Sessions last for one hour. Carolyn can assist adults with the following problems:
Carolyn does not treat children, adolescents under the age of 18 years, or couples, however she can guide you to suitably qualified Psychologists who can provide assistance to these clients.
Rebates
Most Health Funds provide rebates for approved Psychological Services to
members with the appropriate level of cover. Please check with your Fund for
more information. HICAPS is available to process claims immediately for
members in participating Health Funds. We will need your Health Fund card to
process the claim using HICAPS. A Doctor’s referral is not required.
Medicare rebates can be claimed with the appropriate Doctor’s referral if you
have a mental disorder which is being managed either by your GP or
Psychiatrist. Ask your Doctor for more information about this. You cannot use
your private health insurance to cover the Medicare gap. Medicare Easyclaim is available to process claims immediately.
Depression
People who are depressed experience a constant low or sad mood. Other signs of depression include disturbed sleep, feeling constantly tired, negative thoughts, difficulty in making decisions and concentrating, changes in appetite and loss of interest. Weight gain may also be a problem for some people. For most people a depressive reaction is triggered by having major problems they are finding difficulty coping with. The disorder of depression is diagnosed if these symptoms last for more than two weeks. Depression is not easy to “snap out of”.
Psychological therapies like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) can help the depressed person develop skills and strategies to change thinking patterns and behaviours that contribute to the development of a depressive disorder. People with severe depression may also need antidepressant medication to restore the chemical balance in their brain.
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Anxiety, Panic and Stress
In the past, Doctors have prescribed medication for anxiety, panic and stress, but over the last few years research has shown that there are more effective ways of treating these problems. Panic attacks are common and occur in up to five percent of the general population. They are described as a sudden feeling of intense apprehension, fear or terror together with physical symptoms such as difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, sweating, dizziness and shaking. Panic attacks are one of the symptoms of a build-up of stress and they can be very frightening if the person doesn’t know what is happening. Stress is the result of an imbalance between the demands made on us and our personal resources to deal with these demands. Learning what causes panic attacks is half the treatment. The other half of the treatment is anxiety and stress management using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
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Weight Management
Being overweight is a major source of distress for many people and it effects more than just their physical health. It can also cause emotional distress and discrimination. Carolyn can help the overweight client identify the behavioural and psychological causes which can lead to weight gain. Therapies which focus on the underlying psychological issues influencing eating behaviours and activity levels have been shown to be more effective in weight management than just focusing on behaviour change alone.
Carolyn is able to assist people with a condition called Binge Eating Disorder which can be the cause of weight gain. This condition results in frequent binge eating but without compensatory behaviours such as self-induced vomiting, taking laxatives or diuretics, or over-exercising, as seen in the eating disorder Bulimia Nervosa. Binge Eating Disorder is often accompanied by Depression and poor body image.
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Body Image
Body image refers to the personal relationship you have with your body, especially your thoughts, feelings and actions that relate to your physical appearance. If you dislike your looks you may want to make a change in your appearance e.g. slim down, develop better muscle tone, improve your complexion, have bigger/smaller breasts, and so on.
Every year millions of people are going on diets or having major or minor cosmetic procedures to change their looks. There is one major psychological reason and that is to feel better about the body you live in. Perhaps the problem and its solution have more to do with changing your body image rather than changing your body? Research tells us that people who are dissatisfied with their body image are less likely to be satisfied with the changes they make to their physical appearance. Psychological intervention can help you improve your body image so that if you do decide to change any aspects of your physical appearance, the changes will be more realistic and satisfying to you.
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