Questions people ask before their first session.

No. And "crazy" is an unhelpful label, but one that many potential clients worry about. Every client has strengths and capabilities… but also coping mechanisms that may no longer serve them. I serve as a sounding board or mirror to my clients. Many are high achievers in life, looking for an impartial perspective. Others have had mental health-related diagnoses and seek tailored support. I am amazed at the strength my clients bring to their lives — even if they don't think they're strong.

No. No one can "fix" another, and you cannot change people. Yet as a trained psychologist, I can provide a safe environment for you to change — and change may lead to exactly the adaptations you're after. I tell my clients we should aim for 5 to 10 per cent better as a realistic starting stance. The most crucial lens I provide in the therapy room is a non-judgemental one, so you can feel safe and very much seen.

The first few sessions focus on setting therapeutic boundaries and conducting an assessment — confidentiality, how therapy works, and whether we're a fit. Sometimes I may refer you to another provider who is a better match; if I do, it's a decision based on sound ethics and clinical judgement, never taken lightly.

Those early sessions also set your therapy goals — different for every client. The sessions after that work toward those goals. The habits that brought you to therapy may have taken years to form; undoing them rarely takes years, but it does take sustained effort. Both of us do the heavy lifting in our partnership.

No. Medical doctors — including GPs and psychiatrists — prescribe medication. Psychologists think about how medication affects clients, including contraindications and possible side effects, and work alongside your prescriber where relevant.

It depends on you. Some clients need a sounding board for two sessions — say, a vexing family problem that needs an impartial perspective. Others have worked with me for over a year as their goals evolve. I recommend meeting for one to three sessions first to see whether I'm the right fit: it matters that you gel with your psychologist, and that my scope of practice suits your particular challenges.

Individual sessions are $250 and couples sessions are $280 (fees reviewed each January and July). With a valid Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, you may receive a Medicare rebate of over $98 per individual session, for up to ten rebated sessions per calendar year. Couples sessions aren't Medicare-rebateable. Payment is by EFTPOS, credit card or bank transfer at the time of session.

No — you can book directly. But if you want the Medicare rebate for individual sessions, see your GP first for a Mental Health Care Plan. Many of my clients are referred by trusted local GPs; many others simply book online.

Saturdays 8am–1pm, plus Monday and Wednesday evenings from 5:30pm — built around full-time work schedules. The clinic is at BREED Quakers Hill Business Incubator, Room 8, T2A, Nirimba Education Precinct, Warawara Circuit, Quakers Hill NSW 2763, convenient to Quakers Hill, Blacktown, Stanhope Gardens, Schofields, Rouse Hill, Seven Hills and surrounds. Executive coaching is also available online.

Please give at least 48 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule. Cancellations with less than 48 hours' notice incur a 50% fee; less than 24 hours' notice or no-show incurs the full session fee. Full details are in the Privacy & Client Policy.