Psychodynamic (or psychoanalytic) therapy is a depth-oriented approach that explores how past experiences, unconscious processes, and patterns in relationships shape the way we think, feel, and live today. By bringing these often hidden influences into awareness, therapy opens the possibility for greater understanding, freedom, and lasting change. You can read more about it here.

Psychodynamic therapy can help if you’re struggling with recurring patterns in relationships, painful feelings such as anxiety, depression, or low self-worth, or if you feel stuck without knowing why. The therapy offers a safe space to explore how past experiences and unconscious processes shape your present life, fostering deeper self-understanding and the possibility for lasting change. It may be right for you if you’re seeking not only relief from symptoms but also a deeper understanding of yourself and your relationships.

The first session is a gentle beginning — a space to lay down the first threads of your story. You are invited to speak about what has brought you here, in whatever way feels natural.

Together, you and Dr Sarah-Jane begin to listen for patterns, themes, and possibilities, and to explore what therapy might look like for you.

These early sessions (usually 1–3) include a conversation about confidentiality and privacy, an outline of how Dr Sarah-Jane works, and the boundaries of therapy. An early understanding of what might be happening for you and what could help begins to form, and whether psychodynamic therapy is the right fit is explored. At the end of this process, you and Dr Sarah-Jane will decide together whether to commit to ongoing therapy and, if so, what shape that work will take.

People generally attend once or twice per week in order to foster the depth of therapy they are looking for. However, the frequency of attendance will be discussed with you upon intake and can be tailored to your needs. 

Therapy is tailored to you, so the length of time varies depending on your needs and goals. Some people come for a shorter period to work through a specific difficulty, while others choose medium- or longer-term therapy to explore patterns, the self, and relationships more deeply. Often people come for a specific issue but stay on to work through deeper aspects of their lives. Because every person’s journey is unique, it isn’t possible to set an exact timeframe at the beginning. Dr Sarah-Jane and you will discuss this together during the initial sessions and revisit it as needed along the way.

Dr Sarah-Jane is committed to keeping session fees below the Australian Psychological Society's recommended rate. This rate is updated annually and can be review here.

Sessions are $260. A $20 surcharge applies to after hours appointments. Rebates may be available through Medicare or your private health insurance. You can read more about this here.

Each session runs for 50 minutes; Dr Sarah-Jane also allows an additional 10 minutes outside of this time for note-taking, billing, and any necessary communication with Medicare or other health professionals.

Dr Sarah-Jane's rooms are located at 18 Erin Street Richmond.

Getting to the practice:

• By car: Free parking is available behind the main building. Simply drive down the driveway and park in the spaces at the rear.

• By public transport: 
  Nearest tram stop: 15-Epworth Hospital/Bridge Road.
  Nearest bus stop: Bridge Road/Hoddle Street stop.
  Nearest train station: West Richmond.
   

Waiting room:

Many people choose to wait in their car if arriving by car, however, there is a small waiting space accessed via the leftmost door when facing the building from the carpark. A code for the door will be emailed to you upon confirmation of your first appointment.   

There is a couple of seats inside the door and the bathroom is available just up the ramp and the left of the two doors. It says 'toilet' down low on the door. 

Telehealth consults are available and are held on the secure Doxy Health platform, within your internet browser. No software needs to be installed to use this platform. A stable link for my online waiting room can be found here.

Telephone consults are also available by negotiation.

Adults come to therapy for many different reasons — sometimes because of a specific difficulty, and sometimes because of a more general sense that life feels overwhelming or unfulfilling.

Dr Sarah-Jane works with a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, stress, relationship difficulties, grief and loss, trauma, life transitions, identity questions, and challenges with self-esteem or confidence. Dr Sarah-Jane also sees people with presentations that fit within diagnostic categories such as mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, and trauma-related conditions.

In addition, Dr Sarah-Jane has a special interest in working with adults who identify as neurodivergent, whether newly diagnosed, self-identifying, or seeking support in navigating daily life.

