Welcome to
Carolyn Innes Psychology
Here, you are seen, heard and supported
Affirming and trauma-informed therapy for adolescents and adults in Dural, NSW. Carolyn Innes Psychology was founded to offer a space where people feel safe, supported and genuinely understood.
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.
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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.
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'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’s approach to therapy is multimodal and personal. Rather than relying on a single therapeutic model. She draws from a range of evidence-based approaches and tailors therapy to each client’s needs, strengths and goals. Therapy is collaborative, flexible and grounded in respect for each person’s identity, autonomy and lived experience.
Therapy modalities are drawn from Attachment-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behaviours Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Schema 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.
Therapy Modalities
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.
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.
Services & Fees
At Carolyn Innes Psychology, care is provided with thoughtfulness and respect for each client’s individual needs. To help ensure that therapy remains supportive, effective, and beneficial for everyone, the following policies are in place.
The Australian Psychological Society recommend $318 for a 46-60 minute consultation. At Carolyn Innes Psychology, our fees are significantly below the APS recommendations.
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Session fees vary depending on the type of support you’re seeking and the nature of the sessions. The fee for a standard 50-minute session ranges from $240 to $265.
If you’re unsure which fee applies to your situation or would like more information about session types and rates, please feel free to ask during your complimentary consultation or reach out by email.
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Medicare - Better Access Imitative
Under a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP), you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate for psychological services with a referral from your general practitioner (GP). This rebate, of $98.95 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. Your GP will provide you with a referral letter and a MHTP.
Eating Disorders and Management Plans
If you have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, your GP can prepare an Eating Disorder Management Plan (EDMP) to support you in accessing specialised care. Under this plan, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate of $98.95 per session for psychological treatment, with access to up to 40 sessions within a 12-month period. An EDMP also involves regular medical reviews with your GP to ensure your physical health and overall wellbeing are being safely monitored throughout treatment. Your GP will provide you with an EDMP and referral letter so we can begin working together in a coordinated and supportive way.
Private Health Funds
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.
WorkCover
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.
Compulsory Third Party (CTP) Insurance
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.
NDIS (Self-Managed)
We support NDIS participants who are either self-managed.
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Item descriptionWe 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 need of care. By not attending or giving sufficient notice you are inadvertently delaying someone else’s progress. To help Carolyn Innes Psychology to provide care to all clients, we kindly ask that you provide at least 2 business days’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment.
If you cancel or reschedule your appointment within two business days' and Carolyn Innes Psychology are able to offer your appointment to another client, no cancellation fee will apply, so we appreciate as much notice as possible. Telehealth sessions may be offered as an alternative if you cannot attend in person. Please email the practice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.
Cancellation Fees
Appointments not attended, rescheduled or cancelled with less than one business days' notice: 100% of the session fee.
Appointments rescheduled or cancelled with less two business days' notice: 50% of the session fee.
Late Attendance
We recognise that delays can happen, however, if you are late, sessions will finish at the originally scheduled time to respect all clients. Full session fees will still apply. For significant delays, the session may need to be rescheduled, with a cancellation fee applied.
Extenuating Circumstances
We recognise that unforeseen events—such as illness, emergencies, or bereavement—can occur. If you are unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances, please contact us as soon as possible. Each case will be considered individually, and exceptions to the policy may be made.
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You can pay by either direct deposit or credit card. We kindly request the session fee is paid prior to your session if paying by direct deposit. Payments by credit card are taken by STRIPE at the end of your sessions. This is done electronically and securely through the practice management software. If payment is not received by the end of your session or the cancellation fee is applied, we will process the payment using the credit card that is securely stored on STRIPE.
Please note we do not accept cash, American Express or Diners Club.
“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 usual General Practitioner or if unavailable, a General Practitioner at the general practice you visit.
Beyond Blue: Offers a 24 hour free telephone and online counselling service Australia-wide. Phone 1300 22 4636 or chat online with a counsellor via the website.
Lifeline: Provides a 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Phone 13 11 14 or visit the website to chat with a counsellor online. Provides
The 1800 011 511 Mental Health Line is NSW Health’s 24-hour state-wide phone service which links people with NSW Health mental health services. It is a free service.
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.
NSW Domestic Violence Line provides counselling and referrals to women experiencing domestic violence. Phone 1800 656 463 to access this service.
000 or present to your nearest Emergency Department at your local Hospital.
Get in Touch
If you would like to find out more about the services that Carolyn Innes 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 respectfully acknowledges the Darug Peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work. We honour their ongoing connection to Country, culture and community, and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future. We recognise that this land was never ceded and always remains Aboriginal land.
We acknowledge and value the voices of people with lived experience of neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ identities, mental health, disability and marginalisation, as well as the families, carers and supporters who walk alongside them. Your experiences are recognised, respected and welcomed here.