Services
At Connect Psychology Australia, we provide face-to-face and virtual services for children, teenagers, adults across the life span. Services offered range from Play Based Therapies and Counselling to cognitive and behavioural assessment.
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Let us call you. Using telephone and secure video software allows you flexibliity to meet with us from anywhere in Australia, when you need it.
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Connect Psychology Australia offers a thorough assessment process in order to provide valuable information for you and your child.
We provide comprehensive reports detailing the outcomes of our assessments which include recommendations specific to your child and family.
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Children - Play Therapy is designed for children ages 3–10 who are experiencing social, emotional, behavioural, or relational challenges. Play Therapy aims to create a safe and consistent environment that allows children to grow. Play Therapy is a one-on-one intervention that uses play and the therapeutic relationship to improve children’s functioning.
Teens - the teenage years can be tough to navigate. We offer adolescent counselling support for a variety of presenting concerns for teens
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We hope to create a safe, open, and accepting environment, to work together to understand your thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and relational patterns. We use evidence-based and trauma-informed treatment approaches combined with a client-centered focus to help you to meet your individual needs and therapy goals.
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At Connect Psychology Australia, our online and in-person therapy groups offer an alternative, effective form of psychological treatment that involves working with a small group of individuals with similar concerns or challenges.
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Mandatory reporting is a legal requirement for certain professional groups, including psychologists, to report a reasonable belief of child abuse or neglect to child protection authorities. It can also apply to adults in residential services.
“Every great journey starts with a single step.”
– Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now
Virtual and Telehealth
As life these days can be a bit busy, we try to remove some of the physical barriers by providing virtual or telehealth psychological services when you need it, using telephone and secure video software that allows you to meet with us when you need it.
There are many reasons why someone would seek psychological treatment and intervention, with some examples listed below:
Anxiety & Depression
Panic Attacks
Stress
Bullying
Low Self Esteem
Social Challenges
Skill Development (social, emotional, etc.)
Emotional Regulation
Identity/ Orientation
Grief and Loss
Pregnancy/Post-Natal Challenges
Adjustment and Behavioural Challenges
Individual Relationship Counselling
Assessments
Child Psychological Assessment
Connect Psychology Australia offers a thorough assessment process in order to provide valuable information for you and your child. When assessing children, we place value in meeting with parents prior to the assessment session to gain a background history on the current concerns and the child’s developmental history.
We provide comprehensive reports detailing the outcomes of our assessments which include recommendations specific to your child and family.
Child Cognitive Assessment
Cognitive assessments (also known IQ assessments) are a formal, standardised test of a person’s cognitive abilities.
A cognitive assessment involves sessions with the child and their parent(s) or caregivers.
The assessment will likely include:
A clinical interview with the child’s parent(s) or caregivers to discuss developmental and background history.
The cognitive assessment (IQ assessment) to develop an understanding of the child’s thinking, problem solving, and reasoning abilities (WPPSI-IV, WISC-V, or WAIS-IV).
On completion of the assessment, the parent(s) or caregivers will be given a detailed written report during a feedback session, which will outline results from the assessment and any recommendations. The psychologist will explain the results and provide an opportunity for any questions.
A referral is not required for a cognitive assessment.
The Process: Connect Psychology Australia involves sessions with both the child and their parents, and involves the following:
Consultations with other professionals or staff involved with the child so that a wide range of information can be gathered. This may also include a school or kinder observation of the child.
Cognitive assessment (IQ assessment) gathering information on how the child problem solves and cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
A detailed written report outlining information regarding the assessment results and recommendations.
A parent feedback session whereby the psychologist can explain the results and provide an opportunity for any questions.
Adaptive Behaviour Assessment
Connect Psychology Australia utilises a neuro-affirming approach to assessing behavioural difficulties.
An adaptive behaviour assessment involves sessions with the child and their parent(s) or caregivers.
The assessment typically includes:
A clinical interview with the child’s parent(s) or caregivers to discuss developmental and background history.
Questionnaires sent to parent(s) and teachers to assess adaptive behaviours (Vineland-3).
A cognitive assessment (IQ assessment) to develop an understanding of the child’s thinking, problem solving, and reasoning abilities (WPPSI-IV or WISC-V).
On completion of the assessment, the parent(s) or caregivers will be given a detailed written report during a feedback session, which will outline results from the assessment and any recommendations. The psychologist will explain the results and provide an opportunity for any questions.
A referral is not required for an adaptive behaviour assessment.
The Process: Connect Psychology Australia involves sessions with both the child and their parents, and involves the following:
Consultations with other professionals or staff involved with the child so that a wide range of information can be gathered. This may also include a school or kinder observation of the child.
Cognitive assessment (IQ assessment) gathering information on how the child problem solves and cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
Adaptive behaviours assessment, gathering information on how the child functions in day to day tasks.
A detailed written report outlining information regarding the assessment results and recommendations.
A parent feedback session whereby the psychologist can explain the results and provide an opportunity for any questions.
Children, Adolescents and Teens
Services for Children, Adolescents and Teens
We offer therapeutic services for children aged 3 years and up.