Couples come to therapy for many reasons, including communication difficulties, recurring conflicts, intimacy or sexual concerns, life transitions, or navigating separation.

Dr Sarah-Jane works with a wide range of relationships, including heterosexual, LGBTQIA+, and open, polyamorous or polycule partnerships.

Therapy provides a safe space to explore patterns in your relationship, build understanding and empathy, and work towards connection, trust, and shared goals. Whether you are seeking to strengthen your bond or navigate a separation thoughtfully, therapy can support you in clarifying what you need and how to relate more effectively.

Adolescents may seek therapy for a variety of reasons, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, difficulties at school, eating disorders, family conflict, social challenges, and coping with loss or trauma.

Dr Sarah-Jane has a special interest in working with young people navigating identity questions.

Your personal information provided will only be used for the provision of therapy and billing unless:

• There is a serious risk of immediate harm to you or someone else (see Duty of Care below).
• I am legally required to disclose information (eg if subpoenaed by a court).
• I am required to write a report for funding (Medicare, WorkCover, NDIS); these are kept brief to preserve confidentiality.
• On occasion some deidentified aspects of your case may be discussed with other suitably qualified clinical professionals in supervision, to enhance quality of care.  Clinical supervision is a mandatory requirement for psychologists and is part of maintaining professional standards.
• You consent to its use for another purpose.
   

Basic information may be exchanged with your representatives or with service providers assisting with archival, auditing, accounting, client contact, legal, business, banking, payment, data processing, document management, research, insurance, website, or technology services.

Once you and Dr Sarah-Jane have agreed to begin a course of therapy, a session time is set aside specifically for you, and is unavailabe to others whether or not you utilise it.

If you cancel, miss, or need to reschedule an appointment (including the first consultation), the session fee applies in full. As a courtesy Dr Sarah-Jane will endeavour to offer you a rescheduled time as a make up session free of charge, if you provide more than 48 hours notice. Offered make up sessions are not guaranteed to be be available at a time that suits you and will only be available in the week preceeding or following the missed session.  

Frequent late changes or missed sessions can lead to adjustments in how payments are managed, and in some cases may mean that Dr Sarah-Jane is unable to continue offering you appointments.

Psychodynamic (or psychoanalytic) therapy is a depth-oriented approach that explores how past experiences, unconscious processes, and patterns in relationships shape the way we think, feel, and live today. By bringing these often hidden influences into awareness, therapy opens the possibility for greater understanding, freedom, and lasting change. You can read more about it here.

The first session is a gentle beginning — a space to lay down the first threads of your story. You are invited to speak about what has brought you here, in whatever way feels natural.

Together, you and Dr Sarah-Jane begin to listen for patterns, themes, and possibilities, and to explore what therapy might look like for you.

These early sessions (usually 1–3) include a conversation about confidentiality and privacy, an outline of how Dr Sarah-Jane works, and the boundaries of therapy. An early understanding of what might be happening for you and what could help begins to form, and whether psychodynamic therapy is the right fit is explored. At the end of this process, you and Dr Sarah-Jane will decide together whether to commit to ongoing therapy and, if so, what shape that work will take.

People generally attend once or twice per week in order to foster the depth of therapy they are looking for. However, the frequency of attendance will be discussed with you upon intake and can be tailored to your needs. 

Therapy is tailored to you, so the length of time varies depending on your needs and goals. Some people come for a shorter period to work through a specific difficulty, while others choose medium- or longer-term therapy to explore patterns, the self, and relationships more deeply. Often people come for a specific issue but stay on to work through deeper aspects of their lives. Because every person’s journey is unique, it isn’t possible to set an exact timeframe at the beginning. Dr Sarah-Jane and you will discuss this together during the initial sessions and revisit it as needed along the way.

Dr Sarah-Jane is committed to keeping session fees below the Australian Psychological Society's recommended rate. This rate is updated annually and can be review here.

Sessions are $270. A $20 surcharge applies to after hours appointments. Rebates may be available through Medicare or your private health insurance. You can read more about this here.

