psychology
Our psychologists and provisional psychologists are a passionate and motivated team who love supporting individuals of all ages to reach their psychological goals. All of our team are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and bring a diverse range of experience and specialised training across different areas of psychology, including educational and developmental psychology, play therapy and supports for neurodiverse individuals.
what we help with
Counselling: Supporting mental health, behaviour, social-emotional and wellbeing needs, including play-based approaches with children and relaxing spaces for teens and adults.
Play Therapy: A safe approach for children aged 3-12 years to explore, communicate and express emotions through play.
Assessments: Neurodevelopmental assessments (including autism and ADHD) and assessments for cognitive ability, intellectual disability and learning (including assessment for learning disorders such as dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia). Assessment reports include personalised insights, diagnosis (where relevant), and recommendations.
Caregiver & Family Support: Guidance for parents and carers on social, emotional and mental health supports, navigating family relationships and post-diagnosis supports.
Group Programs: Supporting social-emotional growth, mental health strategies and increased social connections.
Education Support: Supporting through collaboration with schools and attendance at student meetings to develop individualised learning plans.
Online Resources: Access to support strategies for managing common challenges with children.
our approach
Our psychology team takes a person-centered, strengths-based approach. We value the importance of building a safe and trusting relationship first and then work with individuals at their pace to achieve their goals.
We work beyond traditional behaviour management to understand the emotional and mental health needs behind behaviours for more long-lasting change. For our neurodiverse community, our neuro-affirming approach embraces differences like Autism and ADHD, focusing on strengths and supportive strategies and assisting our neurodiverse individuals to build confidence to advocate for their individual needs.
Collaboration with families and schools also forms an important part of our approach to assist with a consistent support plan across different settings.
service options
Sessions in our clinic hubs
Telepractice (online sessions)
Group Programs
Home visits
School, kindergarten and childcare visits
School day contracts
how we work
In most circumstances, we will support you by:
Listening and Understanding
We begin by asking questions through our intake form and initial appointment to best understand your concerns, identify your goals and obtain a comprehensive background history.
Create a Safe Space
We spend time building a safe and trusting relationship with you and any relevant family members to provide inclusive and family-centered supports.
Assess Your Needs
We work collaboratively with you to assess your needs and develop a suitable plan for assessment, therapy or other supports.
Implement Support Plan
We work with you for your assessment, therapy or other support plan to address your needs.
Consultation and Review
We discuss and review your experiences of psychology supports to ensure it is meeting your needs.
Communicate with Caregivers
Where appropriate, provide general support and feedback to caregivers, building confidence and skills in caregivers in their important support role with their children.
Provide Reports
Where relevant, we provide summary letters, assessment reports or other documentation to work collaboratively with families, kindergartens and schools.
accessing psychology services
We accept funding through the NDIS and Medicare (Chronic Disease Management Plan and Mental Health Care Plan). Clients can also choose to pay out of pocket and may be eligible to claim a rebate through their private health insurance provider.
psychologists and provisional psychologists
All Psychologists with Full Registration have completed a minimum of 6 years of training. This includes an initial 4 years of training in psychology at university and then completion of at least an additional two years of training, either university or workplace training.
Provisional Psychologists have all completed 5 years training at university and are the final stages of their training before achieving their full registration as a psychologist. All provisional psychologists have completed intensive training in psychological and ethical practice, while also completing intensive supervision/mentoring with an experienced, supervising psychologist.
Both Psychologists and Provisional Psychologists are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and have ongoing requirements to meet high standards of psychological and ethical practice. All of our psychologists and provisional psychologists come equipped with appropriate training and skills and to assist individuals with their goals. Our intake team carefully match the needs of each individual to a psychologist so that each individual can feel confident that their psychologist (either with full or provisional registration) can support them in meeting their individual needs.
Please understand that Peninsula Plus is not a crisis service.
If you are in crisis or need emergency support, please contact one of the following services:
- Emergency Services 000
- Peninsula Health Triage Service: 1300 792 977
- Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
We are not a forensic psychology service, therefore we do not provide court reports.
THRIVE
Thrive is a support stream at Peninsula Plus that you might be offered, or choose to access, whilst waiting for other services or when you are experiencing an overwhelming period in your/family's life. It is a capacity building support provided to help with:
- Advocating effectively for your child and accessing other potential supports
- Sustaining your efforts and preventing carer burnout
- Connecting you with other parents and carers to reduce isolation, if needed
- Experiencing joy and fun as a family and celebrating your child's strengths