When to Refer
Psychotherapy For Adults, Adolescents, Children, Infants and their Parents
Recognising when to seek help is an important step towards emotional and psychological well-being.
Questions and concerns about children can come up for parents from time to time. It is helpful to think about when it may be important to seek professional assistance for children. Adults may chose to see a psychotherapist for many different reasons. It may be for example, be related to trauma or perhaps about gaining a better understanding of oneself so to make better choices in life.
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If your infant is difficult to comfort or is restless or doesn't settle to sleep easily; doesn't seem happy or doesn't respond to you as you would expect; is not vocalising or communicating as other infants do; is having problems feeding or putting on weight despite the professional help you may have received from nurses or doctors.
Infants Under 12 Months Old
Toddlers and Two Year Olds
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If your toddler or two year old is particularly defiant, is impulsive or overactive, doesn't seem happy, or has limited play or communication skills. Maybe there are feeding problems or sleeping problems; or perhaps there are problems with anxiety or difficulties in relationships including relationships with other children.
Children
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If your child is having problems with peers, is being bullied or may be a bully; is shy and withdrawn, may seem unhappy or lacking enjoyment in life; they may be anxious or have poor concentration or not be achieving at school; perhaps they are obsessive or have behaviour problems and are often getting into trouble; sometimes children present with physical symptoms, but these symptoms while real, seem related to stress or emotion problems.
Teenagers
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There are a range of concerns that may prompt teenagers or their parents to seek help from a therapist. The teenager may feel uneasy in themselves, unhappy or even depressed; they may be anxious or panicky, or withdrawn and shy; there may be problems with establishing or maintaining friendships or they might be persistenty getting into fights; they may have trouble concentrating on schoolwork or not be achieving at school as expected; there may have been a significant loss in their lives, or they may have experienced trauma either recently or in the past.
Adults
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Adults come to psychotherapy for many different reasons. It may be related to a wish to know themselves better, or it may be due to some uneasiness in themselves or concern that they are not achieving their potential. They may be experiencing anxiety or depression or a sense of just not feeling as happy as they would like. Sometimes people seek psychotherapy because of relationship difficulties: maybe problems establishing romantic relationships or in being able to maintain relationships; there may be difficulties around trauma, loss or other significant life events. There may be problems sleeping or with managing stress or with feeling motivated. Sometimes its because of physical symptoms which they suspect may have an underlying basis in anxiety and stress.
During the Perinatal Period
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Expectant mothers sometimes seek help when they are feeling uneasy or even overwhelmed about the pregnancy; problems may have emerged in their relationship with their partner or there may be concerns about their relationship with their developing baby. Both expectant mothers and mothers of young babies may seek help because they are anxious, sad or depressed; there may have been a loss of someone close or a past trauma that is pervading their thoughts or causing great stress; confidence in themselves or in their capacities as a mother may be low or there may be frustrations with their new baby, or even regrets about becoming a mother.
Making an Appointment
Appointments can be made without the need for a referral from a General Practitioner.
A Mental Health Plan is not required to claim Medicare rebates. Medicare rebates apply to fees for all sessions throughout the year, and there is no specified limit on the number of sessions.
Please complete this online form with your enquiry.