Psychology Clinic

The Psychology Clinic provides both a service to the community and a training facility for the postgraduate students within the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Newcastle.

The Clinic offers assessments and a range of programs using specific psychological interventions targeted at particular client groups.

The programs are carried out by staff and postgraduate students who are closely supervised. Students are training for their Master of Clinical Psychology degree.

All students hold either provisional registration or full registration as psychologists with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. All students are closely supervised by experienced clinical psychologists.

The Psychology Clinic is a service for adults, families, children and adolescents. Individual and group programs are offered generally for a one-hour session per week, in comfortable surroundings away from the main teaching areas where privacy can be assured.

We welcome a wide range of clients and strive to provide high-quality, evidence-based interventions. However, as this is a training facility we are unable to manage clients likely to need more intensive support.

Exclusions include any clients where there is significant risk of harm to self or others, or clients presenting with symptoms of active psychosis. We are also unable to see clients who are currently engaged in legal proceedings. In cases where the Clinic is unable to accept a referral, we will endeavour to identify appropriate services that might be able to meet these needs.

Individual and family interventions

Individual and family interventions at the Clinic are designed to help people with:

  • Improving family relationships
  • Parenting
  • Managing challenging life events
  • Motivation to make positive change
  • Anger management
  • Depression
  • Stress
  • Generalised anxiety disorder
  • Specific phobias
  • Panic disorder and agoraphobia
  • Social phobia
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder

Group interventions

Cool Kids

The Clinic runs a 10 session group-based CBT program called "Cool Kids" for primary school aged children with anxiety. The children are to be between the ages of 8-12 years old and in years 3-6 in primary school. These programs run each school term.

Support Programs

START Caring for Carers of People with Dementia

The START Caring for Carers program is an 8 week manualised program. It is an individual program that provides support and education on managing changed behaviour, as well as managing the carer's experience of stress. This program is offered face-to-face or via telehealth. The program is listed on the ADNET memory clinic map https://www.australiandementianetwork.org.au/initiatives/memory-clinics-network/find-a-clinic-or-service/

Cognitive and diagnostic assessments

The Clinic conducts cognitive and diagnostic assessments for adults and children. All cognitive assessments require a written referral from a healthcare professional or education provider

These assessments may be for:

  • Assessment and diagnosis of learning disorders
  • Testing for identification of support needs
  • Assessing cognitive change after brain injury (e.g., traumatic brain injury or stroke)
  • Assessment and diagnosis of dementia

Due to high levels of demand for these cognitive assessment services, please be advised that there is a substantial waitlist.

Referrals are accepted from healthcare and educational professionals, as well as self-referrals from the clients themselves. The Clinic has a policy of working collaboratively with healthcare professionals who refer clients for therapy.

Callaghan Clinic

Please call the Clinic directly on (02) 4921 5075, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday.

Services

Individual therapy session

Fee: $25

Low income fee: $15

Cool Kids

Workbook (Child and Parent)

Fee: $50

Fee per session (total of 10 sessions)

Fee: $10

START Caring for Carers

This program is part of a research project and there are no fees for this service

Cognitive / diagnostic assessment (includes report)

Child

Fee: $450 (as of 1st Jan 2021)

Low income fee: $200 (as of 1st Jan 2021)

Adult

Fee: $450 (as of 1st Jan 2021)

Low income fee: $200 (as of 1st Jan 2021)

*Low income fee reduction is available for clients who hold a current health care card.

As the Clinic is a training and research facility as well as a community resource, services at the Clinic cannot be claimed through Medicare or private health funds.

Hours and locations

The clinic is open throughout the year, apart from a two-week closure during the Christmas and New Year period.

Callaghan Clinic

Psychology Clinic
Industry Development Centre (IDC), ground floor: IDC109
University of Newcastle
University Drive
Callaghan NSW 2308

P: (02) 4921 5075
E: psychology-clinic@newcastle.edu.au

Open: 9am to 5pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.