Each session runs for 50 minutes; Dr Sarah-Jane also allows an additional 10 minutes outside of this time for note-taking, billing, and any necessary communication with Medicare or other health professionals.

Dr Sarah-Jane's rooms are located at 18 Erin Street Richmond.

Getting to the practice:

• By car: Free parking is available behind the main building. Simply drive down the driveway and park in the spaces at the rear.

• By public transport: 
  Nearest tram stop: 15-Epworth Hospital/Bridge Road.
  Nearest bus stop: Bridge Road/Hoddle Street stop.
  Nearest train station: West Richmond.
   

Waiting room:

Many people choose to wait in their car if arriving by car, however, there is a small waiting space accessed via the leftmost door when facing the building from the carpark. A code for the door will be emailed to you upon confirmation of your first appointment.   

There is a couple of seats inside the door and the bathroom is available just up the ramp and the left of the two doors. It says 'toilet' down low on the door. 

There is ramp access and dedicated disabled parking at the back of the building. If you need assistance please let Dr Sarah-Jane know before your first appointment and this can be arranged.

Telehealth consults are available and are held on the secure Doxy Health platform, within your internet browser. No software needs to be installed to use this platform. A stable link for my online waiting room can be found here.

Telephone consults are also available by negotiation.

Adults come to therapy for many different reasons — sometimes because of a specific difficulty, and sometimes because of a more general sense that life feels overwhelming or unfulfilling.

Dr Sarah-Jane works with a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, stress, relationship difficulties, grief and loss, trauma, life transitions, identity questions, and challenges with self-esteem or confidence. Dr Sarah-Jane also sees people with presentations that fit within diagnostic categories such as mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, and trauma-related conditions.

In addition, Dr Sarah-Jane has a special interest in working with adults who identify as neurodivergent, whether newly diagnosed, self-identifying, or seeking support in navigating daily life.

Couples come to therapy for many reasons, including communication difficulties, recurring conflicts, intimacy or sexual concerns, life transitions, or navigating separation.

Dr Sarah-Jane works with a wide range of relationships, including heterosexual, LGBTQIA+, and open, polyamorous or polycule partnerships.

Therapy provides a safe space to explore patterns in your relationship, build understanding and empathy, and work towards connection, trust, and shared goals. Whether you are seeking to strengthen your bond or navigate a separation thoughtfully, therapy can support you in clarifying what you need and how to relate more effectively.

Adolescents may seek therapy for a variety of reasons, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, difficulties at school, eating disorders, family conflict, social challenges, and coping with loss or trauma.

Dr Sarah-Jane has a special interest in working with young people navigating identity questions.

Your personal information provided will only be used for the provision of therapy and billing unless:

• There is a serious risk of immediate harm to you or someone else (see Duty of Care below).
• I am legally required to disclose information (eg if subpoenaed by a court).
• I am required to write a report for funding (Medicare, WorkCover, NDIS); these are kept brief to preserve confidentiality.
• On occasion some deidentified aspects of your case may be discussed with other suitably qualified clinical professionals in supervision, to enhance quality of care.  Clinical supervision is a mandatory requirement for psychologists and is part of maintaining professional standards.
• You consent to its use for another purpose.
   

Basic information may be exchanged with your representatives or with service providers assisting with archival, auditing, accounting, client contact, legal, business, banking, payment, data processing, document management, research, insurance, website, or technology services.

Once you and Dr Sarah-Jane have agreed to begin a course of therapy, a session time is set aside specifically for you, and is unavailabe to others whether or not you utilise it.

If you cancel, miss, or need to reschedule an appointment (including the first consultation), the session fee applies in full. As a courtesy Dr Sarah-Jane will endeavour to offer you a rescheduled time as a make up session free of charge, if you provide more than 48 hours notice. Offered make up sessions are not guaranteed to be be available at a time that suits you and will only be available in the week preceeding or following the missed session.  

Frequent late changes or missed sessions can lead to adjustments in how payments are managed, and in some cases may mean that Dr Sarah-Jane is unable to continue offering you appointments.