About Us
SHIPS is a psychology clinic offering thoughtful, inclusive, and evidence-based care for individuals and relationships.
We support people across a range of areas — including sexual health, intimacy, trauma, gender, and mental wellbeing — always with warmth, openness, and respect.
Our team of practitioners is committed to creating a safe and affirming space where you can explore your story without shame or judgement. Whether you're seeking healing, connection, clarity, or growth, we’re here to walk alongside you.
SHIPS stands for Sexual Health, Intimacy and Psychological Services — but it’s also a metaphor. We’re here to support you to lead with love, weather the stormy seas of life, and help you to find steady ground, navigate change, and connect with what matters most.
Our Values
Affirmation
We affirm all bodies, identities, and ways of relating. You are welcome and celebrated as you are.
Inclusivity
Our practice is built to support LGBTQIA+ communities, neurodivergent individuals, and people from erotically marginalised groups.
Trauma-centred care
We understand how past experiences shape the present and work gently, with respect for your pace and your story.
Compassion
We approach every person with care, curiosity, and kindness.
Ongoing Learning
Clinical training and learning from lived experience go hand-in-hand. We are always growing — listening, unlearning, and evolving in service of better care.
Integrity & Evidence
We stay grounded in research and guided by ethics — doing what’s effective, respectful, and right.
What Makes SHIPS Different?
At SHIPS, we offer more than traditional sex therapy — we provide psychologically grounded, trauma-informed care that supports deep and lasting change.
Evidence-Based, Trauma-Informed Interventions
Our approach is rooted in psychological science. We use proven, trauma-informed techniques that go beyond symptom management to address the underlying causes of distress — helping clients achieve meaningful, long-term healing.Highly Trained Practitioners
All SHIPS practitioners are AHPRA-registered psychologists, clinical psychologists, or ACA-accredited relationship counsellors who have undergone specialist training through the Institute of Sexual Health Psychology Australia (ISHPA). Our team brings advanced expertise in both mental health and sexual wellbeing.A Culture of Inclusion
Inclusion is at the heart of our practice. All staff complete inclusive language training, and our systems, procedures, and clinical approaches are intentionally designed to centre safety, affirmation, and accessibility.
Our History
SHIPS was founded in December 2018 by Dr Sarah Ashton, a psychologist and educator with a passion for transforming how sexual health is understood and supported. After years of working with clients and witnessing the gaps in care, Dr Ashton saw the need for a safe, inclusive, and affirming service that could respond to the complex intersections of intimacy, trauma, sex, and wellbeing.
In March 2019, SHIPS opened its doors in Fitzroy with just three consulting rooms and a bold vision. The demand for high-quality, affirming care quickly grew. Over the next five years, the team expanded — bringing together passionate psychologists, counsellors, and educators — and the space grew to match. In that time, SHIPS has supported over 4,000 clients on their journeys toward healing, connection, and self-understanding.
In 2023, SHIPS partnered with Sexual Health Victoria to open a second consulting space in Box Hill, extending our reach to the eastern suburbs and deepening our impact in the community.
In May 2025, SHIPS relocated its flagship clinic to the Brunswick Health Village — a custom-built, purpose-designed space created to better reflect the heart of SHIPS: inclusive, thoughtful, and community-driven.
Each chapter of our growth has been shaped by our commitment to reducing shame, building connection, and centring the voices and needs of those we serve.
Stay tuned for what’s next…
