Suite 1, Level 3, 20 Wentworth Street, Parramatta Mon–Fri 9am–5pm · By appointment only
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1300 084 200 Appointments

What's going on

Anxiety & worryPanic, phobias, worry Depression & low moodWhen nothing feels worth it Trauma & PTSDEMDR and trauma therapy Stress & burnoutRunning on empty Sleep & insomniaCBT-I Relationships & couplesConflict, distance, repair ADHDAssessment and support OCDExposure-based treatment Grief & lossAfter a death or a loss Anger Pregnancy & new parents All conditions

How we help

Individual therapyOne-to-one or online Couples therapyGottman and EFT-informed TelehealthAustralia-wide, by video
Therapy approachesCBTACTEMDRDBTSchemaAll approaches
Programs & groupsMindfulness-X, P3, EAP AssessmentsADHD, autism, cognitive

Getting started

AppointmentsReply within one business day Fees & rebatesMedicare, NDIS, private Your first sessionWhat happens on the day Find a psychologistBy concern, language, day Urgent helpIf you need support now Free · 5 to 10 minMind Health Check
New here?How Medicare worksCommon questionsAbout the practice Not sure where to start? 1300 084 200

GPs & health professionals

Refer a clientOne form, every pathway For GPsPlans, letters, reports Referrer HubYour referrals, in one place Reports & assessmentsADHD, autism, cognitive Medico-legalFor insurers and schemes

Workplaces & organisations

Employee Assistance ProgramStaff book directly Training & wellbeingWorkshops and first aid Work Development OrdersFines cleared by treatment Workers compensationicare and insurers

Families & carers

Supporting a loved oneWhat helps, what to say Request for someone elseFor a partner or parent NDISPlan- or self-managed

Editorial pick

The referral pathways guideWhich form, which plan, how long a report takes.Read the guide
Referrers:Refer nowCare plansReport turnaround A real person answers 1300 084 200

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Free resources

Fact sheets36 PDFs, plain language Worksheets & guidesPractical and printable CoursesFree and self-paced HEALTHY frameworkHow the practice thinks Free · 5 to 10 minMind Health Check

Editor's pick

Read with intentionA plain guide to stress: what it is, and everyday ways to manage it.Read article
From the journal:Clinician notesSubscribe Plain-language insights from our clinicians

The practice

Our storyWestern Sydney, since 2004 Approach & valuesHow we think about good care Practice newsWhat is changing, and when Room rentalConsulting rooms, Parramatta CareersJoin a values-led practice

Our clinicians

Bülent AdaPrincipal Psychologist & Director Sijal AnsariClinical Psychologist Robert RuaneClinical Neuropsychologist Taline BardakjianConsultant Psychologist Mohan ShankarappaClinical Psychologist Michael L. T. CheungConsultant Psychologist Shahim AhmadClinical Psychologist Steve SuttonCounselling Psychologist Irfan YigitSenior Consultant Psychologist Bill SinghConsultant Psychologist Elizabeth LeeClinical Psychotherapist Shareen BirgesCounselling Social Worker Annette HaggertyConsultant Psychologist

Practical

Your first sessionWhat happens on the day Fees & rebatesMedicare, NDIS, private Questions & answersThe ones we are asked most Contact & locationParramatta, and by video Client portalAppointments, forms, invoices FormsConsent and authority

Find your fit

Meet the cliniciansWarm and down-to-earth. Find the right match for you.Find a psychologist
Visit us:Parramatta clinicTelehealth AU-wideGet directions New clients welcome · no referral needed
Trauma · PTSD · Abuse · Accidents

What happened to you wasn't your fault.

Trauma can keep the past feeling present. With safe, evidence-based therapy, at a pace you control, those memories can lose their grip. In Parramatta or online, usually after a free triage.

Request appointment How we treat it
Feeling overwhelmed?
Sound familiar?

Trauma lives in the body, not the calendar.

It can surface long after the event, through the body, sleep, and the things you avoid. You don't need to tick every box to reach out.

  • Memories, images or flashbacks intrude when you least expect them.
  • You avoid the places, people or reminders that bring it all back.
  • You feel on guard, jumpy, or startle easily, bracing for danger.
  • Sleep is broken by nightmares, or you struggle to switch off at all.
  • You feel numb or cut off, from people or from your own feelings.
  • Sudden anger or tears arrive without much warning.
  • Your body holds the tension: tight chest, racing heart, a knot in the stomach.
  • You've been told to "move on," and it has never once helped.

If the past is getting in the way of your present, that's reason enough. Trauma responds well to the right therapy, and you never have to retell more than you choose to.

The waiting lounge in daylight, with pale chairs, plants, sage panelling and round timber tables.
A grey chair with a sage cushion beside a wicker table and large windows in a consulting room.
How we treat trauma

Paced, collaborative and evidence-based.

Trauma work always starts with safety and stability. Your psychologist draws on evidence-based approaches, and never moves faster than you're ready for.

EMDR

Eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing: helping memories lose their present-day charge.

Trauma-focused CBT

Gently making sense of what happened and the beliefs it left behind, building a coherent, less distressing narrative.

Stabilisation & grounding

Practical skills to settle the nervous system and feel safe in the present. That is the foundation before any deeper work.

