aDJUSTMENT DISORDER

Adjustment Disorder Treatment – Brisbane

What Is Adjustment Disorder

The diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder may be provided when someone experiences significant difficulties coping with or adjusting to sudden and significant events that occur within their lives. Although less well known than other mental health diagnoses, Adjustment Disorder is a relatively common diagnosis.

The onset of symptoms generally occur soon after the significant event or stressor. Adjustment Disorders are associated with an increase risk of suicide attempts and suicide. The symptoms of Adjustment Disorder generally resolve within a few months of the stressor occurring.

Adjustment Disorder Causes

The diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder is commonly provided as a result of workplace-related psychological illness or injury. Some of the other more common triggers for adjustment disorder include:

The death of a family member or close friend.
Serious personal health issues.
Relationship issues, including break-ups or marital problems.
Significant life events, such as the birth of children or retirement.
Lifestyle, work or financial difficulties.
Disaster or unexpected tragedy.

Types of Adjustment Disorder

Adjustment Disorder can take many forms. Our Brisbane City Psychologist has experience supporting people with a wide range of adjustment disorder presentations, including:

Adjustment disorder with depressed mood, e.g. feeling sad, failing to derive pleasure.
Adjustment disorder with anxious mood, e.g. excessive worrying, feeling overwhelmed.
Adjustment disorder with depressed and anxious mood, i.e. combination of depression and anxiety.
Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct, e.g. irrational lashing out, bad behaviour.
Adjustment disorder with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct, i.e. a combination of depression, anxiety and disturbance of conduct.

Support to Manage Adjustment Disorder

Psychological support may be helpful to manage your symptoms of Adjustment Disorder. My preferred therapeutic approach when supporting people experiencing adjustment disorder – and other psychological conditions such as anxiety – is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is an evidence-based therapy and may play a role in helping people to manage the symptoms of anxiety and depression associated with Adjustment Disorder. ACT is a mindfulness-based therapy which supports people to change how they experience their thoughts and emotions. ACT also supports people to make changes in their lives which are in line with their personal values.

Therapy Options

I have experience in the following therapy types:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Exposure Therapy and Prolonged Exposure
Motivational Interviewing

Face-to-face or online appointments for treatment of adjustment disorder can be booked at my Brisbane city clinic.

Book Now Rates & rebates FAQs

Initial Session

$280 (if eligible, $183.35 after the Medicare rebate)

The initial session (50 minutes) includes onboarding, psychological assessment, and developing a customised treatment plan tailored to your specific needs and goals. Sessions are available via face to face, online or phone.

Book Now

Subsequent Session

$245 (if eligible, $148.35 after the Medicare rebate)

50 minute sessions available via:

Face to face
Telehealth (online or phone)

Book Now

Medicare Rebate

Rebate of $96.65 per 50 minute session

You may be eligible for a Medicare rebate on up to 10 sessions per calendar year. In order to access the Medicare rebate obtain a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your treating General Practitioner and provide this prior to your first session.

Book Now

Workcover

If you have experienced a workplace injury and are claiming or receiving support through Workcover Queensland or Comcare you may be eligible to have your fees paid for by the Insurer. Please ensure you have a medical certificate and referral from your treating General Practitioner.

Book Now

Private Health

Private health insurance rebates are dependent upon your level of cover. I can process rebates at time of payment for 99% of private health funds. Click here to view the full list of providers which can be processed via the digital / online channel.

Book Now

Supervision

$245 per 50 minute session

Sessions are available via:

Face to face
Online consultations

Book Now

Corporate Rates

Rates for corporate clients, including some insurance schemes (e.g. motor vehicle accident insurance). Initial sessions: $300 per 50 minute consult. Subsequent sessions: $270 per 50 minute consult. GST may apply to corporate services.

Book Now

Correspondence

$60 per 15 minutes (GST may apply)

You, your employer, or education provider may require written correspondence regarding your treatment. Costs not covered by an insurance scheme may be payable by the person receiving the service, or the organisation requesting the information. Invoices are payable prior to release of the correspondence.

Therapy FAQ’s

Initial sessions are $280 per 50 minute session. If eligible, this is $183.35 after the Medicare rebate. Initial sessions include onboarding, psychological assessment, and developing a customised treatment plan tailored to your specific needs and goals.

Subsequent sessions are $245 per 50 minute session. If eligible, this is $148.35 after the Medicare rebate.

