Professional Psychology and Counselling Services in Penrith

Counselling is a process in which individuals, families or groups meet with a trained professional to discuss issues that are causing them concern. Counselling offers a supportive, neutral and non-judgemental environment from which you can clarify and better understand your problems, and gain greater self-awareness into the things that are causing you distress.

During the process your psychologist may help you to identify and initiate positive changes to address your problems, or teach you ways to accept a difficult situation that you are unable to change. People often access counselling to help them to lead a happier and more meaningful life.

Anyone who is experiencing difficulties in their personal life may benefit from attending counselling sessions. People often seek counselling at times of change, or during a crisis in their lives, because they find it helpful to talk with a trained professional. Sometimes the people that are closest to us, such as our friends and family, are unable to provide us with the neutral perspective we need to develop understanding and effective coping strategies to manage our problems. At these times it may help to attend counselling.

Common personal issues that prompt people to access counselling include: emotional difficulties, such as depression and anxiety, relationship issues, grief and loss, and difficulties adjusting to a change in life circumstances, such as a new job or family commitments. Counselling can provide you with the skills to successfully negotiate all of these issues and give you a happier and more fulfilling life to look forward to.

At TG Psychology your privacy and confidentiality is of the utmost importance to us. We respect that the information you share about yourself may be extremely personal. It will be used to assist your psychologist in developing a treatment to help you with your difficulties and it will not be shared with anyone else.

It is important to note that there are some limitations to this guarantee of confidentiality and your psychologist will discuss these with you at the beginning of your first appointment. Such limitations include disclosures about you or someone else being at risk of serious harm, (in which case your psychologist has a duty of care and is required to ensure your safety and the safety of others); or when a file is subpoenaed by a court of law.

Psychologists are health professionals who have received specialised training in human behaviour and the mind. They are experts in understanding the way we think, feel, act and learn.

It is a common misunderstanding that you must be “crazy” to see a psychologist. In fact psychologists assess and treat people with a wide range of issues. While these do include emotional problems such as depression, anxiety and stress, they also help people with many other issues including: relationship difficulties, addictions, anger management, parenting, managing the effects of a chronic illness or even short-term problems, like feeling overwhelmed by a new job or grieving the death of a family member.

Most psychologists are trained in a range of therapy styles and design treatments based on the most up-to-date research, while taking into consideration a person’s unique values, characteristics, circumstances and goals. Psychological treatments usually improve the emotional health by helping people to develop more insight into their feelings, thoughts and behaviours.

At TG Psychology our psychologists are fully registered with the Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and have completed a minimum of 4 years university study. In addition they have completed an additional two years of either clinical supervision from a registered psychologist, or further university study.
Psychologists are not medically trained and are not able to prescribe medications. However many liaise closely with medical professionals involved in an individual’s care, such as doctor.

During the first appointment at TG Psychology, the main focus will be on getting to know you and gaining an understanding of the problems that have brought you to see us. Your psychologist will ask about the difficulties you are currently experiencing, how they affect you, and what opinions you have about how we can help you. Your psychologist will ask general questions about you and your life to assist them in formulating the most appropriate treatment for you.

When you first present to TG Psychology, your psychologist will ask you to complete a brief registration form and will provide you with important information about privacy and confidentiality. They will also explain what you should expect from your treatment.

Everyone presents to TG Psychology with a unique set of circumstances and needs. Because of this the number of required sessions varies. Some people only need a few sessions with their psychologist to get their lives back on track, while others may require longer-term therapy, which may involve a significant examination of their lives and may take one year or longer.

While everyone’s individual needs are different, it is unlikely that attending just one session will be sufficient for you to experience sustainable long-term gains. The first appointment is an assessment session, in which your psychologist will get to know you and gain an understanding of your presenting issues.

While you are likely to experience some relief from ‘venting” bottled up thoughts and feelings in your first session, such relief is likely to be brief. You are more likely to experience longer lasting, sustainable emotional gains by attending regular follow-up sessions, in which you develop a treatment plan with your psychologist and learn helpful ways of coping with your presenting issues.

Our rates are very competitive for both individual and couples counselling sessions and we offer concession rates for pensioners and health care card holders. Please contact our Booking team on 02 8089 2667 for further information about our pricing.

At TG Psychology both of our psychologists are registered providers with Medicare and most private health insurers, and in many cases it is possible to claim rebates for session fees.

To access Medicare rebates you must first acquire a Mental Health Care Plan from a GP. Please note that, unfortunately, we are not able to claim Medicare rebates for couples sessions, as this presenting issue is not covered under Medicare’s “Better Access to Mental Health Care” scheme.

We are able to process most Medicare and Private Health insurance rebates at the end of each counselling session. This enables the funds to be paid directly into your bank account and saves you from the inconvenience of visiting their offices yourself. For more information about Medicare and Private Health insurance rebates please read our Medicare Rebates page.

No. Our psychologists do NOT write psychological reports and evaluations. However they are able to write a letter of attendance if you require. These are brief letters, which confirm your dates of attendance and do not incur any additional fees. If you do require a letter of attendance please discuss this with your psychologist.

Our psychologists use a range of different therapies in their treatments, including: cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), schema focused therapy (SFT) and solution focused brief therapy (SFBT). The style they use will depend on your specific needs and circumstances. For more information about these therapeutic approaches, please visit the Types of Therapy We Use section of our Issues We Help With page.

No we are NOT an emergency or crisis service and unfortunately we cannot provide services 24 hours a day. If you are in an emergency situation, in which your safety, or the safety of someone else is in immediate danger, please call 000 (triple zero) right now.
If you are not in immediate danger, but you would like to speak with someone right away, you may find the following contact numbers useful:

• NSW Mental Health Access Line 1800 011 511
• Lifeline 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
• Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
• After Hours GP Helpline 1800 022 222
• Domestic Violence Helpline 1800 656 463
• Rape Crisis Line 1800 424 017
• Men’s Helpline 1300 789 978
• Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
• Veteran and Veteran Families Counselling Service 1800 011 046
• Nepean and Blue Mountains Drug and Alcohol Intake 1300 661 050
• NSW Gambling Helpline 1800 858 858

Due to our focus on adult mental health, we regretfully do not accept patients under the age of 18 at this clinic.