Schema therapy

For trauma with deep roots, working with the long-standing patterns it created in how you see yourself and others.

We review your goals together regularly, so you always know where therapy is heading, and you can pause or stop at any time.

More about cognitive processing therapy (CPT)

Domestic and family violence

If home does not feel safe.

Domestic and family violence includes physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse, and coercive control. Our clinicians can help you make sense of what has happened and support you with its effects, at your pace.

  • Your safety comes first. We can talk about a safety plan and other services that can help.
  • You decide what to share, and when.
  • Couples sessions are not offered where one partner is afraid of the other.
  • If telehealth would not be private at home, tell us and we will find another way.

In an emergency, call 000. 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) offers confidential advice and support, 24 hours a day.

A consulting room with a grey armchair, a sage cushion and a wicker table.
What to expect

Your first weeks, step by step.

No surprises, no pressure. Here's how the early sessions usually unfold.

  1. 1

    Mostly a conversation

    Your psychologist asks what's been happening and what you'd like to change. You only go as far as you're comfortable, and together you'll sketch a plan.

    Session one
  2. 2

    Safety & stability first

    Before any trauma processing, you'll build grounding skills and a sense of safety, so the deeper work, when it comes, is something you can handle.

    Sessions two to four
  3. 3

    Processing, at your pace

    When you're ready, you'll process the memories themselves with EMDR or trauma-focused CBT. Always in control, always able to pause. Progress is checked against your goals.

    Ongoing
Fees & funding

Know your costs before you start.

We confirm your fee and any rebate in writing before your first session. If a funding body covers you, we bill them directly wherever possible.

See fees
  • Medicare: rebates on up to 10 sessions a year with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP.
  • NDIS, DVA, Workers Comp & CTP: usually no out-of-pocket cost when approved.
  • Private health: claim through your extras cover, with no referral needed.
Your clinicians

Meet our clinicians.

See all clinicians
Further reading

From our journal

JournalTrauma responses explained: Fight, flight, freeze and fawnJournalEchoes of trauma: Recognising the signs of PTSDJournalEMDR: A powerful 8 phase approach to heal trauma
Related pages

More ways we can help.

Free tools

Check in with yourself.

Free, private tools to try before or alongside sessions. They are not a diagnosis.

Free · 5 to 10 min

Take the Mind Health Check

Short questionnaires, scored privately in your browser. We have ticked the ones most related to this page, and you can change them.

Start the check

Or take the PCL-5 (trauma) on its own

Fact sheet: Trauma and PTSD

A plain-language guide with practical steps. Free to download.

Download the PDF

Try this week

  • Keep a regular sleep and wake time, even on weekends.
  • Practise one grounding skill: name five things you can see and four you can hear.
  • Write down the reminders you avoid, to talk through with your clinician.

Need help now? Our urgent help page has who to call, day and night.

Common questions

Things people ask before booking.

Do I need a referral for trauma therapy?
No. You can book directly, and a GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan is only needed if you'd like Medicare rebates.
Will I have to retell my trauma in detail?
No. Trauma-informed therapy, including EMDR, doesn't require you to narrate everything that happened. You share what you choose, when you choose. Stabilisation and safety always come before any processing work.
Is telehealth as good as coming in?
For most trauma presentations, research supports telehealth-delivered therapy as an effective option, though some prefer in-person for this work. Some people prefer the room, some prefer their own couch. You can switch at any time.
What is EMDR, and does it actually work?
EMDR helps the brain reprocess stuck traumatic memories so they lose their charge. It's one of the most researched trauma treatments available and is recommended in Australian and international PTSD guidelines.
Do I have to talk about the trauma to keep it private?
No. You never have to recount details you're not ready for. What you do share stays confidential, with narrow legal exceptions (such as risk of serious harm) your psychologist explains plainly before you begin.
Can I get Medicare rebates for trauma therapy?
Medicare rebates apply when your GP prepares a Mental Health Treatment Plan, which they do when it's clinically appropriate for you. With a plan, rebates cover part of a set number of sessions each calendar year. You can also start privately and add a plan later. We confirm your fee and any rebate in writing before your first session. How Medicare works
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on the trauma and on you. Some people with a single event need a relatively short course; complex or long-standing trauma usually takes longer, with time spent on stability first. You and your psychologist review progress together, and you set the pace.
What if talking about it makes me feel worse?
Feeling stirred up for a while can happen, and your psychologist plans for it. Sessions start with stability and grounding skills, you choose what to share and when, and the pace is adjusted so you leave each session able to cope with the rest of your day.

How EMDR works

Reprocessing a hard memory, safely and at your pace

EMDR uses gentle left-right stimulation while you stay anchored in the present, so a distressing memory can lose its charge. You stay in control of the pace the whole way through.

Three panels: a psychologist explains EMDR’s gentle back-and-forth stimulation; the client stays grounded here in this room; afterwards she checks in and the client chooses to continue.
EMDR therapy at Mind Health.
Two adults talking in a warm consultation room
Trauma-informed care

Healing happens at your pace.

When you’re ready, we’ll match you with a trauma-trained psychologist.

Find a trauma psychologist Call 1300 084 200
ConfidentialReply within one business dayMedicare rebates may apply
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Suite 1, Level 3, 20 Wentworth St, Parramatta
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