My rates continue to remain below the recommended rate for Psychology sessions as suggested by the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc which is currently $315 for a standard 40-60 minute session. If you have a mental health treatment plan from your GP, Medicare will rebate $96.65 for the session and this can be processed on your behalf at the end of the session.

If you have private health insurance, you may be able to claim a rebate from your private health insurer (please confirm cover with your insurer). I am able to process the rebate directly with your insurer for most private health funds.

Please check appointment availability via the online portal

It’s important that you feel comfortable with the person you decide to work with. Take your time looking at the information I’ve provided on my website and social media platforms. Everything I publish online is to help give you some insight into my style and approach when working with clients.

My intake process includes a free 15 minute consultation to get to know me a little better and to make sure the service is a good fit for you needs. You can book a free, 15 minute consult via the online portal.

Whilst they all provide mental health support, they may operate in a different ways, have different educational backgrounds, focus on different areas, and have different means of supporting you with your therapeutic goals. In summary:

Psychologist: A psychologist’s practice stems from evidence-based methods and aims to diagnose and treat clients. They work to identify issues on a conscious and subconscious level. Psychologists are able to diagnose and treat varying mental health disorders and mainly work on a long-term basis, with the exception of assessments.
Psychotherapist: Psychotherapists focus more specifically on the subconscious. These techniques were founded by a well-known psychologist, Sigmund Freud, whose work became prevalent in the 1920s. In this approach, psychotherapists aim to assist their clients through analysing their subconscious to resolve past trauma and improve their wellbeing.
Counsellor: Counsellors are mainly focused on what is called ‘talk therapy’. A counsellor’s focus is primarily on providing a confidential space for clients to share their thoughts and feelings. This is usually used as a short- term approach to addressing relatively straightforward issues.

If you’re having difficulty deciding what is the right fit for you, check out my blog post on this topic.

I am can provide trauma therapy for people who have experienced single incident trauma, where the incident has occurred as an adult. For example, trauma following a motor vehicle accident, or sustaining a serious injury at work etc.

As the type of therapy I provide is current and future focused, it may not be suitable for people who have experienced complex trauma. Complex trauma may occur in response to repeated instances of abuse or neglect throughout childhood, or from intimate partner violence.

If you are looking for a trauma therapist close to the CBD, you may like to contact Connect the Dots.

This is outside of my scope of practice. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Schema Therapy are typically recommended for management of BPD.

If you are looking for a therapist close to the CBD, you may like to contact Connect the Dots.

No, you don’t need a referral to see a Psychologist. However, in order to access the Medicare rebate for the session you will need a mental health treatment plan provided by your treating General Practitioner.

Your treating GP can provide you with a referral to a Psychologist via a mental health treatment plan (MHTP).

With the MHTP you are able to access up to ten sessions which are partially paid for through Medicare. Your GP will generally provide an initial six sessions for you to access under the plan. You will need to attend a review with your GP after the sixth session in order to access the remaining four sessions for the year.

You are required to pay the full fee at the time of the session (currently $218 per session) and the Medicare rebate is refunded into your account generally within 1-2 days. With the current Medicare rebate amount, your out of pocket cost for counselling sessions with Uplift Psychology is $124.65.

If you have a mental health treatment plan from your GP, Medicare will rebate $96.65 for the session and this can be processed on your behalf at the end of the session.

Well, that depends… Research into this question, suggests that the number of sessions can vary significantly from person to person. People tend to reach out for support after a trigger, event, or many events which have left them feeling like they are unable to cope. You may find the following information helpful regarding the number of sessions needed:

Brief counselling – this could be as little as one to two sessions. People seeking brief counselling may have a big decision to make, or have experienced a sudden shock and require some immediate short term support in order to cope with the situation
Longer counselling – most people experiencing emotional distress, will require more than one or two sessions to alleviate their distress. The number and frequency of sessions will vary depending on goals for counselling, level of distress and financial situation
Ongoing counselling – once people are no longer in distress, some clients opt to continue with maintenance sessions. Some clients find these to be a helpful way to ensure they remain on track and as a proactive way to manage their mental health. At this stage in counselling, people may opt to focus on longer term issues which have impacted them throughout their lives. These sessions tend to occur far less frequently.

As your Psychologist I can provide some guidance regarding the frequency and duration of counselling following your initial session.

The frequency of sessions will vary from person to person. As your Psychologist I can provide specific information regarding the frequency of sessions following your initial session. Factors such as your goals for counselling, level of distress, and financial situation are considered when determining how often we meet. The frequency of sessions will generally reduce as you start to notice an improvement in your symptoms.

