Psychology and psychotherapy both aim to support mental and emotional wellbeing, but they often approach this in different ways.

Psychology is a broad professional and scientific field concerned with understanding how the mind works, how we think, feel, and behave, and how mental health difficulties are understood and treated. In Australia, psychologists are trained in assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based interventions, and many people find this approach very helpful.

Psychotherapy, by contrast, is centred on the therapeutic relationship and on your lived, subjective experience. It focuses less on assessment and diagnosis, and more on understanding meaning, patterns, emotional life, the body, and relational history. Change is supported through a consistent, attuned relationship over time, rather than primarily through techniques or protocols.

Some people come to psychotherapy because they want something more relational, more spacious, or more oriented toward depth, healing, and self-understanding than they have previously experienced. If you’ve had experiences with psychology that felt overly clinical, pathologising, or not quite attuned to you as a person, psychotherapy can sometimes offer a different way of being met and supported.

Counselling and psychotherapy are both ways of offering support, understanding, and relief in times of difficulty. Which approach is most helpful depends on your needs, preferences, and what you are seeking at this time.

Counselling is often oriented toward present-day concerns and life challenges, and can be more structured, goal-focused, or short-term in nature. It can be very helpful for navigating specific situations, transitions, or stresses.

Psychotherapy works more in depth with emotional patterns, relational history, and the inner world. It involves a longer-term, relational process, with attention to how experiences are held in the body, the nervous system, and in ways of relating to ourselves and others.

While I offer both, my primary orientation is psychotherapeutic. This means that even when we are working with practical or current concerns, I tend to hold them within a deeper, relational, and reflective process, rather than focusing only on symptom reduction or problem-solving.

You’re always welcome to let me know what kind of support you’re looking for, i.e. whether something more focused and practical, or something more exploratory and in depth, and we can shape the work together.

For more info read this short article.

Many people feel hesitant about starting with a new counsellor or therapist because they worry they will have to retell painful or difficult parts of their story all over again. While some understanding of your past can be helpful in making sense of what you’re experiencing now, therapy does not require you to go into graphic detail about what has happened.

What tends to matter most is understanding the impact and how your experiences have shaped your nervous system, your sense of safety, and your patterns of relating. This can be explored in ways that feel manageable for you, whether somatically (by attending to body sensations, movement, and voice), symbolically, or creatively.

If you have any concerns or questions regarding this, please feel free to get in touch and discuss these with Beth prior to booking.

How long is a piece of string? It varies. The length of therapy depends on the depth at which you wish to work and the nature of the issues you’re bringing.

For some people, three to six sessions may be enough to shift perspective and bring a sense of clarity, relief, or insight. For others, the work is more long-term, unfolding over months or even years.

The frequency of sessions is always ultimately your choice. I understand that therapy is an investment of time, energy, and money, and I’m mindful of people’s different needs and circumstances. While I may make suggestions based on what we explore together, you will never be pressured to continue or to book more sessions than feel right for you.

Yes. I do work with younger clients (over the age of 12) for counselling and psychotherapy and I have a special interest in working with teen girls.

If you are making a booking for a child or teen please contact me by phone or email prior to making the appointment so we can discuss the child’s needs from your perspective prior to my meeting them.

An intake session with the parent may be advised and scheduled prior to the child commencing therapy.

You can attend an appointment in person at my consulting room at 32 Myers Street (Level 1, Suite 7) or via video call. Please specify your preferred location at the time of booking.

You can book via our booking page here. If you cannot find a suitable appointment time or have questions about my availability, please contact me to discuss 0459 625 110.

Online payment can be made at the time of booking or on the day of your appointment by card, cash or bank transfer unless other arrangements have been made between us.

You can change or cancel your appointment up to 24 hours before your appointment time, however, please try to give as much notice as possible. A full refund will be provided for appointments cancelled with 24 hours or more notice. Appointments cancelled within 24 hours, or in the case of a no-show, you will be charged at the full session fee as we will be unable to fill your session time. Thank you for your understanding.

Appointments are typically 60 minutes in length. The current fee for a standard psychotherapy and counselling session is $145 AUD.

If a longer appointment time is preferred contact us to discuss fees and booking arrangements.

Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to claim a Medicare rebate for counselling and psychotherapy unless these services are offered by a psychologist (which I am not). If you have an NDIS plan it may be possible to use your funding for either service. Please speak with your plan manager or contact me to discuss your options.

Sadly not. We are on the First Floor and there is a flight of stairs to access the room. Online appointments are available as an alternative.