The first meeting will be concerned with identifying what brings you to therapy, and articulating your goals and how best to achieve these, and providing an introduction to treatment. This initial process is important in creating an agreement and alliance with your therapist and ensuring that both of you are clear on the work to be undertaken.

In consultation with you, your therapist will tailor a treatment which takes account of your current life situation and the ways in which it might reflect longer term patterns of living. Our therapists all hold qualifications as clinical psychologists and have all undertaken extensive training in a variety of therapeutic approaches. The process is flexible to ensure that it responds to any changes in your life situation and also allows you to adjust your goals as you progress.

We encourage you to become familiar with the opportunities provided by therapy and to enter into this process as an informed participant. The link below provides a good overview of the elements of therapy and is a starting point in the process of your thinking about how therapy can assist.

Couples counselling

At South Melbourne Psychology we understand how and why relationships work or don’t work. Relationships are never simple because two people will always have some different needs, dreams, desires and ways of doing things. The key is not always to resolve conflict but to learn how to be with each other in the conflict to find a stronger and more vital relationship. At South Melbourne Psychology, we use research based techniques ( Gottman Method and Emotion Focused Therapy) that are proven to positively impact relationships.

As clinical psychologists, we are also able to recognise and treat the impact that mental health problems and addictions will have on the couple dynamic. There should be no stigma attached to saying you have emotional difficulties just as you would if there was a physical illness to manage. Seeing your partner struggle with their emotional well being is always challenging and often couples get themselves locked into negative patterns that can perpetuate a mental health issue. We help you develop better understanding, coping and communication strategies to manage these difficult times.

We are also trained to assess and work with the damaging effects of abusive behaviour and acts of betrayal in relationships. We will do so with the utmost sensitivity, with safety and reparation at the core of the work we do. Most relationships can repair form these difficult times. But if it seems too far gone, we will assist you in the separation process with mediation and referrals to appropriate services.