ACT, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, is a form of psychotherapy that helps you accept what is out of your personal control and commit to action that improves and enriches your life.
Here at Masterpiece Psychology, we can help you understand and overcome your symptoms through ACT and other evidence-based methods so you can live a rich, full, and meaningful life, while also making space for the pain that inevitably comes with life.
Instead of fighting to eliminate difficult feelings or situations, ACT teaches you to open up and accept them as part of the human experience. This doesn't mean resigning yourself to suffering; rather, it's about not allowing struggles to dominate your life.
In ACT, we will teach you techniques to help you detach or defuse from unhelpful thoughts and beliefs. For example, instead of thinking, "I am a failure," you learn to see this as just a thought, not a fact: "I'm having the thought that I am a failure."
This concept helps you understand that you are more than your thoughts, feelings, or experiences. It emphasises a sense of self that is constant and consistent, regardless of the changing aspects of your experience.
ACT also encourages mindfulness or being aware of the present moment without judgment. This can involve mindfulness, meditation or other practices that help you stay grounded and centred in the current experience.
In our ACT sessions, we will help you identify what truly matters to you – your values. This could be regarding relationships, personal growth, health, spirituality, work, and leisure. Understanding your values is key to living a life that is meaningful to you.
Lastly, we will guide you in setting goals based on your values and take action to achieve them. This could involve changing your behaviour, starting new activities, or stopping harmful actions. The focus is on actions that enrich your life.
ACT is not about eliminating difficult feelings; rather, it's about transforming your relationship with those feelings and thoughts.
Here at Masterpiece Psychology, we’ll create a comprehensive treatment plan with ACT and evidence-based methods for you. Our ultimate goal is for you to create a rich, full, and meaningful life, by living in alignment with your deepest values.
ACT helps individuals accept anxious feelings rather than fighting them. It teaches mindfulness to stay present and not get overwhelmed by future worries. In our ACT sessions, we will guide you through the process of observing your anxiety, and helping you practice acceptance and mindfulness. We will also ensure that your anxiety does not stop you from engaging in value-driven actions.
ACT helps you open up to trauma-related thoughts and feelings without being overwhelmed by them. Your psychologist will assist you to process traumatic events and teach you skills to handle distressing memories, feelings, and sensations. We will also help you identify your values to guide life post-trauma and to recognise that the trauma is just a part of the story but not the whole narrative.
With ACT, we will address the stress and anxiety around sleep. ACT encourages acceptance of sleep difficulties and focuses on behaviours that align with good sleep hygiene, rather than struggling with insomnia. We will guide you in developing a healthier relationship with sleep by identifying and implementing specific behaviours conducive to good sleep and teach you mindfulness and relaxation techniques.
ACT teaches acceptance of pain and focuses on living a fulfilling life despite it. It helps shift the focus from pain reduction to living a values-aligned life. To achieve that, we will assist you in changing your relationship with pain, provide a strategy for managing life with pain, and help you in setting and working towards achievable goals.
Book an appointment with us so we can figure out your needs and find the best psychologist for you.
We offer a range of evidence-based, drug-free treatments for anxiety , trauma, neurodiversity, poor sleep and chronic pain.
Founded in 2010 by Renee Mill, a highly respected Clinical Psychologist and Occupational Therapist. Today, the practice is led by Tess Moffat Sosa, who is committed to maintaining high clinical standards while growing a team of expert psychologists and counsellors dedicated to supporting every client.
From our practitioners to our reception staff, the whole team is empathic and supportive to ensure that you feel understood and cared for throughout your therapy journey.
Our psychologists have varying fees that can suit every budget. This allows us to help more people of all ages and from all walks of life.
Choose sessions that best fit your schedules and preferences. We can help you even if you live in far locations, have mobility issues, or prefer the comfort of your own home.
Location: Suite 18, Level 3, Edgecliff Mews, 201 New South Head Rd, Edgecliff NSW 2027
Public Transportation: Masterpiece Psychology is only a 1-minute walk from Edgecliff Station. Several bus routes go past the offices of Masterpiece Psychology.
Parking: On-street parking is available, and paid parking stations are nearby.
In order to remove symptoms of anxiety, pain, and trauma, one needs to unwire old neural pathways and rewire the brain with new, functional pathways. Traditional counselling does not do this. That is why we have introduced up to date, evidence-based technologies to facilitate this and supplement conventional treatments.
At Masterpiece Psychology we see our clients as individuals with needs, with a voice and with concerns. We take our time to get to know you so that we do not simply provide a one-size-fits-all solution.
