Our Psychology Services
Perfectly Aligned Psychology provides psychological services in Wollongong from Suite 4, 154 Balgownie Road, and by telehealth to clients anywhere in Australia. This page lists every service in one place, who each one is for, how it is delivered and how it can be funded, so you can find the right starting point in a few minutes rather than a few phone calls.
Nine services sit under one roof: individual therapy, EMDR, trauma and PTSD treatment, support for emergency services workers, support for veterans and defence personnel, child psychology, adolescent psychology, SIRA-funded treatment after a workplace injury, and psychological assessments. All of them are delivered by the same AHPRA-registered psychologist, so moving between them never means starting again with someone new. For fees, telehealth and the practice as a whole, visit the Perfectly Aligned Psychology homepage.
How are our psychological services in Wollongong organised?
Our psychological services in Wollongong fall into three groups: therapy, where you meet regularly to work on a problem; assessments, which answer a specific diagnostic question in a written report; and funded pathways such as SIRA, where an insurer pays for approved treatment.
The distinction matters because each group runs differently. Therapy is open-ended within a plan you agree to, with reviews every few sessions. An assessment has a set number of appointments, a fixed quote and a defined end point: the feedback session where the report is explained. Funded pathways change who pays and what paperwork is involved, but not the clinical work itself.
Most people fit clearly into one group from the start. Some move between them, for example a teenager who completes an ADHD assessment and then continues with therapy to put the recommendations into practice. When that happens, the notes, the working relationship and the plan carry straight across.
Therapy
Individual therapy, EMDR, trauma and PTSD, children, adolescents, emergency services workers, veterans and defence personnel.
Assessments
ADHD, autism and cognitive or educational assessments for school-aged children and teenagers, each with a written report.
Funded pathways
Workers compensation through SIRA and the insurer, alongside Medicare rebates and private health cover.
01 · AdultsWhat is individual therapy and who is it for?
Individual therapy is one-to-one psychological treatment for adults dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, relationship strain or a difficult life change. Sessions run for fifty minutes, face to face in Balgownie or by video, and follow a written plan reviewed as you go.
The approach is chosen to fit the problem rather than the other way round. Cognitive behaviour therapy suits worry and low mood that feed on unhelpful thinking, acceptance and commitment therapy helps when fighting a feeling has become part of the problem, and trauma-focused work comes in when something that happened is still running the present. The individual psychological therapy page sets out each approach with examples of what a session looks like.
02 · EMDRWhen is EMDR therapy the right fit?
EMDR, or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, suits people whose distress is tied to specific memories, such as an accident, an assault or a run of critical incidents at work. It is available in person in Balgownie and online, and it is often combined with other therapy.
Sessions follow a set sequence. Early appointments build your history and settling skills, and only then does reprocessing begin, one target memory at a time. The Australian PTSD guidelines published by Phoenix Australia include EMDR among the recommended treatments. Our EMDR therapy Wollongong page covers preparation, online delivery and what the days after a session can feel like.
03 · TraumaHow is trauma and PTSD treated at the practice?
Trauma and PTSD are treated with the trauma-focused therapies recommended in Australian guidelines, including EMDR and trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy. Treatment begins with stabilisation, so sleep, safety and day-to-day coping improve before any memory work starts.
Post-traumatic stress shows up in more ways than flashbacks. Irritability, avoidance, poor sleep and feeling permanently on guard are all common, and many people describe those symptoms without ever using the word trauma. An initial assessment clarifies what is going on and which treatment fits. Our trauma and PTSD psychologist page compares the main options side by side.
04 + 05 · ServiceWhat support is there for emergency services workers and veterans?
Police, paramedics, firefighters, SES volunteers, correctional officers, defence personnel and veterans can see a psychologist who understands shift work, critical incident exposure and the culture of the job. Sessions are confidential from employers and can be scheduled around rosters.
Treatment usually draws on trauma-focused therapy, with practical attention to sleep, alcohol, relationships and return-to-duty questions. Each role is covered in detail on the psychology for emergency services workers page, and defence members have a dedicated guide to psychology for veterans and defence personnel. Open Arms, the free national counselling service for veterans and families, is another route worth knowing about.
06 + 07 · Young peopleHow do child and adolescent services differ?
Children from primary school age work with the psychologist through play, drawing and structured activities, with parents closely involved. Adolescents up to eighteen have more private sessions and a direct say in their goals, with parents brought in at agreed points.
Common reasons for a first appointment include anxiety, school refusal, emotional outbursts, low mood, friendship problems and exam stress. For younger children, much of the change happens at home, so parents leave most sessions with something to try that week. The child psychologist Wollongong page covers younger children, and the adolescent and teen psychologist page covers secondary school students.
