What to Expect at SHIPS

Is SHIPS Right For Me?

At SHIPS, we’re guided by values of inclusivity, diversity, compassion, and respect. We want you to feel welcomed here just as you are.

We’re proud to be a kink-friendly, poly-friendly, sex work-positive, LGBTIQA+ affirming, and disability-inclusive practice. Creating a safe, supportive space is at the heart of everything we do.

While our work often focuses on sex, intimacy, and relationships, we support people with a wide range of concerns including mental health symptoms, and neuroaffirming support.

Whether you’re looking for support around something specific or just starting to explore what’s going on, you don’t need to have it all figured out. We’ll meet you where you are with warmth, care, and curiosity.

You can read more about some of the common issues we provide support with under our Treatment tab, or reach out to intake@shipspsychology.com.au if you’re unsure or have questions.

Getting started with SHIPS

Head to our Book Now page to read the available practitioner profiles and book directly with whoever feels right for you.

If you’d like help, you can use our online matching system or contact our intake team by email or phone for guidance.

When booking online, you’ll complete your registration and consent forms as part of the process. You’ll then receive a confirmation email and automatic reminders before your appointment.

For in-person sessions, please arrive about 5 minutes early at our Brunswick clinic. For online sessions, you’ll receive a secure video link — no login or software required.

Fees, Rebates & Cancellations

For detailed information about our session fees, Medicare rebates, and cancellation policy, please visit our Fees & Rebates page.

Mental Health Care Plans & Forward Booking

If you’re seeing your GP for a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), please provide our admin team with a copy. This allows us to process your Medicare claims after each session.

To support continuity of care and the best therapeutic outcomes, we recommend booking all appointments covered by your referral — or, if attending privately, booking 4–6 sessions in advance at a fortnightly frequency, unless your practitioner suggests otherwise.

Your practitioner will also discuss your session frequency and an initial treatment plan with you in your first appointment.

What Happens in a First or Intake Session

Your first session is an intake session: this is an opportunity for you and your practitioner to get to know each other and confirm that SHIPS is the right clinical fit for your needs.

Our intake and matching system does its best to align your goals, preferences, and your practitioner’s skills and areas of focus, but the first session allows your practitioner to explore this more deeply with you.

You’ll be invited to share what brought you in, what you’d like support with, and anything else that feels important to you. Your practitioner will ask gentle, open questions about your current situation, history, and goals to build a clear picture of your needs.

Together, you’ll start developing a treatment plan, discuss your session frequency, and outline how you might work together going forward. 

You’re welcome to bring notes, questions, or anything that helps you feel comfortable. The first session is collaborative and exploratory — it’s about understanding you and ensuring the right support is in place before ongoing therapy begins.

What if It’s Not the Right Fit?

During the intake session, or after a few sessions, you or your practitioner may feel that another practitioner or service might be a better fit for your needs. This is completely normal — finding the right therapeutic match is an important part of the process.

If that happens, your practitioner will discuss it openly with you and, where appropriate, help facilitate a referral to another practitioner within SHIPS or an external service that better meets your needs.

Our priority is ensuring you receive the most effective and supportive care possible, even if that means connecting you with a different clinician or service.

How Will I Know if Therapy is Working?

You and your practitioner will regularly check in to reflect on how things are going. If something doesn’t feel quite right — or if you’re curious about trying a different approach — your practitioner will welcome that conversation.

Progress in therapy can look and feel different for everyone. It might show up as:

  • Feeling more connected to yourself

  • Noticing a shift in your relationships

  • Experiencing fewer or less intense symptoms

  • Finding new ways of thinking, feeling, or coping

Your practitioner may also invite you to complete occasional check-in surveys to help track your progress together in a meaningful way.

It is also important to know that progress might not look or feel like what you expected. Sometimes in can involve:

  • Surfacing painful memories and feelings

  • Trying new things that feel uncomfortable at first

  • Experiencing setbacks

  • Feeling uncertain

  • Progress moving slowly 

Meaningful change that time and harm work - and your practitioner is there to walk alongside you, and give you the skills to manage and embrace this process.

Still Have Questions?

We know that starting therapy can feel like a big step, and it’s completely normal to have questions.

Our friendly reception and intake team are here to help. Whether you’re wondering about our services, how things work at SHIPS, or which practitioner might be the right fit for you — just call or email us, and we’ll do our best to support you.

If you’d like to speak with a practitioner before booking, let us know. We’re happy to arrange a brief introductory chat so you can get a feel for the fit and make an informed decision about moving forward.

You don’t have to figure it all out alone — we’re here with you.

Helpful resources