Individual Therapy in Caulfield South, St Kilda, and via Telehealth

Who individual therapy is for 

Individual therapy at Behavioural Edge Psychology suits adults living with.

 

• Complex post-traumatic stress, including from cumulative workplace exposure, vicarious trauma, and developmental trauma.

• Anxiety presentations, including generalised anxiety, panic, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive patterns.

• Depression, including episodes that follow burnout or extended periods of high performance under pressure.

• Workplace psychological injury, including WorkSafe Victoria and TAC claims, where treatment runs alongside the compensation process as per the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (WorkCover Scheme Modernisation) Act 2024 (Vic).

• Adjustment to a recent neurodivergence diagnosis (ADHD, autism, or AuDHD). Identity, relationship, and self-trust difficulties that have not responded to short-term counselling.

• Burnout, including the distinct presentation seen in autistic and ADHD burnout that does not respond to standard rest-based recovery. Raymaker et al. (2020) defines autistic burnout as chronic exhaustion, loss of skills, and reduced tolerance to stimulus, distinct from standard work burnout.

 

The practice has particular experience working with adults in high-stakes regulated professions, including the legal profession, healthcare, executive roles, and other contexts where the demands and the consequences of the work shape the distress people bring to therapy.

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Therapeutic approach 

The approach is integrative and evidence-based, drawn from current research in trauma, neurodivergence, and adult mental health. Therapy is structured around three orientations.

 

Trauma-informed means recognising that for many adults, the distress they bring to therapy is connected to past or current experiences of overwhelm, threat, or loss of agency. Therapy moves at a pace the person can tolerate, with attention to nervous system regulation, safety, and choice. Pacing, predictability, and consent are explicit, not assumed.

 

Neurodiversity-affirming means treating autistic and ADHD adults as people with a different neurotype, not a disorder to be corrected. Therapy works with how each person's mind and nervous system actually function, not against. Common autistic and ADHD experiences (sensory sensitivity, executive function variability, masking and the cost of masking, hyperfocus, and rejection sensitivity) are understood and accommodated.

 

Empirically grounded means the therapeutic work draws on established treatments where the evidence supports them, including cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety and depression, schema-informed approaches for relational and identity work, and trauma-focused therapies for post-traumatic presentations. The exact modality and pacing is matched to the person and the presenting concern, not selected in advance.

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What to expect from your first appointment

The first appointment is a structured assessment that runs for around 50-60 minutes. The opening 10 minutes covers confidentiality, the therapeutic approach, and any practical questions about Medicare rebates, session frequency, or the funding pathway you are using (Medicare Better Access, WorkSafe Victoria, TAC, NDIS, or private). The substantial middle portion is the assessment itself, an exploratory conversation that draws out the presenting concern, the relevant history, current supports, and any previous therapy experience. The closing 15 minutes is collaborative, agreeing on the focus of the work, what success would look like, and how often to meet. By the end of the first session, you should have a clear sense of whether the fit is right and what the next few sessions will involve. Subsequent sessions are typically weekly or fortnightly and tend to taper over time.

 

Funding pathways and rebates 

Behavioural Edge Psychology works with several funding pathways.

 

Medicare Better Access: Up to 10 individual psychology sessions per calendar year with a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan from a GP. Medicare rebate applies, with the gap fee dependent on your session type. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, Better Access initiative, 2024.

 

WorkSafe Victoria: The practice is a WorkSafe-approved treating provider for workers with accepted psychological injury claims. Provisional payments are also accepted for the first 13 weeks from claim lodgement.

 

Transport Accident Commission (TAC): Treatment for psychological injury following a transport accident, billed directly to TAC after referral and approval.

 

NDIS: Self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants can access individual therapy, billed at the relevant NDIS rate.

 

Private: Self-funded clients are welcome. Fees are discussed at the time of booking and detailed on our fees page.

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Why Behavioural Edge Psychology 

Dr Sarah Fischer is the Principal Psychologist of Behavioural Edge Psychology. She holds a PhD in Psychology and a Master of Psychology (Organisational), and is AHPRA-endorsed in organisational psychology. Her clinical work concentrates on complex trauma, the psychology of high-stakes professional roles, and adult neurodivergence. The practice operates from Caulfield South and St Kilda, with appointments available in person and via telehealth.

 

The practice's clinical philosophy is empowering rather than directive. Therapy is collaborative work. You stay the expert on your own experience. Dr Fischer brings the clinical framework, the research, and the time to think it through together.

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Common presentations we work with 

The practice has clinical depth in the following presentations, each with related resources on the blog for context before your first appointment.

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• Workplace trauma and psychological injury, including WorkSafe Victoria. 

• Depression often misidentified as anxiety

• Obsessive-compulsive patterns and intrusive thoughts

• Autistic and ADHD burnout

• High achievement following trauma

• Intergenerational and parenting trauma

 

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