Dates for the next group meeting are to be confirmed.  The time will be set to suit the needs of the people participating and may include weekends and evenings.   Please more sure to specify which times would suit you when you contact me and discuss.  

Each session will cost $50 per participant and/or the participant's sponsor.  Once you register to join the group you will be charged this amount regardless of whether or not you attend the group on that day. 

Rebates may be available through Medicare of up to $30.10 per session if you have or previously had a mental health diagnosis.  This will leave you investing only $19.90 in yourself!  

Rebates will only be given if you actually attend the session.

If you consider that one individual counselling session with me is currently $289 (and it is unlikely that you would find any qualified counsellor willing to see you for under $150 per session), I think you can agree this group is a great deal for you!    

A discount of 1 free session can also be offered to people who pay for all sessions upfront. 

Each group will meet for 90 minutes and there will be between 9 and 10 group meetings in the year. See above for dates for this group.

Most groups will run once a week for 1 school term in the year with a few other catch-up dates booked to keep you supported until the end of the year.

Medicare permits between 4 and 10 people in a group.  I will be operating groups of between 6 and 10 people as a precaution.  This means that if some people do not attend a session, the others can still claim the Medicare rebate.  If the group falls below 4 people, no one can claim a Medicare rebate.  If fewer than 4 people arrive at a group, that meeting will be cancelled.

The group will learn about:

• how to ensure good mental health by making simple changes to our physical health (no major diet or exercise changes are needed).

• how to ensure good mental health by learning to relax and manage our cortisol levels.

• Thinking practices that will help maintain good mental health, including:

  • Identifying what we want and learning how to focus on it and achieve it.

  • Learning how to deal with what we don't want by transforming it (Alchemy).

Program Here

Yes,   groups have been set up so that people can join under a different name.   The software being used for calls (Zoom) also allows for facial features to be changed or hidden if you are worried about being identified. If you want to remain anonymous, please contact me prior to the group's starting so I can talk you through how to protect your privacy/anonymity. 

Yes,   this is a great idea!  If you come with a friend or family member, you are able to benefit from each other's support as well as mine and the rest of the group.  The group is only for people who are 16+ years of age; however, other than that, any friends/family who you would like in the group will be welcome.  Please encourage them to register with me as a member of the group.   If you wish, you can contact me beforehand and ask me to hold a spot for them for a short time.

Rebates may be available through Medicare of up to $30.10 per session with GP referral.  (For more information on how to get a GP referral, please see below).

If your GP has diagnosed you with a mental health condition such as Anxiety, Depression, Borderline Personality Disorder or PTSD in the past, they may be very happy to refer you to this group. 

Your GP may wish to complete a mental health treatment plan to make this referral and they may ask for a long appointment with you to complete this referral. 

If you have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, you are eligible for up to 10 group sessions a year and 10 individual counselling sessions.   Joining this group will not affect any individual counselling that you may get under Medicare, and better still, the group is designed to help you find individual counselling options (if you want them) that may be more appropriate for you than what is available through Medicare. 

You can provide this letter to your GP if you would like an easy way of explaining to them what you want/need in order to claim your Medicare rebate for this group.

If you are a family member or friend of someone who you would like to support to attend this group, you can reach out to me separately to organise how you can pay for their attendance.   Please note however, that should they also get a Mental Health Plan, the Medicare rebates will go back into their account.   You may wish to use this to encourage them to attend sessions (as the rebates will only go in if they attend).   You may also want to talk to them about paying you back this money to reduce your costs, but this agreement will need to be between you and them. I will not take part in those discussions or facilitate this happening.

If you are an organisation wanting to organise counselling for a client (or staff member) who would benefit from this group, please reach out to me and we can discuss if the group will meet your client or staff member's needs and any restrictions on the funding that is used. 

One day, you (or someone you love) may have benefited from this group, and you may wish to gift this program to someone else.   If you would like to do so, please reach out to me, and we can discuss the details of what you would want for a scholarship (i.e. how many times you would like it to run) and if you want a scholarship for a new student set up in your name (or in the name of someone you love).

If you would like to learn more about applying for a scholarship for yourself, a friend/family member or client, please contact me and discuss. 

Scholarships may vary in their conditions.

Currently there is one scholarship in this category offered:

-  The Dreambuilder Scholarship: Jo Cotterill found that it was only when she started learning the principles of positive psychology and life-coaching through the Mary Morrisy Dreambuilding program that she was able to overcome some of the challenges she experienced in her youth. This scholarship will give you access to this group at a bulk-billing rate (i.e. if you attend the sessions, there will be no out-of-pocket expenses for you).