The Psychology Practice
Michael has a particular interest in assisting with depression, anxiety, stress-reduction, trauma, anger management and helping couples find a better way to connect. He has also spent a lot of time helping men develop better mental and emotional health.
He provides a comprehensive individualised assessment, working together with his clients to set achievable treatment goals and develop wellness plans that are highly personal and reflect the best current scientific evidence.
Treatments are therefore supported by research that has demonstrated that they are safe and effective. Michael is continuously keeping up with the latest evidence so he can offer the latest treatments in psychology.
Research has shown that different treatment modalities are suited to different psychological concerns. Michael will discuss what those treatment approaches might be with you, and together you will develop a personalised treatment plan suited to your own needs and goals.
Dr Michael Player provides individual psychological therapy to adults dealing with a range of difficulties. These are common conditions, meaning that you are not alone:
Mood
Depression
Low mood
Bipolar Disorder
Stress management
Confidence and self-esteem issues
Skills to enhance your wellbeing
Mindfulness
Anger management
Assertiveness and Communication skills
Increasing motivation
Reducing procrastination
Anxiety
Social anxiety, shyness
Public speaking
Phobias
Worry
Panic
Obsessive thoughts and compulsions (OCD)
Managing stress better (exams, work, sport, life…)
Perfectionism
Interpersonal Problems
Relationship problems
Work-related issues
Trauma
Post-traumatic Stress
Accidents or assaults
Sexual/physical/emotional abuse
Grief
Physical Health
Initiating an exercise regime
Adjusting to a serious injury or illness
Managing Chronic Pain
Sleeping Difficulties
Quitting smoking
Managing your alcohol intake
NEW CLIENTS
Appointments for clients of Michael Player Psychology can be made through call or email.
MICHAEL MAY BE SEEN FOR CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY SESSIONS ONLINE.
CALL
You can also book Michael to speak at conferences or to groups here:
Types of Therapy
TYPES OF THERAPY YOU CAN EXPECT
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and commitment therapy is a well supported approach to managing emotional distress that has been around since the mid 1980’s.
Many research trials have shown its effectiveness in treating a wide range of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, stress, chronic pain, and substance abuse.
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In fact, ACT now has the second highest number of listings of conditions treated, of all models of therapy according to a 2014 meta-analysis of research trials.
The main active ingredient of ACT is letting go of the struggle to control unwanted thoughts and feelings, and that what makes it different to a lot of the other psychological approaches. The other key features are being mindful, placing your attention on the awareness of the present moment, and committing to behaviours and actions that are consistent with your values.
During the ACT process, you will learn to relate to your thoughts in a different way, become aware of your unhelpful thinking patterns and develop skills to not react to them. Mindfulness training will assist you to be more in contact with the present moment, rather than ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. ACT demonstrates it a very clear way that is not the thoughts or feelings that cause you distress, but your relationship with them. ACT uses a number of different strategies and techniques to enable you to change your relationship with your thoughts, allowing you to more easily let go of thinking patterns which cause you distress.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
The most common empirically supported treatment method is cognitive behaviour therapy. CBT is a relatively short term, focused approach to the treatment of many types of emotional, behavioural and psychiatric problems.
CBT focuses on three interconnected areas:
thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
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How CBT is implemented varies depending on the problem being addressed, but is essentially a collaborative and personalised approach that helps individuals to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviours and learn or relearn healthier ways to go about their life.
It is a very practical and time-focused approach, so it works quickly and effectively in helping you make and maintain change.
Recently, the Australian Psychological Society (APS) released a review of current research into CBT. It found that:
- CBT is effective in treating most common mental health problems
- CBT is the most effective treatment for anxiety and depression
- CBT is feasible in terms of time and cost effectiveness
- CBT is more effective than medication in the long-run, as people taking medication are likely to relapse when they stop taking it, whereas CBT encourages long-lasting, sustainable change
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy assists in the building of skills to assist people who have difficulty regulating their emotions, and persistently engage in behaviours which disrupt their lives.
It was originally developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan to treat Borderline Personality Disorder and complex individuals who have chronic suicidal thinking and engage in high-risk behaviours, however…
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…research shows that DBT can be used for a wide range of psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, disordered eating, and any issues that involve significant difficulties with emotion regulation.
DBT develops four main skill sets:
- Mindfulness Skills: Assists people to learn how to accept and sit with difficult thoughts and feelings without needing to react or struggle. Mindfulness increases clarity and awareness, reduces emotional reactivity, and enhances our day-to-day life experience.
- Emotion regulation skills: Assists people learn how to manage and change emotions and how to increase their experience of positive emotions.
