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What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy?

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Therapy Guide

What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy?

Trauma-informed therapy starts with safety, choice and pacing.

Trauma-informed therapy is not one single technique. It is a way of understanding how stress, threat, attachment experiences or trauma may shape emotions, relationships, body responses, memory and coping.

Supportive hands representing paced trauma-informed therapy
FocusSafety, pacing, choice and collaboration.
May includeEMDR, ACT, grounding or schema-informed work.
Helpful forTrauma, attachment patterns, anxiety or shutdown.
WhereEssendon North, Footscray and telehealth.

What makes therapy trauma-informed?

  • Pacing: therapy does not need to move faster than your nervous system can manage.
  • Choice: goals and strategies are discussed collaboratively.
  • Stabilisation: early work may include grounding, emotion regulation and support planning.
  • Context: symptoms are understood in relation to experience, not treated as personal failure.

Is trauma-informed therapy only for PTSD?

No. Trauma-informed therapy may also be relevant for complex trauma, attachment wounds, chronic stress, grief, family or cultural stressors, emotional shutdown, people-pleasing, shame, burnout or relationship patterns.

Where do EMDR and ACT fit?

EMDR therapy may be considered when trauma memories or distressing experiences remain highly activating. ACT therapy may support values, flexibility, emotion regulation and living with difficult internal experiences.

Related pages

For more detail, see Trauma and Attachment, EMDR Therapy, What to Expect in Therapy, and Contact.

Thinking about trauma-informed support?

You can send a brief enquiry or view appointment availability when you feel ready to take the next step.

Send a brief enquiry View booking availability

Medicare Rebates for Psychology

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Medicare Guide

How Do Medicare Rebates Work for Psychology Sessions?

Understanding rebates early can make fees and booking feel more manageable.

Medicare rebates may reduce the out-of-pocket cost of eligible psychology sessions when you have a valid GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan. For eligible clinical psychology sessions, the rebate is commonly $149.05.

Notebook and paperwork representing Medicare rebate planning for psychology sessions
ReferralUsually organised through your GP.
RebateEligible clinical psychology sessions may receive $149.05.
LimitMedicare rules and session limits apply.
AssessmentsAssessment costs may follow different rules.

What do I need before claiming a rebate?

  • A GP appointment to discuss whether a Mental Health Treatment Plan is appropriate.
  • A valid referral addressed to the psychologist or practice.
  • Your Medicare details and current contact information.
  • Confirmation that the appointment type is eligible for claiming.

Does Medicare cover the full fee?

Usually, no. Medicare rebates reduce the cost of eligible sessions, but there is often an out-of-pocket gap. The exact gap depends on the appointment fee, rebate eligibility and appointment type.

Are ADHD or autism assessments covered?

Formal assessment pathways often include interviews, questionnaires, scoring, report preparation and feedback. These components may not be covered in the same way as standard therapy sessions. It is best to check the Fees page and ask before booking.

Related pages

For more detail, see Medicare Rebates, Fees, Funding Options, and Contact.

Want to check fees before booking?

You can review current fees or send a brief enquiry about Medicare, assessment or funding pathways.

View fees View booking availability

What Is a Neurodivergent-Affirming Psychologist?

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Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy Guide

What Is a Neurodivergent-Affirming Psychologist?

Good support should not ask you to hide the parts of yourself that need understanding.

A neurodivergent-affirming psychologist works with ADHD, autistic, AuDHD, and otherwise neurodivergent clients in a way that respects lived experience, communication preferences, sensory needs, masking, burnout, and practical support needs.

Neurodivergent-affirming psychology support in Melbourne for ADHD and autistic adults
WhoADHD, autistic, AuDHD, questioning, late-identified, or masking adults.
ServicesTherapy, assessment, support planning, emotional regulation and burnout support.
WhereEssendon North, Footscray, and telehealth across Victoria.
LanguagesEnglish, Cantonese, and Mandarin may be available.

What does neurodivergent-affirming mean?

Neurodivergent-affirming care does not frame ADHD or autistic ways of being as personal failures. It looks at the person’s nervous system, environment, demands, relationships, identity, strengths, distress, and support needs together.

What might feel different in sessions?

  • Communication can be clearer: less guessing, fewer vague instructions, and more direct collaboration.
  • Sensory needs can be named: lighting, noise, pacing, breaks, and appointment format can be discussed.
  • Masking is taken seriously: the cost of appearing fine can be explored without blame.
  • Strategies are personalised: support is matched to real-life energy, context, goals, and constraints.

