Melissa Farr opened Bold Psychology in 2015 with the aim of providing a warm, family friendly environment in which people of all ages could access quality psychological and counselling treatment.  Fast forward to 2021 and her dream has exceeded all expectations with the recent opening of her bigger, brighter clinic located in the leafy suburb of Gymea Bay. 

To undertake therapy is a powerful individual statement and hopefully a decision that rewards for a lifetime.  We recommend the single most important aspect in finding your ideal therapist is that you feel safe enough to talk openly about your issues, someone who “gets” you, is interested in what you want to achieve, and has the skills and insight to guide you there.  Bold Psychology offers both Psychology and Counselling sessions and aims to give you the treatment in an environment that makes you feel safe, supported and heard.

So, what is the difference between Psychology and Counselling I hear you say? 

When researching on the internet, the terms may be used in such a way that it’s very hard to decide what you really need.  Psychologists are trained to work on specific mental health disorders that are making life really difficult - chronic anxiety, panic disorders, severe depression, personality disorders, complex behavioural conditions or dual diagnosis (developmental disability and a mental health condition).  To see Melissa Farr, our Clinical Psychologist you will generally have completed a Mental Health Plan with your GP or be under the care of a Psychiatrist.

Counselling on the other hand, is typically concerned with immediate and practical issues such as processing grief or anger, helping the client identify options when making important personal or professional decisions, or building better interpersonal or communication skills.  A counsellor might work with a client to learn how to better manage conflicts in relationships or to clarify his or her values on a particular topic. Counselling is typically short-term. The focus in counselling is to the client’s concerns and difficulties as well as understanding how patterns of behaviour, thoughts and feelings can cause problems in daily life.  No referral from your GP is necessary; therefore sessions are not recorded on your medical records.

We are very lucky at Bold Psychology to provide you with both levels of care.  Melissa, our founder and clinical psychologist has a strong background in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Anxiety Disorders and Body Image issues. She sees clients of all ages and has a variety of therapeutic approaches which can be individualised to suit the client’s needs.  We also have two counsellors, Helle Luckmann and Georgia Heraghty who can offer support with everyday challenges such as stress, depression, anxiety, grief, relationship issues and both have a lot of experience working with children and families.

Please call us on 0450 116 915 to learn more or make an appointment.