Carolyn Innes Psychology

Here, you are seen, heard and supported

Psychological Therapy for Adolescents and Adults

Carolyn Innes Psychology offers in-person and online sessions in Dural.

Adolescents

At Carolyn Innes Psychology, we understand that adolescents think and communicate differently than adults, adapting our therapeutic techniques to their level of understanding. This ensures that therapy is engaging, meaningful and effective for their stage of development.

We recognise the important role that families play in a teen’s well-being and may involve parents or caregivers in the therapeutic process to provide a holistic support system. This collaboration helps reinforce positive changes outside of the therapy session.

We are dedicated to helping you and your teen find their way through the toughest moment. We bring research and over 20 years of working with families to create solutions for you and your family.

Adults

We offer individual therapy services for adults for a range of mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder. Therapeutic support for those navigating life changes and transitions such as managing stress or changes in family dynamics.

Have you ever experienced butterflies in your stomach when you feel anxious or body aches when you are under pressure or feel stressed?

Mental health cannot be isolated from physical health, nor from our environments. We focus on the interaction between your mind-body connection and your environment. We understand each individual is a complex and interconnected being and that addressing mental health takes a holistic approach.

Trauma

At Carolyn Innes Psychology, we have an interest in supporting people who have experienced trauma.

  • Trauma can result from a single event such as a car accident or witnessing a violent crime as well as from repetitive exposure to traumatic incidents such as those faced by first responders.

    Trauma can also arise from prolonged exposure to various types of severe trauma. This often occurs within the context of interpersonal or caregiving relationships.

  • 'Big T' Trauma
    This refers to significant, life-altering events that pose a serious threat to a person's safety, or well-being such as natural disasters, severe accidents, violent assault, or the sudden loss of a loved one. These experience often lead to intense emotional distress and can have a lasting impact on a person's mental health. Other Big T Traumas include:

    • Physical or sexual assault

    • Severe car accidents

    • Military combat or exposure to war

    • Life-threatening illnesses or surgeries

    • Witnessing a violent crime or traumatic event

    • Serious injury of a loved one

    • Act of terrorism or mass violence

    • Childhood / development abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual)

    • Domestic violence

    'Little t' Trauma
    This includes less severe but still distressing experiences that may not involve direct threats to one's safety, but still cause emotional pain. Little t trauma may involve ongoing stress at work, relationship conflicts, minor accidents, or feeling rejected or excluded. Whilst these events might seem smaller in scale, they can accumulate over time and impact mental health, especially if left unaddressed. Other little t traumas include:

    • Chronic stress from work or school

    • Familial conflict and friendships breakups

    • Financial difficulties or job insecurity

    • Feeling excluded, rejected, or ridiculed

    • Moving to a new place or changing school

    • Verbal criticism or negative feedback

    • Repeated feelings of disappointment or failure

    • Unresolved grief from a non-life-threatening event e.g., losing a pet

    • Significant changes in routine or lifestyle adjustments

Meet Carolyn

Carolyn is a Registered Psychologist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). She is a member of the Australian Psychological Society and Associate Member of EMDR Association of Australia.

Carolyn completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies in psychology at Western Sydney University. Prior to working as a psychologist, Carolyn facilitated the safety, welfare, and well-being of children, adolescents, and families after completing her studies in Social Science (Welfare).

Carolyn has a particular interest in working with individuals who have experienced a stressful life or traumatic event. She has extensive experience supporting individuals who have experienced sexual assault and developmental trauma.

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.”

— William James

Therapeutic Approach

Carolyn believes in creating a safe and secure environment for her clients, with an emphasis on the therapeutic relationship. Carolyn believes that therapy is a collaborative process, where she works together with her clients to identify unhelpful patterns of behaviours so meaningful changes can be made in their lives.

Carolyn takes a holistic approach to therapy by working with her clients to expand their overall well-being by making connections between the mind, body, and environment.

She uses evidence-based practices tailored to her clients need, and incorporates Attachment-Based Therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is a mindfulness-based therapy that teaches acceptance of difficult thoughts and emotions, focuses on valued actions, and builds psychological flexibility. Evidence shows it effectively helps with anxiety, stress, and life transitions.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

DBT is used to treat individuals with intense emotional dysregulation, particularly those with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). DBT focuses on helping individuals regulate emotions, improve relationships, enhance mindfulness, and cultivate distress tolerance and effective coping skills.

Therapies

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is an evidence-based, practical therapy that links thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. By identifying and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours, it helps people adopt healthier thinking and responses. Effective for anxiety, depression, stress, and other issues.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)

TF-CBT is a trauma-focused form of cognitive behavioural therapy that combines standard CBT principles with trauma-sensitive techniques to help clients process traumatic memories, reduce distressing symptoms, and develop more effective, healthy coping skills.

