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Couple therapy, also known as couples counselling or marital therapy, is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on helping couples of all types recognise and resolve conflicts, improve their relationship, and make thoughtful decisions about their future together.
Here at Masterpiece Psychology, we can devise a short-term or long-term treatment plan depending on your situation. Rest assured that we’ll remain neutral and support you and your partner equally.
Couples Therapy is not just for couples in crisis; many couples seek therapy to strengthen their bonds and gain a better understanding of each other. Here’s how that process may play out.
This first step is to discuss your concerns, symptoms, and goals for therapy. We may ask about your personal history and background to better understand your situation.
Next step is for you to define specific goals you want to achieve through therapy. These goals could include:
In this stage, we will observe and discuss how the couple communicates and handles conflict. This will help us better understand your emotional responses and the impact of these on the relationship.
A significant part of couples therapy is practicing healthier communication skills. This includes:
At this stage, we will discuss and work on specific issues that are troubling your relationship. This may include:
We also facilitate mediation and family dispute resolution by providing a neutral space where partners can openly discuss their issues.
We guide couples in developing empathy towards each other and in creating collaborative plans to resolve their disputes and improving the overall dynamics of the relationship and family.
We will teach you how to solve problems collaboratively. This involves making a compromise, negotiation, and setting mutually agreeable boundaries.
In a couple’s therapy session, we may involve exercises or discussions that aim to strengthen the emotional connection, trust, and intimacy of you and your partner.
We always encourage couples to practice the skills and strategies they learned in therapy in their daily lives. We may give homework assignments to reinforce these practices.
Regularly, our therapists will check in with you to evaluate your progress towards your goals and make any necessary adjustments to the therapy approach.
Once you and your partner have met your therapy goals or made significant improvements, we can conclude the therapy sessions. We will also discuss strategies for maintaining and building upon the progress you’ve made.
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.
Masterpiece Psychology was founded by Renee Mill, a clinical psychologist and occupational therapist with 40 years of clinical experience. She is a dedicated researcher on anxiety solutions.
She has written three books and a treatment manual on anxiety and has presented to various
organisations and media outlets.
Renee has handpicked her team of highly qualified
psychologists, psychotherapists, and hypnotherapists
and guarantees you will receive quality services and
professionalism.
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 couples therapy, you can expect to discuss the issues in your relationship in a safe and neutral environment. We will guide you through improving communication, understanding each other’s perspectives, and developing strategies to address your relationship challenges.
Therapy can help by improving communication, resolving conflicts, rebuilding trust, and enhancing your connection. It’s a space to understand each other better and work on creating a healthier relationship.
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 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.
No, you do not need a referral to see a psychologist. However, if you wish to receive a Medicare rebate, you do need to consult with a GP and obtain a mental care plan.
Individuals, couples, and families commonly see us without a mental care plan. Many people have been referred directly by word of mouth, with recommendations from their family, friends, or school, or visiting our website online.
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.
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.
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.
You may not feel better straight away, sometimes people even feel worse before they begin to feel better. Meaningful change takes time. Therefore, it is important to persevere and not to miss appointments. If you are frustrated or want to cancel, please discuss what you are going through with your psychologist before dropping out.
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.
We require cancellation with a minimum of 24 hours in advance. We send reminder texts 48 hours before a session so it is easy to cancel if you cannot make it. We appreciate it if 48 hours’ notice, or more, is provided if you need to reschedule an appointment.
Failure to cancel without 24 hours’ notice incurs the full appointment fee.
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.
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