Is it only for people with a diagnosis?

No. Neurodivergent-affirming therapy can also support people who are questioning, self-identifying, waiting for assessment, or exploring whether ADHD, autism, or AuDHD may help explain long-standing patterns.

What issues can be worked on?

Sessions may focus on anxiety, mood, trauma, attachment patterns, burnout, relationships, emotional regulation, executive functioning, study or work stress, identity, masking, or the impact of repeated misunderstanding.

Related pages: Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy, Adult ADHD Assessment, Autism and AuDHD Assessment, and EMDR Therapy.

What should I ask before booking?

  • Can the appointment format be adjusted for sensory or communication needs?
  • Can therapy include ADHD or autism-informed strategies?
  • Can sessions consider trauma, burnout, anxiety, or mood alongside neurodivergence?
  • Are assessment, therapy, or referral pathways more suitable for my current goal?

Frequently asked questions

Is neurodivergent-affirming therapy the same as ADHD coaching?

No. Therapy may include practical strategies, but it can also address emotional, relational, trauma, anxiety, mood, identity, and burnout concerns.

Can sessions include Cantonese or Mandarin?

Sessions may be available in English, Cantonese, or Mandarin, depending on appointment availability and service fit.

Can therapy help if I am not sure whether I am neurodivergent?

Yes. Therapy can explore patterns and support needs without requiring you to already have everything figured out.

Looking for Neurodivergent-Affirming Support?

You can start with a brief enquiry and describe the kind of support you are looking for.

View Booking Times Send an Enquiry

Adult ADHD Assessment Process

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ADHD Assessment Guide

What Happens in an Adult ADHD Assessment?

Assessment can feel less intimidating when you know the steps before you start.

An adult ADHD assessment usually brings together your history, current functioning, questionnaires, clinical interview information, and feedback. The goal is to clarify whether ADHD may explain your pattern and what support may be useful.

Adult ADHD assessment process with a clinical psychologist in Melbourne
WhoAdults exploring attention, organisation, restlessness, masking, burnout, or lifelong patterns.
WhereEssendon North, Footscray, and telehealth across Victoria.
LanguagesEnglish, Cantonese, and Mandarin may be available.
Next stepAsk about suitability or view assessment booking times.

What is an adult ADHD assessment?

An adult ADHD assessment is a structured clinical process used to understand whether ADHD criteria are met and whether other factors may also be contributing. It may consider attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation, restlessness, developmental history, masking, sleep, anxiety, trauma, and autism traits where relevant.

What are the usual steps?

  1. Initial consultation: clarify your questions, goals, and whether assessment is a suitable pathway.
  2. Questionnaires and background information: collect structured information about current and past patterns.
  3. Clinical interview: explore symptoms, strengths, support needs, context, and differential considerations.
  4. Feedback and report: review findings, recommendations, and possible therapy or support-planning steps.

What tools may be used?

The tools selected depend on the referral question and your circumstances. An ADHD assessment may use structured interview and rating-scale information such as DIVA-5, ASRS v1.1, CAARS 2, WURS, or other clinically relevant measures.

No single questionnaire or score determines the outcome. A careful assessment interprets results alongside your history, current functioning, clinical interview, and available background information.

What can assessment help with?

  • Understanding whether ADHD may explain long-standing patterns.
  • Planning therapy, daily-life strategies, or reasonable adjustment discussions.
  • Preparing information for a GP, psychiatrist, workplace, university, or other provider where relevant.
  • Clarifying whether autism traits, anxiety, mood, sleep, trauma, or burnout also need consideration.

What should I know before booking?

Assessment can provide clarity, but it does not guarantee a diagnosis, medication access, NDIS eligibility, workplace approval, or a particular funding outcome. If you are unsure what type of assessment or report you need, it is reasonable to ask before booking.

Related pages: Adult ADHD Assessment, Fees, and Funding Options.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a GP referral?

No. You can enquire privately about adult ADHD assessment. A GP referral may still be useful if you are also seeking Medicare-rebated therapy or medical review.

How long does the process take?

The full process commonly takes several weeks, depending on appointment availability, questionnaires, background information, report needs, and feedback scheduling.

Can autism or AuDHD be considered too?

Yes, where clinically appropriate. Some adults seek assessment because ADHD, autism, or combined AuDHD traits may all be relevant.

Considering an Adult ADHD Assessment?

You can start with a brief enquiry if you are unsure which assessment pathway fits.

View Booking Times Ask About Suitability