Schema Therapy

Schema Therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that combines elements of CBT, attachment theory, and psychodynamic principles. It was developed to treat long-standing patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving (called ‘schemas’) that stem from early life experiences and can lead to emotional and relational difficulties in adulthood

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)

TF-CBT is a trauma-focused form of cognitive behavioural therapy that combines standard CBT principles with trauma-sensitive techniques to help clients process traumatic memories, reduce distressing symptoms, and develop more effective, healthy coping skills.

Fees & Rebates

Rebates may be available from Medicare and most Private Health funds.

The Australian Psychological Society recommend $318 for a 46-60 minute consultation. At Carolyn Innes Psychology, our fees are significantly below the APS recommendations.

  • Under a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate for psychological services with a referral from your general practitioner (GP). This rebate, of $96.65 per session can cover up to 10 sessions per calendar year. The rebate can be higher if, towards the end of the year you have exceeded you Medicare Safety Net. The GP should provide you with a referral letter and a Mental Health Care Plan.

  • You may be able to claim rebates for psychological services through your Private Health Fund. Please check with your insurer to confirm your level of cover and rebate amount.

  • Psychological services is available for individuals with approved WorkCover claims. Once your claim is accepted, your session may be funded by WorkCover. Please ensure you provide your WorkCover claim details before your initial session to arrange finding approval.

  • If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident and have sustained psychological injuries, you may be eligible for treatment funded under CTP. With an approved CTP claim, your psychological sessions can be covered by your insurer. Please provide your claim number and insurer details prior to your first appointment so we can coordinate the necessary approvals and billing arrangements.

  • We support NDIS participants who are either self-managedy.

Policies

At Carolyn Innes Psychology, we are committed to providing support to all our clients. To ensure that each client benefits from their therapy, we have the following policies:

Cancellation Fees

We understand that life can be unpredictable, but late cancellations or non-attendance at sessions affect more than just your therapy.

    • Delay or missed session disrupt your process and the momentum of your therapy. It may prolong the times it takes to achieve your therapeutic goals.

    • Psychologists are invested in your well-being not only during sessions but before and after too. They dedicate time to preparing for your therapy by reviewing your case, planning tailored interventions, and reviewing the latest research. After your session, they reflect on the progress made and identify additional resources or supports that could be beneficial for your continued growth. This behind-the-scenes work is essential to ensuring you receive the most effective and personalised care.

    • Each appointment time is valuable and could be used by another client who may be in urgent needs of care. By not attending or giving sufficient notice you are inadvertently delaying someone else’s progress.

    • To avoid a cancellation fee, we request you provide at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment.

Late Attendance

If you arrive late, the session will still end at the scheduled time to ensure fairness for other clients. Full fees will still apply. For significant delays, the session may need to be rescheduled, with a cancellation fee applied. 

“I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”

— Abraham Maslow

Emergency & Crisis Support

At Carolyn Innes Psychology, we are unable to offer crisis or emergency services.

If you require immediate mental health assistance you can contact the following services:

  • Your General Practitioner

  • Beyond Blue: Offers a free telephone and online counselling service available 24/7 Australia-wide. Phone 1300 22 4636 or chat online with a counsellor via the website.

  • Lifeline: National charity providing all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Phone 13 11 14 or visit the website to chat with a counsellor online.

  • Suicide Callback Service: Free nationwide service providing 24/7 phone and online counselling to people affected by suicide. Phone 1300 659 467 or visit the website.

Get in Touch

If you would like to find out more about the services that Carolyn Innes Dale provides or would like to book an appointment, please phone the practice, send or send us an email.

Email
admin@carolyninnespsychology.com.au

Phone
0436 320 009

Please note, the phone line is not always staffed throughout the day. If you have any questions or need to make any changes to your appointments, the quickest to get into contact is to send an email to admin@carolyninnespsychology.com.au. Otherwise, you are welcome to leave a voicemail on the clinic phone, and we will be in touch at our earliest convenience.

Location
Wakefield Business Park
Unit 36, 276-278 New Line Road
Dural NSW 2158

Practice Days (By appointment only).
Monday 9am - 3pm
Tuesday 9am - 3pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 3pm/6pm

Carolyn Innes Psychology acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and work, including the lands of the Darug people. I pay my respects to Elders past, present, and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, recognising their enduring connection to these lands, waters, and communities.

We are committed to a neuroaffirming approach that respects and values neurodiversity and believe that neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other variations in cognitive functioning are natural and valuable aspects of human diversity, rather than deficits to be 'fixed.' At Carolyn Innes Psychology, the practice aims to create a supportive and inclusive environment that honours each individual's unique strengths and challenges, promoting well-being and acceptance for all.

At Carolyn Innes Psychology we are dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment for LGBTQ+ individuals. We respect and celebrate all identities, including diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. The practice is committed to providing compassionate care that recognizes the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people while promoting acceptance, understanding, and equality for everyone.