The first step is to submit a form on the website by clicking on New clients above. I'll be in touch to have a brief conversation about what you're looking for and whether Kapwa Psychology feels like the right fit. If it does, I'll send through a link to book your initial consultation.

Not always. A GP referral and Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) is required if you want to access Medicare rebates. If you're attending privately, no referral is needed. For eating concerns, a GP referral and ongoing medical monitoring is required regardless of how you're attending.

You don't need to be in crisis, and you don't need to have it all figured out before you reach out. Most people come to therapy feeling uncertain about whether things are bad enough, whether it will help, or whether they're ready to open things up. That uncertainty is normal, and it doesn't mean you're not ready.

If you've been wondering whether therapy might help, that's enough of a reason to reach out.

It might be. When therapy doesn't help, it's often less about you and more about fit, including the approach, the relationship, the timing, or maybe all three. EMDR and the ways of working at Kapwa are different from standard talk therapy, and for some people that difference matters.

The first session is mostly a conversation. I'll ask about what's brought you to therapy and what you're hoping for, and there'll be space for your questions too. You won't be pushed to go anywhere you're not ready to go.

There's no pressure to commit to anything from that first appointment. If you decide to continue, we’ll then figure out a plan as to what therapy will look like from there.

Yes, of course! There's no minimum commitment, and you're not locked into anything after your initial session. Some people come for a block of sessions and find that's enough. Others want to continue longer. We'll check in as we go.

Talk therapy works through conversation, building insight, and developing new ways of thinking about yourself and situations. It's valuable and it underpins most of the work here.

EMDR works a bit differently. Rather than talking about a memory at length, we bilateral stimulation, usually eye movements or gentle tapping, to help the brain move through experiences that have become stuck. Many people find it reaches things that talking alone hasn't been able to shift.

At Kapwa, EMDR is used within a broader therapeutic relationship, not as a standalone technique.

Trauma informed practice means our work recognises that difficult experiences have shaped how you think, feel, and respond in the world. The focus is on what happened to you, not what's wrong with you. Safety, choice, and pace matter throughout.

Fees at Kapwa are set below the AAPi recommended rate to keep care as accessible as possible, and Medicare rebates can significantly reduce the out-of-pocket cost for those with a valid care plan.

A small number of concession spots are available each quarter for people experiencing financial hardship. If this is relevant to you, you're welcome to mention it when you reach out.

If Kapwa isn't the right fit financially right now, there are other options worth knowing about. headspace Coffs Harbour offers time limited, free mental health support for young people aged 12-25. The Medicare Mental Health Centre (1800 595 212) provides free sessions with no appointment or GP referral required.

Yes! And it's central to the work that we do.

Culture shapes how we understand ourselves, how we express emotion and distress, what healing looks like, and what feels safe to say out loud. That's true for everyone as we all have our own cultural influences.

Rural and regional experience, religious upbringing, class, gender and sexuality, disability, body, family structure - all of these shape the way people move through the world and through therapy. So does living at the intersection of more than one of these, where pressures can build up in ways that mainstream psychology has often missed.

Every part of you is welcome in the room.