About Us
Mindful Life Psychology was formed to create a safe and supportive environment in which a person can explore their concerns. Sessions at Mindful Life Psychology help people to develop a present focused awareness about themselves, and deepen their understanding about how earlier life and generational experiences continue to impact them in the present. Through explorative conversations and specific therapeutic techniques people can find relief from emotional burdens they may carry.
About Anoushka Rassau
Anoushka is a Clinical Psychologist who has been working in Western Australia for over 20 years. She has a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and post graduate training in EMDR therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Schema Therapy, and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Anoushka is registered psychology supervisor for AHPRA and is an EMDR consultant registered with EMDRAA.
Anoushka was inspired to study psychology by observing the impact of trauma on people’s lives. She is keenly aware that trauma is not limited to events like war, but that patterns of disruptions in relationships can have a similar impact on people. Anoushka is primarily influenced by the Somatic Integration and Processing (SIP) model to understand how life experiences impact people as they develop across the life span. Helping people understand this process and how it continues to impact them day to day is a key part of the healing journey.
About Lynsey Wood
Lynsey is Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years of experience helping children, adolescents and their families presenting with complex mental health issues. She has also worked with adults in private practice with a particular interest in supporting parents. She has a special interest in the areas of personality issues, complex trauma and supporting individuals and families with relationship difficulties.
Lynsey trained at UWA and holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology. Since graduating she has worked across the public and private mental health setting. She has worked for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health service (CAMHS) for the past 11 years, where she has provided assessment and treatment of complex mental health difficulties to young people and their families as well as consultation and supervision to other mental health professionals. Lynsey’s work is evidence based and is predominantly influenced by Mentalisation Based Therapy (MBT) and attachment theory. Her aim in therapy is to offer a warm and empathic space to her clients, in which they feel able to explore their difficulties in a collaborative way. She aims to tailor her therapeutic approach to the unique needs of the client and their family. She is trained in EMDR, MBT and trauma informed treatment.
What to Expect from therapy
Individual therapy for adults:
The first few sessions of therapy with a clinical psychologist will be an opportunity to discuss your difficulties and why you wanted to attend therapy. This usually involves filling out questionnaires as well discussing your concerns. Many people attend therapy to get help issues related to anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress and relationship issues. When you call to make an appointment, you will be given more details of the kind of issues that Anoushka is able to help with and those that are out of her scope of practice (for example Anoushka is not able to provide couples therapy or do parental capacity reports).
Subsequent sessions will provide you with information about the issue you have brought to therapy that will also include information about recommended approaches to help you. Sessions will include exploring how events throughout the lifespan impacted and contribute to difficulties, as well as how our own temperaments and personalities can impact us and our relationships. It is important to consider if you are ready to discuss events in your childhood and early relationships as this is an important part of therapy.
Depending on the difficulties you bring to therapy you may be asked to complete homework exercises that may involve recording and keeping track of your difficulties. You may also be asked to consider daily practice of skills that you have learned in the sessions. While this may seem challenging at first, gradually you will notice changes if you persevere even when things are difficult. It will be important to discuss these challenges with your psychologist so that you can be supported through this process. Therapy with Anoushka is usually a combination of building a deeper understanding of who you are as a person and the relationships and events that have influenced your life, as well as skills practice. initial appointment with a clinical psychologist will be an opportunity to discuss your difficulties and what you hope to achieve from therapy. You will also be provided with information about the service and will explore with your therapist the details of your difficulties ( e.g. how long you have been struggling with them and what you think may be contributing to them).
Child and adolescent work:
When providing therapy for children, research suggests that the best outcomes are achieved when the whole family is involved. Therefore, some portion of the sessions will involve work with parents to explore parent-child relationships, and others individual work, with the child. As humans, our earliest relationships
While most adolescents appreciate confidentiality between themselves and the psychologist, it is still important for parents to be involved to some degree. Parent interviews provide valuable information about an adolescent’s history and parents often benefit from learning how to support their teenagers through challenging times. It is important that a balance is kept between maintaining confidentiality and proving helping information to parents.
Please remain in the clinic wait room even if your child is in an individual session. Knowing that parents are keeping them in mind even though out of sight can be a source of comfort to children as well as teenagers.
Supervision and consultation:
Anoushka and Lynsey are registered with AHPRA as psychology supervisors and provide supervision for psychologists seeking the endorsement of Clinical Psychologist. Anoushka is also registered as an EMDR consultant with EMDRAA and provides consultation to EMDR therapists regarding their work with clients. If you are a therapist looking for consultation regarding your work you can book a session with Anoushka here, please contact the clinic to book supervision sessions with Lynsey.
Confidentiality Policy
What is discussed with clients during sessions is confidential except under the following circumstances:
- If we believe a client is at risk of harm from another person or at risk of harming themselves, your psychologist may have to seek the assistance of another without consent.
- If your psychologist is subpoenaed by a Court of Law
- From time-to-time psychologists discuss their work in supervision and consultation. This is standard practice and helps your psychologist to provide the best therapy they can by having an experienced colleague offer observations about the work being done. At no time will identifying information be disclosed. Supervisors and consultants are bound by the same Australian Psychological Society code of ethics and confidentiality as the individual clinical psychologist.