Children and Adolescents
Our child therapy services are aimed at supporting families through behavioural, emotional and social concerns and providing parents/children with pragmatic strategies to overcome challenges including:
Play Therapy is a theoretically-based, age-appropriate approach to child therapy that builds on the normal communication style of children. Therapists strategically use play therapy to help children express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts & feelings. In play therapy, toys are like the child's words and play is the child's language.
Play therapy provides the opportunity for children to develop insight and resolution about inner conflicts or dysfunctional thinking, and allows them to learn more adaptive behaviours when there are emotional or skills deficits.
Children who have engaged with play therapy develop many skills to take into adulthood
Become more responsible for behaviours and actions
Develop new and creative solutions to problems
Develop respect and acceptance of self and others
Learn to experience and express emotions
Learn new social skills and relational skills with family
Develop empathy and respect for self and others
What is Play Therapy?
Play Therapy is designed for children ages 3–10/12 who are experiencing social, emotional, behavioural, or relational challenges.
Play Therapy aims to create a safe and consistent environment that allows children to grow. Play Therapy is a one-on-one intervention that uses play and the therapeutic relationship to improve children’s functioning.
Play therapy is a form of child counselling which offers medium to long term support through weekly sessions.
Research supports the effectiveness of play therapy with children experiencing a wide variety of social, emotional, behavioural and learning problems including:
Anxiety
Family Separation
Trauma
ADHD
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Death / grief and loss
Chronic illness
Physical and/or sexual abuse
Domestic violence
Natural disasters
Social / relationship issues
The Process: Initial consultations are with caregivers only, without your child. This is so we can discuss your referral in more detail and determine how we can help with play therapy. From there, if Connect Psychology Australia is the right fit, we will arrange ongoing sessions with your child.
Sessions take approximately 50 minutes on a weekly basis. Regular caregiver-only consultations are booked after every 5 sessions with your child in order to work in collaboration with all family.Therapeutic Process: The therapeutic relationship is the primary technique of the intervention. During each session, the therapist follows eight child-centered principles: (1) develop a warm, friendly relationship with the child, (2) accept the child unconditionally, (3) establish a feeling of permissiveness in the relationship, (4) recognize and reflect the feelings of the child, (5) respect the child’s innate ability to solve their problems, (6) do not attempt to direct the child’s actions or conversation, (7) recognize the gradual nature of the child’s process, and (8) establish only those limitations that are necessary.
The therapist delivers sessions in a special playroom designed with objects, décor, and toys that serve a purpose. The five types of toys that help the child with self-expression include: (1) family/nurturing toys, (2) scary toys, (3) aggressive toys, (4) expressive toys, and (5) pretend/fantasy toys. The different toys allow the child to address specific emotions, including negative emotions, or to explore the adult world through pretend and role play.
During all interactions, the therapist lets the child take the lead and provides short verbal responses that match the child’s tone and approach. The therapist maintains an open and relaxed stance towards the child.
https://preventionservices.acf.hhs.gov/programs/626/show
Teens
Connect Psychology Australia understand that the teenage years can be tough to navigate. We offer adolescent counselling support for a variety of presenting concerns for teens including:
difficulty managing anxiety and/or anger
challenging and/or risk-taking behaviours
friendship issues and bullying
depression
identity/ orientation
family breakdown and conflict
parent and adolescent relationship challenges
grief and loss
learning difficulties
exam stress and study stress
school challenges
self-harm thoughts or actions
self-esteem issues
Adults
Counselling and Therapies
Our adult counselling services and therapies offer a range of positive benefits that can improve and enhance your life. You can express yourself freely in a confidential setting with an unbiased, trained psychologist who is bound by a code of professional ethics. This allows you to understand your thoughts and feelings and how they affect your behaviour, allowing you to learn productive ways to deal with them in a safe place.
Seeing a counsellor or a psychologist for the first time can be a huge step. It can provoke feelings of excitement, nervousness and even anxiety, but the experienced team at Connect Psychology Australia work hard to make this process as easy and comfortable as possible for you.
Some challenges our adult clients face include:
relationship challenges
identity/ orientation
grief and loss
pregnancy/post-natal challenges
parenting concerns
family violence
anxiety & depression
emotional regulation
panic attacks
phobias
stress
low self esteem
social challenges
skill development (social, emotional, etc.)
Anxiety & Stress
Anxiety is the most common mental health problem in Australia. Beyond Blue reports that on average, one in four people – one in three women and one in five men – will experience anxiety at some stage in their lives.
Feeling stressed or anxious once in a while is normal, but if those feelings persist daily over more than two weeks, and you feel restless and can’t sleep, it could be a sign of anxiety.
There are different types of anxiety including, generalised anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety and specific phobias.
If you think that you or someone you know may be experiencing anxiety, Connect Psychology Australia can help.
Grief Counselling
Feeling sad and grieving for a significant loss is a natural response to situations such as the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a pregnancy, a job, a pet or significant life transitions such as children leaving home, separation from friends and family and infertility. But if it endures, leading to prolonged feelings of intense sadness, insomnia, poor appetite and weight loss and affect your work, relationships or day-to-day living you may need to seek professional help.