- Distress tolerance skills: Help people learn how to tolerate difficult situations, survive emotional crises without making things worse, and how to develop more emotional resilience.
- Interpersonal effectiveness skills: Help people learn how to increase effectiveness in dealing with other people and relationships, and how to develop self-efficacy and self-respect. These skills will improve assertiveness, setting boundaries, expression of your needs, and help you develop a more positive relationship with yourself.
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Michael has had extensive training and experience using eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy – which was approved by the EMDR Association of Australia (EMDRAA).
EMDR allows a client to fully process past experiences and the troubling emotions attached to those experiences. Negative thoughts and emotions that are no longer relevant are replaced with positive thoughts and feelings that will encourage healthier behaviours and better social interactions.
EMDR has a strong research background in treating trauma, but has also been shown effective in helping clients with: anxiety, depression, phobias, panic disorder, attachment disorders, conduct problems and self-esteem, grief and mourning chronic pain, psychosis and many other conditions.
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Unlike other forms of ‘talk’ therapy, EMDR focuses less on any particular (including a traumatic) event itself and more on the disturbing emotions and symptoms that resulted. Treatment can include a hand motion technique used by Michael to guide a client’s eye movements from side to side, similar to the saccades that occur during REM sleep.
It’s thought that while keeping the memory of a painful or traumatic event in mind, and following back-and-forth finger movements a client is able to fully process their negative feelings and then move to install and strengthen positive feelings and beliefs about an even and themselves. Through the formation of adaptive memory networks associated with that memory, it may come to mind without experiencing the negativity that caused distress to the client, and brought them to therapy in the first place.
EMDR was ‘discovered’ by Professor Francine Shapiro in 1987 and has been the subject of over 30 randomised controlled trials demonstrating its treatment effectiveness. Over this time EMDR has developed into an eight-phase treatment modality suitable for anyone who is able to provide informed consent, can calm themselves and make adaptive memories.
Schema Therapy
Schema Therapy integrates elements of cognitive therapy, behaviour therapy, object relations, and gestalt therapy into one unified, systematic approach to treatment.
It was developed to assist individuals with long-standing negative or dysfunctional life patterns who do not experience the change and success they hope for from standard short-term treatments like CBT or DBT.
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Schemas are patterns of self-defeating behaviours and reactions that were typically formed early in life to assist in survival or coping with painful feelings resulting from unfulfilled core emotional needs as a child.
While these patterns may have worked in childhood, they are ineffective means of coping with negative thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and memories as an adult. They are perpetuated behaviorally through the coping styles of schema maintenance, schema avoidance, and schema compensation. They create significant barriers to self-identity, accomplishing personal goals, relating to others and getting one’s needs met.
The schema therapy model of treatment is designed to help the person to break these negative patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving, and to develop healthier alternatives to either cope with or replace them.
Schema therapy consists of three stages:
- Assessment stage, in which schemas are identified.
- Emotional awareness and experiential stage, when clients get in touch with these schemas and learn how to spot them when they are operating in their day-to-day life.
- Behavioural change stage, during which the client is actively involved in replacing habitual negative thoughts and behaviours with new, healthy cognitive and behavioural options.
Additional Therapies
At Michael Player Psychology we use a wide range of therapies to work with your issues and conditions. We have covered detail on our main therapies, but we also offer many additional therapies to help you on your path to recovery, for example…
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- Cognitive Processing Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Gestalt Therapy
- Behavioural Activation
Fees & Rebates
While you don’t need a referral to see a psychologist, you will need a referral and a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP if you wish to claim rebates for psychology services through Medicare’s Better Access to Mental Health initiative.
Medicare rebates
If you would like to claim Medicare rebates for psychology sessions, you will need a referral and a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP. Psychiatrists and paediatricians can also provide Mental Health Care Plans. This will entitle you to claim rebates for an initial 6 sessions under Medicare’s Better Access to Mental Health initiative. After your 6th session, your GP will review your progress and may grant you an additional 4 sessions. This means you can access up to 10 sessions which you can receive a rebate per calendar year.
Please bring your referral and your Mental Health Care Plan to your first session.
You can also find more information through the Australian Psychological Society and the Department of Health.
Health fund rebates
Some private health funds offer rebates for psychology services. The amount of the rebate depends on your level of cover. You will be provided with a receipt so that you may claim directly from your health fund.
Please note that you cannot claim both Medicare and private health fund rebates for the same session.
REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT
For appointments for clients of Michael Player Psychology call (02) 9100 0986, or just email info@michaelplayerpsychology.com.au
To know more about rebates, click here.