How We Help:
Types of Therapy
at South Yarra Psychology
At South Yarra Psychology, therapy is provided by registered psychologists, including clinical psychologists and counselling psychologists. The practice primarily offers individual therapy to adults, with some couples therapy and adolescent appointments also available.
Many clients contact us because they are experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, relationship difficulties, conflict, low self-esteem, burnout, grief, life transitions, ADHD, substance use, or a sense that old patterns are affecting their current life.
You do not need to know what type of therapy you need before booking an appointment. In the early stages of therapy, your psychologist will spend time understanding what has brought you to therapy, what you would like support with, what has helped or not helped in the past, and what kind of treatment approach may be most useful.
Our psychologists draw on a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches and tailor therapy to each client’s needs, goals, preferences and circumstances.
What therapy can help with
Therapy can support people in different ways. Some clients attend because they are trying to manage anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, grief, relationship difficulties, or major life changes. Others are wanting to better understand themselves, improve relationships, develop coping skills, manage emotions, get better sleep, identify personal goals, or change patterns that are affecting their wellbeing.
Psychologists can also help clients cope with adverse life experiences, such as trauma, abuse, death of a loved one, redundancy, relationship breakdown, illness, or other significant changes in life circumstances.
What to expect in the early stages of therapy
The first few sessions are usually focused on developing a clear understanding of your current concerns and the broader context of your life. Your psychologist may ask about what you are experiencing, how long it has been happening, what tends to trigger or maintain the difficulty, and how it affects your mood, relationships, work, study, health or daily functioning.
For some clients, therapy initially focuses on practical strategies for managing distress in the present. For others, therapy may involve developing insight into underlying patterns, beliefs, emotions, attachment experiences or unresolved trauma. Often, therapy includes both: support for coping now, and deeper work to understand why certain symptoms or patterns are occurring.
Types of therapy offered at South Yarra Psychology
Our psychologists have different areas of training and experience. Not every psychologist at the practice offers every therapy type, and the approach used will depend on your needs and the psychologist you see.
1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT explores the links between thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
CBT can be helpful for various concerns, including anxiety, depression, panic, stress, perfectionism, low self-esteem, avoidance and unhelpful behavioural patterns. It often involves identifying patterns that may be maintaining distress and developing more helpful ways of responding.
2. Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps clients develop a different relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions while moving toward actions that are more aligned with their values.
ACT can be useful for anxiety, depression, stress, adjustment difficulties, identity concerns, chronic self-criticism and life transitions.
3. Schema Therapy
Schema Therapy explores long-standing emotional patterns, core beliefs, coping styles and unmet emotional needs. It can be useful when clients notice similar patterns appearing across time and across areas of their life.
Schema Therapy may help clients understand why they respond strongly to certain situations, why particular relationship dynamics often repeat, or why they may recognise an issue but still feel unable to change it.
4. EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a structured therapy often used to support clients who have experienced trauma, or distressing life events. It can also be used to help address anxiety that has a specific trigger.
EMDR may be considered for PTSD, complex trauma, painful memories, anxiety linked to past experiences, and other difficulties where earlier experiences continue to feel emotionally unresolved or highly activating.
Before EMDR is used, your psychologist will usually spend time understanding your history, current coping strategies and whether EMDR is appropriate for your circumstances.
5. Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
IFS helps clients understand different “parts” of themselves. For example, one part of a person may want closeness while another part withdraws; one part may strive for achievement while another feels exhausted or resentful; another part may use avoidance, distraction or other coping strategies to manage distress.
IFS can help clients develop more curiosity and compassion toward internal conflict, protective strategies, emotional reactions and patterns that may have developed for understandable reasons. IFS-informed therapy can help clients relate to these parts with more curiosity and compassion, and work toward greater internal understanding and integration.
6. Therapy for relationship difficulties
Many clients seek individual therapy because of relationship concerns. This may include difficulties with communication, conflict, dating, attachment patterns, family dynamics, separation, boundaries, trust, emotional intimacy, sexual intimacy, or recurring patterns in romantic relationships.
Individual therapy can help clients understand their own relational patterns, emotional triggers, needs, boundaries, expectations and ways of responding under stress.
Some psychologists at South Yarra Psychology also offer couples therapy and may draw on Gottman-informed principles where appropriate.
7. Emotion-Focused Therapy and emotionally focused approaches
Emotion-focused approaches help clients better understand, process and work with emotional experience. This may include identifying emotions, making sense of what emotions are communicating, and exploring how emotional patterns may be linked to earlier experiences, current relationships or unmet needs.
Emotion-focused therapy may be helpful for clients who feel emotionally blocked, overwhelmed, disconnected, reactive or uncertain about what they feel. It may also support clients wanting to better understand patterns in relationships, conflict, grief, trauma or self-worth.
8. DBT-informed skills
Some psychologists may draw on DBT-informed therapy where appropriate, particularly when therapy involves emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness or managing intense emotional states. DBT-informed strategies may be integrated with other therapy approaches depending on the client’s needs and the psychologist’s training.
In-person and telehealth appointments
South Yarra Psychology offers both in-person and telehealth (online) appointments.
Most clients attend in person at our South Yarra rooms, particularly those who live or work nearby in South Yarra, Prahran, Toorak, Richmond, Windsor, Armadale, Malvern, Melbourne CBD or surrounding suburbs.
Telehealth appointments may be available for clients who prefer online therapy, are travelling, live outside the local area, or need greater flexibility.
Booking, referrals & Medicare rebates
You can book an appointment with a psychologist at South Yarra Psychology with or without a GP referral.
A GP referral is not required to attend therapy. However, if you would like to claim Medicare rebates, you will need a valid referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan, as well as your Medicare card details.
For current appointment fees and rebate information, please visit our Fees & Rebates page.
Not sure who to book with?
South Yarra Psychology offers a free psychologist matching call for new clients.
During this 10 minute phone call, the psychologist will ask about what you are seeking support for and recommend psychologist options at the practice who may be well suited to your needs, preferences and availability.
You are also welcome to book an appointment online without a matching call.