Depression
Feeling sad every once in a while is normal, but if those feelings persist over more than a couple of weeks and you can’t seem to snap out of it, it could be a sign of depression.
If you have lost interest in your normal social activities, feel miserable and tired all the time and have had thoughts of being a failure, you may be experiencing depression.
Relationship Counselling (Individual )
Conflict is a normal part of every relationship, even in the healthiest of relationships. We all go through difficulties, as we all have different needs and ways of communicating. Sometimes we experience relationship struggles in particular relationships (e.g. with our partner or mother) or for time periods (e.g. at the start of a relationship or in your first few years of marriage).
Arguments and dissatisfaction in relationships can affect your mood, daily choices, and your comfort with the other person, possibly leading you to question the longevity of the relationship.
If left unchecked or unresolved, reoccurring or significant issues can evolve into deeper and much more troublesome problems.
Delving deeper into relationship’s issues, and working through them in a productive, safe and nurturing environment our psychologists provide a space for you speak openly about relationship difficulties, without feeling blamed or judgement.
Emotional and Mood Difficulties
Many people engage in counselling when they are experiencing difficulties processing their emotions, or are overwhelmed by emotion. Persistent sadness, stress, anger management, self-harm and low self-esteem are just some of the difficulties for which people may seek counselling, and these feelings may or may not be caused by a particular event. Connect Psychology Australia can assist clients to work towards overcoming the persistent experience of these difficult feelings and achieve a more balanced approach to life.
Self-Harm and Self Injury
Feeling distressed or overwhelmed by fearful thoughts or memories can become so intense that to relieve the tension, a person may start deliberately cutting themselves or in other ways inflicting pain on themselves, such as burning themselves, punching themselves, scratching sores or re-opening wounds. They may feel alone or want to punish themselves due to feelings of guilt or shame.
Self-harming is usually done in secret, so it is not visible. Usually these acts give only short-term relief and are soon followed by other self wounding.
Group Sessions
Group Therapy Sessions
At Connect Psychology Australia, our online and in-person therapy groups offer an alternative, effective form of psychological treatment that involves working with a small group of individuals with similar concerns or challenges.
Our groups are led by experienced group leader psychologist who is trained in group facilitation and will create a safe and confidential environment for you to practice new skills, establish healthy boundaries, and share your experiences, and insights.
The primary purpose of group therapy is to provide a supportive therapeutic space where individuals can connect with others who may be facing similar difficulties.
This shared experience can help alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness, as participants realise that they are not alone in their struggles. By hearing others’ perspectives, you can gain new insights into your own issues and learn a range of practical coping strategies. .
Mandatory Reporting & Informed Consent
Mandatory Reporting
Mandatory reporting is a legal requirement for certain professional groups, including psychologists, to report a reasonable belief of child abuse or neglect to child protection authorities. It can also apply to adults in residential services.
When we report
Report as soon as possible after forming the belief
Report again if you become aware of additional reasonable grounds for the belief
What we report
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Emotional abuse
Neglect
Exposure to family violence
Significant harm to a child's physical development or health
Significant harm to a child's emotional or intellectual development
Significant harm to a child due to abandonment or parental incapacity
What happens after reporting
Child Protection will decide if follow up is needed
Child Protection may provide advice to the reporter
Child Protection may investigate the matter
Child Protection may refer the family to community support services
Child Protection may take no further action
Psychologists fully inform clients regarding the psychological services they intend to provide, unless an explicit exception has been agreed upon in advance, or it is not reasonably possible to obtain informed consent.
Informed Consent
Psychologists provide information using plain language.
Psychologists ensure consent is informed by:
(a) explaining the nature and purpose of the procedures they intend using;
(b) clarifying the reasonably foreseeable risks, adverse effects, and possible disadvantages of the procedures they intend using; (c) explaining how information will be collected and recorded; (d) explaining how, where, and for how long, information will be stored, and who will have access to the stored information;
(e) advising clients that they may participate, may decline to participate, or may withdraw from methods or procedures proposed to them;
(f) explaining to clients what the reasonably foreseeable consequences would be if they decline to participate or withdraw from the proposed procedures;
(g) clarifying the frequency, expected duration, financial and administrative basis of any psychological services that will be provided;
(h) explaining confidentiality and limits to confidentiality;
(i) making clear, where necessary, the conditions under which the psychological services may be terminated; and
(j) providing any other relevant information.
Psychologists obtain consent from clients to provide a psychological
service unless consent is not required because:
(a) rendering the service without consent is permitted by law; or
(b) a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) or other appropriate ethics committee has waived the requirement in respect of research.
Psychologists obtain and document informed consent from clients or their legal guardians prior to using psychological procedures that entail physical contact with clients
Psychologists who work with clients whose capacity to give consent is, or may be, impaired or limited, obtain the consent of people with legal authority to act on behalf of the client, and attempt to obtain the client’s consent as far as practically possible
Psychologists who work with clients whose consent is not required by law still comply, as far as practically possible (i.e. Disabled, Culturally Diverse and Linguistically Different individuals).