Our Team

Our Team2018-09-02T16:28:50+00:00

Josh Hobson

Psychologist

About Josh Josh Hobson is a compassionate and supportive psychologist who works with his clients to identify their inner strengths, and to draw on these strengths so that his clients […]

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Deborah Hart

ACT Therapist, Counsellor and Coach

Who am I? I have spent the first three decades of my working life as a professional horn player with orchestras around Australia and The Netherlands. Most of that time […]

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Nicole Lockwood

Psychology Intern

About Nicole Nicole is a Provisional Psychologist with a strong people focus and a love of communication, mindfulness and engagement. She enjoys finding connection, developing rapport and establishing warm, collaborative […]

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Brock Bastian

Psychologist

About Brock Practising as a psychologist for the past 15 years I have worked with a great variety of people from a wide range of backgrounds. My approach draws on […]

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Steve Fahey

Psychologist

About Steve After previously working in the corporate and tertiary education sectors, Steve Fahey has been a registered psychologist since 2004. He has worked as a counsellor in community and […]

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Dayana Noor

Psychologist

About Dayana Dayana is a Registered Psychologist and a Counselling Psychologist Registrar with the Psychologist Board of Australia. She is also a full member of the Australian Psychological Society and […]

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Patch Callahan

Clinical Psychologist

About Patch Patch has been working as a clinical psychologist since 2010 in public youth mental health, child/developmental, health psychology, headspace, and hospital-based outpatient group therapy. He has trained in […]

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Julian McNally

Counselling Psychologist

About Julian Julian McNally has practised counselling psychology since 1995. He trained in client-centered and solution-oriented approaches before discovering Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in 2003. The mindfulness components of ACT […]

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Get Your Life Back On Track, Find A Way Forward, Experience Peace of Mind

We’re here to help you find the way into a life you love. You may be facing one of life’s everyday setbacks like separation or a relationship breakup, loss of a loved one, conflict at work or change of job, loneliness, family problems and so on. Or you may be experiencing a mental health condition like depression, anxiety, addiction or trauma. Perhaps you’re just trying to understand yourself, your thoughts, emotions, sexuality or relationships, or perhaps to understand and find purpose in your life. A skilled Melbourne psychologist expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and other scientifically supported therapies, will work with you, putting your strengths and new insights in the service of a more fulfilling life. Phone today to chat with one of our friendly psychologists, or complete this form and we’ll call you back.

Commonly Asked Questions

What Is A Psychologist?2019-02-26T04:57:41+00:00

When you hear the term “psychologist” or “therapist,” you might be thinking of someone asking you to lie down on a couch as they write notes on their clipboard. This is a popular image of psychologists popularized by pop culture, but this isn’t the only thing that psychologists do for their clients. When we say “psychologist,” we pertain to a person professionally-trained and certified to provide psychological assistance to clients ailed by a wide variety of conditions that range from mild issues to serious matters. Our psychologists here at Act of Living aren’t only university-trained, but also experienced and equipped with the right skill-sets to deal with various psychological issues.

What Is Therapy And Counselling?2018-07-23T06:04:35+00:00

If you’ve ever had anyone in your life encourage you to “get help” for your particular life issues, or if you feel as though you need assistance when it comes to dealing with a particular aspect of your life, then perhaps you’re looking for therapy and/or counselling. When we say counselling, this is the professional service psychologists offer that is designed to help you or other people deal with issues and concerns in life that may be affecting them emotionally or mentally. Unlike simply giving advice, counselling allows psychologists to prescribe particular methods, techniques, strategies, and systems that are specifically designed to deal with concerns on mental and emotional health.

When Should I Get Counselling?2018-07-23T06:05:11+00:00

We all have different experiences in life – and regardless of how some mental health concerns and conditions affect people similarly, the way these make an impact to our overall mental health and life in general may differ significantly. As such, knowing if you should get counselling isn’t always a matter of people telling you to “get help,” or when someone like a guidance counselor encourages you to do so. Most of the time, the best time to get counselling is when you, yourself, feel as though life’s issues are becoming too much to handle, or if you feel as though there’s something you can do to make a significant and positive change to some aspect of your life. It’s a decision that is primarily based on your situation, and as such you’re really the best person to decide if you need counselling.

Is Counselling Private?2019-02-26T04:57:30+00:00

All counselling sessions you do with Act of Living will be private and exclusive only to you and to your psychologist. As our psychologists and therapists are accredited and licensed, we make sure all correspondence between you and them are kept confidential. Data pertaining to your sessions will only be accessed in order to help create better ways of helping you deal with your life worries and concerns. The only exception to this is if your information is specifically requested by the courts, or if you yourself request for this data because of reasons such as job applications.

What Should I Expect For My First Session?2018-07-23T06:07:14+00:00

For your first session, you should expect this to be something that will help you and your therapist zero in on your particular concern or issue. This means your psychologist will more or less begin the session by asking you things that are happening in your life and your particular predicament. How much you’ll open up about your issue is up to you, and from this session, your psychologist should be able to plot out a basic overview of the approach you may need to take throughout the course of your sessions in order to get the kind of results you need and desire. Your first session is extremely important, as this allows both you and your therapist to identify parts of your problem that might need focus, and this also lets you start being comfortable with your therapist.

Can I Stop Seeing My Therapist?2018-07-23T06:07:57+00:00

As much as we’d feel sad seeing you go, you are allowed to cancel your sessions with our team and your psychologist. Do clarify with our customer service representatives regarding the specifics of your cancellation of our service. However, do remember that our team will always be here should you want to start seeing us again, as we understand that our customers also tend to exit their sessions because of a wide variety of reasons. Our doors will always be open to accommodate you and help you find the best solutions in order to solve your particular concerns.

Is Counselling Effective?2019-02-06T04:49:19+00:00

Yes, over 80% of people who see a counsellor experience improvement, and generally fewer than 10% will be worse off after effective counselling. At The ACT of Living we measure the outcome achieved for each client and publish our aggregate effectiveness.

How Do You Work?2019-01-10T19:56:44+00:00

We mainly use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, but we are trained in other methods such as humanistic and existential counselling, cognitive-behavior therapy, solution-focused therapy, functional analytic psychotherapy, positive psychology, motivational interviewing and more.

How Much Does It Cost?2019-01-10T19:56:58+00:00

See the fee and rebate details for each practitioner by clicking on the ‘Practitioners’ menu above and choosing the practitioner you’re interested in.

How Long Does It Take?2019-01-10T19:57:10+00:00

That depends on many factors. Most people achieve a significant benefit by around 6-10 sessions. The average client who achieves any improvement with us does so in around nine sessions. This varies a lot though from one client to the next.

To understand more about our approach to counselling and therapy email or call us today!

About Us

203 High Street, Northcote, VIC 3070

(03) 9939 9437

 (03) 9015 6736

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We’re ready to help now, so don’t hesitate to contact us. Got a question? Let us know.

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