Psychotic Disorders Counselling in Melbourne

Approximately 3.1% of Australians will experience a psychotic illness in their lifetime, with schizophrenia affecting around 1 in 100 people (SANE Australia). Psychotic disorders — including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, brief psychotic episodes, and psychosis associated with other conditions — involve disruptions to thinking, perception, and the sense of self that can be profoundly disorienting for the person experiencing them and for those around them.

What role does counselling play in psychotic disorders?

Counselling and psychotherapy for psychotic disorders is not a replacement for psychiatric medication — it works alongside it. What therapy offers is a consistent, safe relationship in which the person can make sense of their experiences, process the impact of the illness on their identity and relationships, and develop strategies for managing symptoms and maintaining stability.

At my practice in Carlton, Melbourne, I work with people who have psychotic disorders as part of a broader treatment team that typically includes a psychiatrist and, where relevant, case workers or community mental health services. The areas I focus on include:

• Processing the impact of psychotic episodes — making sense of what happened, reducing shame, and rebuilding confidence
• Identity and self-concept — many people with psychotic disorders struggle with what the illness means for who they are
• Relationship difficulties — psychotic disorders can strain family and social relationships significantly
• Co-occurring depression and anxiety — which are extremely common alongside psychotic disorders
• Medication adherence and ambivalence — exploring the complex feelings many people have about their medication
• Early warning signs — developing awareness of personal relapse signatures

Psychoanalytic thinking has a long and underappreciated history of contributing to the understanding and treatment of psychotic states. While the mainstay of treatment is psychiatric medication, the therapeutic relationship itself can be a stabilising and humanising force — something that is often missing from purely medical models of care.

I see clients at 96 Elgin Street, Carlton and via secure video call. Sessions are self-funded at $120. No referral needed, though I recommend maintaining your relationship with your treating psychiatrist. Message me on WhatsApp or book online.