You may book, cancel or reschedule an appointment via the following channels:

Conveniently via the online booking portal
Phone – 0412 589 336
Email – support@upliftpsychology.com.au

I understand that plans change, and if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment I kindly request at least 48 hours notice. This enables me to offer the appointment to other clients who may require an earlier appointment. Appointments cancelled with more than 48 hours notice will not incur a cancellation fee. If you cancel the appointment with less than 48 hours notice, you may be charged the following fees:

24 to 48 hours notice – 25% of session fee
Less than 24 hours notice – 50% of session fee
No show* – 100% of session fee

*Sessions may be recorded as no show after failing to arrive for the appointment, or arriving more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start time for the appointment.

You are unable to claim a Medicare, DVA, Workcover, or Private Health rebate for any cancellation fees incurred.

I am able to provide general information about the services I provide and booking process to people who are enquiring about Uplift Psychology’s services on behalf of other people. Due to privacy laws, I am unable to provide any specific information regarding current clients or confirmation they are accessing treatment.

Unless someone is unable to navigate the booking process themselves, I don’t generally take bookings on behalf of other people. I kindly request that the person receiving the service contacts to schedule the appointment.

I occasionally work with people who are close to turning 18 years old where I consider them to be an appropriate fit for the service. I only work with people under the age of 18 where they are considered to be consenting minors. Consenting minors are young people under the age of 18 who are considered to be of a maturity level and of sound mind to enable them to provide informed consent on their own. Those with severe mental health concerns or at risk of harm to themselves (or others) would not typically be considered a consenting minor.

I am able to complete your sessions both online and over the phone

Online/telehealth sessions are conducted via my practice software. If you have requested an online or telehealth consultation, you will receive a link via email to the meeting room the day prior to your appointment. The link will open in your internet browser and you will not be required to download any software to access the meeting room.

Please note, if you are conducting the session from a work computer or laptop, your workplace security settings may prevent you from accessing the link. You may like to try accessing the link from your personal device instead. If you are unable to access the meeting room, we can conduct the session over the phone.

You will be sent an email confirming your appointment
An email will be sent with some intake forms and brief questionnaires to complete online prior to your first session
If available, please provide a copy of any paperwork provided by your GP e.g., mental health treatment plan or Workcover medical certificate
You will receive a reminder about your appointment, 3 days and 1 day prior to your appointment

You might like to check out my blog post about what to expect when starting counselling and how to get the most out of our sessions together.

Due to the costs associated with providing a high quality health service and the low rebate amount set by the Government, I am currently unable to offer bulk bill arrangements for clients.

I am not currently offering after-hours appointments. My business hours are from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

If you are claiming or receiving support through Work Cover Queensland or Comcare you may be eligible to have your fees paid for by the Insurer. Please ensure you have a medical certificate and referral from your treating General Practitioner. Fees for your session, will be charged directly to the insurer.

Click here to view more information about Workcover services.

I am not currently offering assessments as part of my service offer and I do not provide formal diagnoses as part of the counselling work that I do.

The office is located inside the Spaces coworking hub at: Level 4, 80 Ann St, Brisbane City

For security purposes, you are required to obtain a pass to access Level 4. You can do this via one of the many terminals located throughout the foyer.

The first time accessing one of these terminals will require you to enter your name and contact details, and to briefly review the health and safety information displayed. During future visits, you will simply enter your phone number or email address into the terminals and the pass will be printed for you. After completing the workflow, a pass with a QR code will be printed and sent to you via SMS which you can use to access the lifts towards the back left of the foyer.

You will be allocated a lift to the Spaces coworking hub when swiping the QR code at the security gates. Upon exit from the lift, the reception area is to the right. Please retain your pass until leaving the building as it is required to exit through the security gates on your way out.

If you encounter any difficulties printing your pass or locating the lifts, please reach out to the friendly concierge team located in the foyer and ask for access to the Spaces coworking hub, or contact us on 0412 589 336 for support.

King George Square Car Park offers the best rates nearby and can be accessed from both Roma and Adelaide streets. Some on-street parking may be available from time to time, please be mindful of clearways starting in the afternoon.

The office is conveniently located near the CBD’s major transport hubs. It is a short walk to Central and Roma street train stations, and King George Square and Myer Centre bus stations.

aDJUSTMENT DISORDER