We recommend a 3-session assessment in which you meet your psychologist and get to know each other. In the third session, you are given options and psychoeducation so that you are part of the treatment plan. A good relationship with your practitioner and feeling understood and cared for are essential parts of successful treatment.
In order to receive a Medicare rebate, you will need to first go to your GP who will determine your eligibility for a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP). You have the right to choose the Registered or Clinical Psychologist you wish to see. You must bring your MHCP to your initial appointment.
Please note, it is up to your GP to grant the Mental Health Care Plan as well as the number of sessions you are eligible for. The Intake Specialists at Masterpiece Psychology Practice will do their best to assist you. It is not their fault if a GP does not give the documentation you require, or Medicare refuses a payment. Please be courteous and respectful to our staff.
Acquiring a new Mental Health Care Plan is necessary for each calendar year and involves ongoing reviews with your GP. Currently, you need to go at least twice to your GP in a calendar year. You need to go initially to get the plan and after session 6 for a review for a further 4 sessions.
Our Intake Specialists are available to assist you with this complicated process.
Fees are consistent with the Australian Psychological Society’s recommended rates. Session fees are payable at the time of the consultation. We accept Mastercard, Visa, Eftpos, and AFTERPAY.
We take full payment from you. We can process the Medicare claim for you as long as you have provided us with your Medicare Card details. For private health fund rebates, the onus is on you to claim your rebate.
If you have a mental health care plan from your GP, you can receive a Medicare rebate of:
When you call to make an appointment, you will speak with one of our friendly and caring Intake Specialists. They will answer any questions you have and work with you to find a time that suits you for an appointment. If you do not have a specific therapist in mind, they will need to ask a few brief questions to determine which psychologist is best suited to your needs.
If you have not seen a Clinical Psychologist or Psychologist before, it is common to feel a little anxious or hesitant about making the initial appointment. Most people feel more at ease once they have made that initial contact and attended their first appointment. We provide a warm, caring, and supportive atmosphere and are happy to answer questions at any time.
We recommend that you book at least 10 appointments when making your initial appointment, to avoid delays in follow-up appointments. Psychologists usually recommend seeing a client weekly to start to obtain the best results. Later, sessions may be spaced out depending on your individual needs. You and your psychologist will determine this together.
Our current policy is not to make a single booking for a new client. We have learnt from experience how demoralising it is to find a psychologist you like, be ready to proceed with treatment but cannot, as there are no available sessions. Our policy is for your benefit and well-being so please cooperate with the Intake Specialist.
We have limited capacity for bulk billing. However, as we are a placement for provisional psychologists, we do offer sessions for $140 per session with the student or pro bono in cases of financial need.
In rare cases, when we do bulk bill, it is only for individuals who have a Centrelink/Concession Card (Commonwealth Government Health Care card), a valid Medicare card and a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP.
To encourage people to keep all their appointments, we have regrettably brought in a cancellation fee for bulk billing clients and clients working with a student. This fee of $50 is applicable for all clients who do not cancel 24 hours in advance.
We like to work with committed patients who demonstrate their commitment.
Bulk billing clients, or pro bono clients, who do not show up for their initial appointment will be removed from the calendar. If 2 consecutive sessions are missed without proper cancellation, all subsequent appointments will be removed from the system.
Clinical Psychologists are Registered Psychologists who have extended their training. Clinical Psychologists have a minimum of a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology with a further two years of supervised clinical practice after receiving their degree. Clinical Psychologists have Clinical Psychology endorsement with the Psychology Board of Australia and are Clinical Psychology providers under Medicare.
All our psychologists are experienced clinicians and are supervised by the Principal, Renee Mill ensuring high-quality psychological care.
Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your first appointment to complete any required paperwork.
Your first session is dedicated to obtaining some background information, a detailed understanding of the nature of your concerns and the areas where you would like our help. Sometimes a plan of treatment is discussed in the first session but often it is not. A lot of background detail may be required before treatment formulation is complete. Your psychologist will answer any questions to provide clarity and confidence in the way forward.
If you are coming about your child, our Intake Specialist will inform you about who needs to be at the first session and what is required.
If you are seeking couple counselling, there may be specific requirements that you will be told about.
We live in a society where the medical model prevails. It is a sickness model. You go to the doctor when things are not working and they “fix” you, usually with medication. While medication for ADHD is highly successful for many children, they are not for everyone.
Masterpiece Psychology utilises other, well-proven, researched treatments for ADHD.
