We help with
We can assist with a wide range of challenges. Some of the common issues we can help you with include:
Research shows that approximately one in seven people will experience depression in their lifetime. Depression can feel like being teary, restless, irritable, or angry. Some people experience depression as a loss of interest or enjoyment, wanting to withdraw socially, consistent negative or critical thinking, poor concentration & memory, sleeping difficulties and persistent tiredness, a sense of loneliness or isolation, difficulties making decisions or completing routine task, anger outbursts reduced appetite or over-eating, low libido, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, thoughts of self-harm or suicide and addictions. Depression can sap your energy, confidence, motivation and cause your relationships with others such as colleagues and loved ones to suffer.
If you are struggling with or worried any of the above concerns, please speak to your GP and make an appointment with one of our psychologists. If left untreated, depression can have a devastating impact on a person’s life, so it is important to seek help early.
Although it is normal to feel anxious at times, high or ongoing anxiety can be very distressing and have a huge impact on everyday life. Anxiety can feel like panic, excessive fear, nervousness, constant worry, catastrophising and negative thinking, breathing too shallow or too fast, feeling irritable and wound-up, racing mind/heart, difficulty winding down and relaxing, sleep problems, tightness in chest, shakiness and avoidance of people and situations which may exacerbate these feelings or symptoms.
Types of anxiety:
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Agoraphobia
- Specific phobias
- Substance induced anxieties
Anxiety can become a debilitating problem if left untreated. Anxiety can lead to depression, loss of employment, relationship stress or breakdown and an inability to function normally in day-to-day life so it is important to seek treatment from a trained professional. If you are concerned about your anxiety levels, please speak to your GP and make an appointment with one of our psychologists.
Although stress is a normal and expected response to certain situations which are part of living life and just being human, ongoing and chronic stress levels can impact significantly on our physical and mental health, our relationships with other people, and our functioning in our personal and professional lives. We can’t always avoid stressful events, but we can develop the psychological tools and strategies to better manage them when they do arise.
Some people experience stress as: depression, chronic insomnia, poor concentration, loneliness and isolation, mood changes, reduced tolerance levels, anxiety, feeling detached, overwhelmed, persistent worry, racing thoughts physical complaints such as: headache, stomach ache, indigestion, diarrhoea, high blood pressure, teeth grinding, ulcers and lowered immunity.
Workplace issues
Changes in the workplace such as role definitions, job security, management, experiencing bullying & harassment, relationships with colleagues or experiencing a traumatic event or injury can compromise our mental health and wellbeing at work and in our personal lives.
If you are concerned about your level of stress, please speak to your GP and make an appointment with one of our psychologists.
Our experienced therapists at Groundwork Psychology can help you improve your relationships with others, whether that be with family, friends, your children, work colleagues or your partner. Relationships are an important aspect of life and the quality of our relationships with others can have a big impact on wellbeing and our ability to function.
Some of the common difficulties with relationships we can assist with include:
Relationship difficulties:
- Fear, anxiety or avoidance of relationships
- Communication
- Managing conflict
- Trust issues
- Difficulties expressing your needs
- Low confidence or social skills
- Workplace relationships
- Social isolation & loneliness
- Difficulties feeling close to others
- Finding, starting, maintaining or ending relationships
- Relationship loss & abandonment
- Negative or abusive relationships
Couples issues:
- Communication
- Meeting each other’s needs
- Attachment & commitment issues
- Life transitions
- Child rearing
- Managing conflict
- Mismatched libidos
- Cultural differences
- Shared roles & responsibilities
- Navigating separation & divorce
- Financial stress
- Infidelity, mistrust & jealousy
- Connection & intimacy
- Sexual issues
- Addictions
- Polyamory or open relationships
- Step-parenting & blended family challenges
If you are experiencing difficulties with your relationships with others and think you could use some support, strategies and a safe place to make sense of things, please speak to your GP and make an appointment with one of our psychologists.
Grief is a natural and normal response to the loss of someone or something that really mattered to us. Grief can occur in response to various types of loss, these include loss of a loved one or significant person (including a pet), loss of employment, loss of home, divorce or separation, loss of security/sense of safety/predictability, diagnosis of serious medical condition (self or loved one), physical injury, incapacity/disability, miscarriage or loss of identity.
Everyone processes grief and loss differently. Grief can be utterly overwhelming, painful and distressing. Some people experience grief as extreme sadness, disbelief, anger, detachment or withdrawal, guilt, a sense of helplessness, preoccupied thoughts, or anxiety. Talking to a counsellor at these times can be immensely beneficial to help you understand your feelings and to help make sense of your experience.
If you think that you could benefit from some professional help in dealing with grief and loss, please speak to your GP and make an appointment with one of our psychologists.
Life offers us a series of change across the lifespan. Whether change is anticipated or completely unexpected, it can feel overwhelming and frightening. Whether changes are welcomed or unwanted, they can involve positive and negative stress. We are challenged to adjust ourselves and our lives and our coping resources can be stretched. During periods of change we can feel stress, anxiety, grief, and depression.
If you are having difficulties with change and transition and think you could benefit from some support & strategies, contact us to make an appointment with one of our psychologists.
Trauma is an emotional and psychological response to a single event, ongoing or series of events that is distressing or deeply disturbing and overwhelms the person’s body and mind.
Some common causes of trauma:
- Abuse (physical, psychological or sexual)
- Physical injury, accident or serious illness
- Death of a loved one
- Relationship breakdown
- Intrusive medical procedures
- Being a victim of a violent crime or a witness to it.
- Neglect
- Catastrophic events such as bushfires
- Bullying
- A deeply disappointing, humiliating or emotionally painful experience
Some people experience trauma as nightmares, hypervigilance, depression, anger, stress, feeling unsafe, anxiety, feelings of shame and worthlessness, experiencing insomnia, headaches, flashbacks, relationship issues, impulsivity, feeling detached, addictions, causing conflict, quitting jobs, difficulty regulating own emotions, trust issues, concentration or memory issues, avoidance, and difficulty experiencing joy.
The severity of psychological trauma can differ from one person to another. People react to the same event in different ways depending on their personality, perspective or coping resources. The symptoms of trauma can be mild only a short period of time while trauma like PTSD is more severe and requires professional treatment. Its never too late to seek help to recover from trauma and limit the destructive impact it has on your wellbeing, relationships and your ability function and cope with life.
If you are struggling with an experience of trauma and would like some professional help to recover and grow, please speak to your GP and make an appointment with one of our psychologists.
We offer a wide range of assessments at highly competitive prices. We currently have short wait times, and our turn-around times are typically two weeks. Our assessments come with written reports and a feedback session can be booked separately.
Our assessment services include:
- Intelligence/cognitive testing for adults and children (e.g. WAIS & WISC)
- Functional assessments for all ages
- Adaptive behavioural assessments (e.g. ABAS)
Please call the clinic and speak to Tess on 03 9416 4994 to discuss your assessment needs.
A behaviour of concern can be defined as any behaviour that causes worry, concern, stress, risk of harm to people, animals, or property. We believe that all behaviours are an attempt to communicate something to others. We work with individuals and their family/carers to uncover what needs and wants they are trying to express through their behaviours.
We believe firmly in providing proactive strategies and approaches to help individuals reduce concerning behaviours over time.
Behaviours of concern include:
- Property destruction
- Non-suicidal self-harm
- Threats to self and others
- Verbal or physical aggression
- Hypersexuality
- Disinhibited and impulsive behaviours