Help for Individuals

A free consultation is a short, informal conversation where I listen to what you need and answer your questions. It is not a therapy session, but a chance for you to see if we are a good fit. If I cannot help, I will do my best to connect you with someone who can.

Most sessions are delivered online through the secure Cliniko client management system, which is fully compliant with Australian health privacy laws. This allows me to work safely and confidentially with people across Australia and internationally.

Yes. I offer a limited number of places for marriage and relationship counselling. Before beginning, I usually meet with the couple to ensure it is a good fit and that I can serve your needs well.

I support adults facing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, shame, burnout, addictions, and relationship difficulties. I also help people navigating vocational stress, identity questions, or a loss of meaning and purpose, especially during times of transition. 

My approach integrates faith, reason, and science to support the whole person — body, mind, and spirit. It is grounded in a Christian view of the human person: that we are created in relationship, formed in relationship, often wounded in relationship, and ultimately healed in relationship. This holistic approach brings depth and lasting change.

I am upfront about my Catholic-informed perspective because I believe all therapy is shaped by a worldview, whether stated or not. My commitment is to meet you where you are and to be person-centred. My services are open to all people regardless of their faith, and I integrate spirituality only if you want it.

I practise under the professional standards and Code of Ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). This includes strict confidentiality, clear informed consent, and an ongoing commitment to ethical practice. All communication and record-keeping are managed through secure systems that comply with Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and health record legislation, ensuring your information is protected at the highest standard.

The fee for a 50-minute telehealth therapy session is $250. As context, the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) recommended fee schedule for Accredited Mental Health Social Workers sets the benchmark hourly rate at $289 per hour. The Altum fee sits below this benchmark while still reflecting the depth of experience brought to the work.

I bring more than thirty years of clinical and pastoral practice to the therapy room, including senior roles across Catholic Education, Archdiocesan settings, community organisations, corporate psychology, and four years full-time as International Programs Director and Master Mentor with the New York-based CatholicPsych Institute. Alongside my clinical practice, I lead system-wide consultancy projects, supervision, and training work with Catholic dioceses, schools, religious orders, and mission-driven organisations across Australia. For that reason I deliberately hold a limited number of therapy places at any one time, so that each client receives the depth of attention the work requires.

If cost is a barrier and you feel genuinely drawn to working with me, please raise it in the consultation. I hold a small number of discounted places for people facing real financial difficulty, and I would much rather have an honest conversation about it than have cost be the reason you don't begin.

Do I need a referral? You do not need a referral if you are self-funding. Many clients, however, choose to see their GP for a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), which is a referral prepared by your doctor that allows you to claim Medicare rebates for counselling sessions with an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker. Under the current system, Medicare rebates are available for up to ten sessions per calendar year. Your GP or psychiatrist will assess your needs, complete the paperwork, and provide a referral that you can bring to your first session.

Medicare rebates. As an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, I am recognised by Medicare and able to deliver therapy under an MHCP. The current rebate is approximately $87 per session, meaning you would pay a gap of around $163 per session after the rebate is processed.

NDIS participants. I also provide therapy for NDIS participants, where counselling and therapeutic supports can often be accessed under categories such as Improved Daily Living or Capacity Building – Social and Community Participation. If you are an NDIS participant, we can discuss how therapy may align with your plan goals and funded supports.

Therapy is unique for every person. It often involves exploring deeper patterns and can feel like two steps forward, three steps back. Just as a wound needs to be cleaned before it heals, therapy sometimes feels uncomfortable, but this work leads to freedom, resilience, and meaning. Real growth takes time, but it is profoundly worthwhile.

Shame is one of the heaviest burdens people carry, and it often convinces us to hide or stay silent. In my work, I see every person as someone with dignity, never as a problem to be fixed. Therapy with me involves gently turning toward the parts of you that feel ashamed, understanding why they carry those burdens, and learning to meet them with compassion rather than fear. Over time, this process helps you unburden what weighs you down and grow in self-leadership, so you can live with greater freedom, confidence, and peace.

Yes. A large part of my work is supporting people who have been wounded by experiences within the Church. I hold that pain with respect and compassion, without pressure or judgment. My role is to walk with you toward healing and freedom, wherever you find yourself in relation to faith.

Absolutely. Your care should be compassionate, and it should also be backed by solid research. So if you would like to put your "nerd hat" on for a few minutes, here is some of the evidence base that shapes the work.

The therapeutic relationship is the most reliable predictor of change. Across more than four decades of psychotherapy research, the strength of the relationship between client and therapist has consistently emerged as one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes, irrespective of the therapeutic approach used. The most comprehensive meta-analysis to date synthesised 295 studies involving more than 30,000 clients and confirmed this relationship as both consistent and substantial (Flückiger, Del Re, Wampold, and Horvath, 2018, Psychotherapy). This is why Altum Therapy and Coaching places such emphasis on relational safety, trust, and the quality of accompaniment.

The therapeutic models I draw on are well established. Interpersonal Psychotherapy has been shown across meta-analyses involving thousands of clients to produce moderate to large reductions in depressive symptoms and meaningful gains in interpersonal functioning (Cuijpers et al., 2011, American Journal of Psychiatry; Markowitz and Weissman, 2004, World Psychiatry). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is one of the most extensively researched psychotherapies in the world, with strong evidence for its effectiveness across anxiety, depression, and trauma. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy each have a growing evidence base supporting their use across a range of presenting concerns.

Telehealth psychotherapy is as effective as in-person psychotherapy. A comprehensive meta-analysis directly comparing guided internet-delivered CBT with face-to-face CBT found equivalent overall effects (Andersson, Cuijpers, Carlbring, Riper, and Hedman, 2014, World Psychiatry). A separate systematic review and meta-analysis found that videoconferencing psychotherapy produces clinical outcomes equivalent to face-to-face delivery and is capable of forming a working alliance comparable to in-person sessions (Norwood, Moghaddam, Malins, and Sabin-Farrell, 2018, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy).

Spiritually integrated therapy is effective and well received by clients. A meta-analysis of ninety-seven studies involving more than 7,000 clients found that therapies explicitly integrating religion or spirituality are as effective as secular therapies for psychological distress and often produce greater gains in spiritual wellbeing and life meaning (Captari, Hook, Hoyt, Davis, McElroy-Heltzel, and Worthington, 2018, Journal of Clinical Psychology).

A randomised trial of religiously integrated CBT versus standard CBT for depression in clients with chronic medical illness found equivalent outcomes on depression measures, with additional gains on positive psychological measures including gratitude, altruism, and purpose in life (Pearce et al., 2015, Psychotherapy).

A national survey of 989 mental health clients across the United States found that the majority believed their religious or spiritual practices supported their mental health and helped them cope with symptoms (Oxhandler, Pargament, Pearce, Vieten, and Moffatt, 2021, Religions). Accommodating client preferences, including for faith integration, has been associated with significantly reduced treatment dropout (Swift, Callahan, Cooper, and Parkin, 2018, Journal of Clinical Psychology).

At Altum Integrated, these research-backed methods are integrated within a holistic view of the human person — body, mind, spirit, and relationships. The aim is therapy that is clinically effective, relationally safe, spiritually attuned, and genuinely responsive to your values and goals.