Within therapyIs grief and loss support available?
Yes. Support after a death, a relationship ending, a pregnancy loss or another significant loss is provided within individual therapy, at a pace that respects where you are. The aim is not to move on from the person or the loss, but to carry it in a way that lets life continue.
For most people grief softens with time and the support of others. When it stays intense and disabling well beyond what would be expected, clinicians call it prolonged grief, and more structured treatment can help. That difference is explored gently at the first appointment, and nobody is rushed toward a timeline. Children and teenagers grieving a family member can be seen with their parents involved.
08 · SIRAHow does workers compensation and SIRA-funded treatment work?
If your psychological injury claim has been accepted under the NSW workers compensation scheme, approved treatment is paid by the insurer rather than by you. The practice sends the treatment plan, reports progress to your treating doctor and liaises with your case manager.
The State Insurance Regulatory Authority, SIRA, regulates the scheme and sets the fees psychologists can charge, while insurers manage the claims. Bring your claim number, the insurer's name and your case manager's details to the first appointment. While a claim is still being decided, treatment can sometimes begin under provisional liability, and the workers compensation and SIRA-funded psychology guide explains how that works.
09 · AssessmentsWhat psychological assessments are available?
The practice assesses school-aged children and adolescents for ADHD, autism and cognitive or learning differences. Each assessment ends with a written report and a feedback session, giving families, schools and doctors a clear answer and practical next steps.
An assessment usually combines a parent interview, questionnaires from home and school, and direct testing or observation. Interviews can often be done by telehealth, but standardised testing happens in person in Balgownie. Fees are quoted as a fixed package; most assessments are privately funded, though some autism assessments for children under 13 can attract a Medicare item on a paediatrician's or psychiatrist's referral. The psychological assessments for children and adolescents hub sets out each type in turn.
Which service is right for you?
If you are unsure, start with a first appointment rather than trying to choose perfectly. That session maps what is happening and recommends a starting point, and if another service or another practice would suit you better, you will be told plainly.
Worry, low mood or stress that will not shift
Start with individual therapy. It is the broadest service and the easiest place to begin.
A specific event that keeps replaying
Start with trauma and PTSD treatment, where EMDR is often part of the plan.
A child or teenager who is struggling
Start with child or adolescent psychology, or an assessment if the question is diagnostic.
An injury from work or service
Start with SIRA-funded treatment or support for first responders, depending on your claim.
Booking works the same way for every service. Our guide to booking and your first appointment explains what to bring, how referrals and plans work, and what happens in the first session. If talking it through first would help, call 0435 165 763.
Services at a glance
| Service | Who it is for | In person or telehealth | Funding options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual therapy | Adults 18 and over | Both | Medicare with a plan, private health, self-funded |
| EMDR therapy | Adults and some adolescents with memory-linked distress | Both | Medicare, SIRA, private health, self-funded |
| Trauma and PTSD | Adults and adolescents after trauma | Both | Medicare, SIRA if work-related, private health |
| Emergency services workers | Police, ambulance, fire, SES, corrections | Both | SIRA with a claim, Medicare, private health |
| Veterans and defence | Current and former ADF members | Both | Medicare, private health; DVA [status to confirm] |
| Child psychology | Primary school age | In person preferred | Medicare with a plan, private health, self-funded |
| Adolescent psychology | Secondary school age to 18 | Both | Medicare with a plan, private health, self-funded |
| Workers compensation | NSW workers with a psychological injury claim | Both | Paid by the insurer |
| Assessments | School-aged children and teenagers | Interviews online, testing in person | Fixed private quote; some Medicare items |
Questions about our services
Can I switch services mid-treatment?
Yes, and it happens often. Because every service is delivered by the same psychologist, moving from general therapy into EMDR, or from an assessment into ongoing sessions, simply means updating your plan. Your history carries across, so there is no second intake and no repeated paperwork.
Do all services attract a Medicare rebate?
No. Therapy sessions attract a Medicare rebate once your GP has prepared a Mental Health Treatment Plan, under rules set by Services Australia, but most assessments are privately funded and SIRA-funded treatment is paid by the insurer. Private health extras can help where Medicare does not, though not for the same session.
Are all services available by telehealth?
Almost all of them. Therapy, EMDR, trauma treatment and support for emergency services workers all run well by secure video anywhere in Australia. The main exceptions are standardised testing within assessments and some work with younger children, which happen in person at the Balgownie practice.
Not sure where to start?
One conversation is usually enough to find the right service. Book online or call, and you will speak with the psychologist who would actually be working with you.