Treatments and Programs

The ACT program is based on the principle of accepting what is out of your personal control while committing to taking values-based action to enrich your life and make it more meaningful. The aim of the group is for individuals to learn to handle painful thoughts and feelings in such a way that they have less impact and influence (mindfulness skills), and to clarify what is truly important and meaningful (clarify values). It teaches participants to use this knowledge to guide, inspire and motivate themselves to set goals and take action that enriches their life.

The Cognitive Behaviour Therapy program aims to give participants the opportunity to look at various aspects of their lives that they may find challenging.  It is designed for people who want to identify, understand, and change unhelpful patterns of thinking which may by negatively affecting their day-to-day life.

This half-day program is designed to offer strategies that address the specific symptoms of ADHD in conjunction with other medication strategies. This skills-based group will support participants to make adjustments to their lives to improve their capacity to live with ADHD.
 

The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills training program aims to empower individuals who have challenges in managing their emotions, relationships and tolerance of distress. Participants will learn coping skills by building their toolbox of skills to deal with distress and regulate their emotions in a functional and adaptive way. It also teaches fundamental interpersonal skills to help improve relationships. 

Alcohol and substance use disorders are frequently associated with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma, medical health problems and social problems. This program is designed to assist people who misuse alcohol, drugs or prescription medications and / or have issues with dependency or problematic behaviours as a result of their usage. 

The Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Veterans Program is suitable for Veterans or current serving Defence members of the Australian Defence Force, and who are struggling with managing intense emotions or moods, display impulsive behaviours, or who are having difficulties in their relationships.

This program is skills based and assists participants to tolerate intense feelings and learn to manage impulsive or unhelpful behaviours. It is based on Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) principles and combines standard Cognitive Behavioural and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques and for emotion regulation and reality testing with concepts of mindful awareness, distress tolerance, effective communication, and the process of acceptance.

This four-week masterclass for Veterans, current serving Defence members of the Australian Defence Force or first responders aims to introduce the concepts related to moral injury.  It is not uncommon to mistake symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for those of moral injury and to wonder why symptoms are not resolving. This group can provide a deeper understanding about what moral injury is, the process of change, the interplay of responsibility, guilt, and shame as well as how moving towards acceptance, and forgiveness can be helpful.  This group may pave the way for more intensive trauma treatment if required. 

Improving diet with a solid nutritional foundation can be part of an individual’s mental health wellness toolbox.  The Mood & Food program provides the knowledge, skills and support to assist patients to move towards healthier food choices.   It may be useful for individuals diagnosed with mood disorder and who would like to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of food and nutrition on their mental health and looking for ways to improve their nutrition. They will experience learning modules, check your knowledge activities, reflective practice activities, goal setting, meal planning, and recipe selection as well as scheduled homework practice to enhance their learning. 
 

Sometimes words are not enough. Art therapy provides the opportunity to express oneself more fully through arrange of different art materials and activities. It engages arrange of senses rather than relying solely on the mind and talking techniques. Art therapy can lead to enhanced wellbeing, increased self-awareness and understanding, as well as discovering new perspectives and improving problem solving. This program has strong therapeutic foundations and explores topics such as: identity, personal strengths, emotional identification, masks, goal setting and vision boards, challenging perfectionism, values, authenticity, validation, and self-care. Please note that completing personal art projects is not the focus of this group.

This program utilises recognised therapeutic methodologies, interactive teaching processes, self-esteem and confidence building techniques. All elements are centred on helping men to become happier, more productive and emotionally centred. 

This program may be useful for people diagnosed with PTSD or who have experienced trauma in their life and would like to gain a deeper understanding of this issue and find skills and strategies to cope better in life. This program is for those who do not meet the criteria for the Trauma Recovery Program (TRP) i.e they are not ADF/DVA or first responders. *Please Note* The PCL5 is required in addition to the referral form for this program.

The Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Day Program may be helpful for individuals who are looking to better manage their moods, attain better control of their reactions to stressful events, and to live with psychological and/or medical problems more effectively. MBCT is a scientifically validated program for depression and anxiety, relapse prevention, managing pain, stress and negative mood states. The program has a large experiential component.

The Successful Sleep Program is designed for people who are experiencing sleep loss or chronic sleep difficulties and would like some practical help in learning strategies for addressing this issue.

Using a range of evidence-based strategies, the aim of the program is to build personal resilience and develop emotional physical health. Participants will be taught a range of practical skills to help ‘bounce back’ from stressful and difficult life experiences and get back to meeting the demands of day-to-day living. A number of theoretical models are utilised, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Positive Psychology, Mindfulness and Affect or Emotional Regulation to enhance personal wellbeing.

The Trauma Recovery Program (TRP) sessions provide skills and techniques to manage PTSD more effectively, understand its impact on oneself and others, as well as fostering a support network for participants. This program also offers individual therapy sessions alongside the group program. *Please note this group is for ADF/ DVA or First Responders only*

The Women’s Wellbeing Program uses CBT principles and covers a variety of general wellbeing topics including sleep, nutrition, exercise, self-care, values and goal setting, self-compassion, communication, forgiveness, the inner critic, mindfulness, character strengths & grief and loss.

The Young at Heart Program is designed for mature aged people who may be experiencing adjustment difficulties, depression, anxiety or early signs of memory loss and cognitive changes. The group focuses on age-related issues including brain training exercises, creating a healthy balanced lifestyle through mental and physical activities, healthy eating and social activities.