Psychological therapy
Finding your way back to the things that used to matter.
Psychological therapy for low mood and depression, for children, adolescents, adults and older adults, in Southport and across the Gold Coast, and by telehealth where that suits.
When low mood settles in, the things you used to look forward to can feel flat, and getting through the day can take everything you have.
We work with you to understand what is keeping the low mood going, take small steps that rebuild momentum, and reconnect you with what matters. We see people in Southport and across the Gold Coast, and by telehealth where that suits.
Does this sound like you?
What low mood can feel like from the inside
Depression looks different from one person to the next. You might recognise some of these, in yourself or someone you care about:
- A flatness that does not lift, where most days feel grey whatever happens
- Things you used to enjoy have lost their pull, and you are not sure when that changed
- You are worn out in a way that sleep does not fix, and small tasks feel like a lot
- A harsh inner voice, critical of yourself, quick to count the ways you are falling short
- You have been pulling back from people, replying less, cancelling more
- You are going through the motions, getting things done on the outside while feeling little on the inside
If you are not safe right now, or you are thinking about ending your life, please reach out straight away. Lifeline is available any time on 13 11 14, and in an emergency call 000. We are a planned therapy service, not a crisis line, and we can help you find the right urgent support if that is what you need first.
How therapy helps
How therapy helps with low mood and depression
Low mood has many causes, and we take time to understand your picture before settling on an approach. We draw on the way of working that fits you and what you want to change.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with behavioural activation
Works with the loop where low mood, low energy and doing less feed each other. Alongside shifting the harsh, all-or-nothing thinking that depression brings, behavioural activation rebuilds momentum through small, doable steps back towards activity and connection, so that motivation can follow action rather than waiting for it.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Helps you make room for difficult feelings without letting them run the day, and reconnects your actions with what matters to you, so that life can move in a valued direction even while the mood is still low.
Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP)
An emotion-focused, experiential therapy that gently works with the feelings and protective patterns sitting beneath long-standing low mood and self-criticism, often working briefly and deeply.
Emotion-focused work (EFT-informed)
Attends to the emotions underneath the flatness, helping you understand and gradually shift the patterns that keep you stuck, including grief, anger turned inward, or feelings that have been hard to name.
Low mood can also come from physical health, medication, thyroid or other conditions, and from grief, loss or a major change. Where it follows an illness or a change in thinking, we keep that in view and coordinate with your GP and others in your care. If a medication question arises, that sits with your GP or psychiatrist, and we can help you find that pathway.
What to expect
How we begin
Sessions are usually 50 minutes, scheduled weekly or fortnightly. There is no pressure to have it all worked out before you come in.
- Understanding the picture. A first conversation about how you have been feeling, how long it has been there, what is happening in your life, and your health and history, so we understand the whole picture rather than the symptom alone.
- A shared plan. Together we set out a few clear goals, in your words, and choose an approach that fits where you are and what you want to change.
- Small steps that build. Between sessions we work on manageable steps back towards activity, connection and the things you value, paced so they feel possible rather than another thing to fail at.
- Reviewing as we go. We check in on how the mood and the steps are tracking, and adjust together. The number of sessions varies with the approach and the goal, and we will be honest with you about that.
Some people come for a brief, focused piece of work, and others value longer-term support. We will talk that through with you rather than assume it.
“You do not have to feel motivated to start. We begin with one small step, and let the rest follow.”
What changes
What getting better can look like
Recovery from low mood is rarely a straight line, and it usually shows up first in small ways: a morning that feels a little lighter, an interest that flickers back, a message you answer instead of leaving. Over time, the harsh inner voice loses some of its grip, energy returns in patches, and the things that matter to you start to feel reachable again. We work towards changes you can notice in your own daily life, and we are honest with you about what therapy can and cannot do, and about when another kind of support would help.
Funding and rebates
What you can claim
With a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, the Better Access initiative provides Medicare rebates for a number of individual sessions each calendar year, with a GP review part way through. Rebates differ for clinical and registered psychologists. We also work with the Department of Veterans' Affairs, WorkCover Queensland, icare (NSW) and transport-accident schemes.
A referral is not needed to see us privately. A referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan are needed to claim Medicare rebates. Current fees and the exact rebate figures are on our Fees and Policies page.
Ready when you are
If today feels like a lot, even one small step counts. Request an appointment, or call 0452 452 262. If you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan or referral, attach it and we will take care of the rest. GPs and other professionals can refer through our referrer page.
Request an appointmentSources: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, Better Access initiative (Medicare-rebated mental health care), and Services Australia for Medicare rebates. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Depression in adults: treatment and management (NICE guideline NG222), 2022. If you are in distress, Lifeline is available any time on 13 11 14, and in an emergency call 000.