The Bright Place - Psychology and Wellbeing

First update of 2024:

We've been busy bees so far in 2024, with our new signs ready to go and about to be put up (look out for them on the signage diagonally across from Ipswich Hospital!). It's been a long time coming!

In terms of availability, Andrew and Hayley are back from break and ready to take on new clients over the age of 14. If you or someone you know needs support, check out their profiles on our website (www.thebrightplace.com.au) to see if one of them might be a good fit, and contact us directly by email ([email protected]) or phone (0409 762 944) to book in. Mel is currently booked out due to some things she's working on in the background, but we'll advise when she's back in action!

As for me (Tameika), I'm currently at capacity for individual clients but have started picking up a few ADHD assessments to support individuals wanting to streamline the process before they seek out psychiatric input. If this is something you'd like to have a chat about, don't hesitate to reach out.

I'm also SUPER excited to be hosting a mental health workshop for fitness professionals at the Ipswich Goodlife next week. As a team we're increasingly exploring the health and wellbeing of our clients, as it's well-established that our physical health is inextricably linked with our mental health.

This year we're also in the process of adding support work and personal training to our repertoire, so watch this space, or feel free to reach out if you'd like us to send you an update about this directly!

We hope that your year has been off to the kindest start, and we're so looking forward to whatever 2024 will bring us all, individually, as a team, and as part of the beautiful Ipswich community.

As always, take care of yourselves and each other!

🎉ANNOUNCEMENT TIME! Long post ahead:

I could not be more excited to announce that we have now transitioned from Tameika Greenaway Psychology to The Bright Place - Psychology and Wellbeing!

We have a new website:
www.thebrightplace.com.au

We have a new email address:
[email protected]

We have the same contact number and virtual admin team:
0409 762 944

We are now made up of a beautiful team of like-minded, values-aligned psychologists (with the "wellbeing" part of the team in progress...watch this space!):
Me, Dr Tameika Greenaway (Clinical Psychologist)
Melisa Holmes (Counselling Psychologist)
Andrew Connellan (Psychologist)
Hayley McGreevy (Psychologist/Clinical Psychology Registrar)

Why the change?
Well, as some of you who have known me for a long time will know, I started working as an independent psychologist when I suddenly had to hit the ground running (while pregnant) following a location issue, and after having my small human Alice it just made sense to only share myself between my little family and my small little business. After becoming very quickly overwhelmed with the amount of referrals that came my way (which I am INCREDIBLY grateful for!) I realised I needed a team of people that I could trust to provide the same care to my clients as I do. Over time I've slowly collected my favourite people and we're now working together as a team (how cool is that?!) which means we have even more capacity to help whoever might be a good fit with us reach their goals, whatever they happen to be.

So am I a big boss lady business owner now?
Not so much. My values as a person, a business owner, and a psychologist remain totally the same: provide evidence-based, human-focused, individualised care in an ethical and sustainable way. This means that I believe in people being seen by the right fit for them and I believe in people getting paid fairly for their own work. What that also means is that everyone on the team gets to choose their referrals to make sure that it's a good fit from the start. No taking over the world over here!

What's next for us?
I will keep seeing my people, and we're all currently open for new clients (though a bit of a wait time to see me currently!). In the background I'm exploring some additional services, including possibly neurodiversity assessments, DBT groups, and perinatal groups (though groups might be a long-term plan!).

So excited to start this new chapter! If you've made it through this mammoth post, thank YOU!

As always, take care, and be kind to yourselves! 🐱🌻🌞🌙

It's been a minute! Here's a little update on the practice, along with a picture of the beautiful bouquet I was lucky enough to receive today!

Availability:
My waitlist is currently open, though I've been historically terrible at estimating times, so I'm not able to provide an ETA at this stage.
Melisa has current availability for telehealth in the evenings during the week.
Andrew has current availability for Saturday appointments face to face.

Rebrand:
There are exciting times ahead - we are currently working on a rebrand of the logo (don't worry, the cat will still be a feature!), a new name, and getting a website up and running! It isn't just little old me any more, but a proper team of people working together in a values-aligned way. Stay tuned; I am SO excited to share the new concept.

Admin Support:
We had some teething issues with administrative support but are now fully functional! You can call through on 0409 762 944 between Tuesday and Friday and talk to a real human who will help you with booking appointments with one of us!

I hope you're all taking care of yourselves as best you can in these strange economic times and post-COVID unreality. For our part, we're really excited to be continuing to provide support and slowly building on the team vision!

Super exciting news - we have another new recruit with immediate face-to-face Saturday availability for adult clients!

Introducing... Andrew! Andrew prides himself on being an empathetic and supportive psychologist who sees people as who they are, not based on their previous behaviour or diagnoses. He utilises a strengths-based approach to empower others to direct their strengths and values towards creating positive changes for their future.

Andrew has experience working alongside various presentations, including anxiety, depression, mood disorders, personality disorders, self-harm issues, and general behavioural concerns. He is well-versed in cognitive behaviour therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behaviour therapy, and he is also strongly informed by attachment theory such that he seeks to understand how a person's experiences have helped shape their sense of self and how they connect with others.

If you'd like to make an appointment with Andrew or would like more information, please feel free to contact our admin team on 0409 762 944 or [email protected].

Have you met Melisa yet?

I am SO excited to announce that Melisa Holmes has joined our team. Melisa is a Counselling Psychologist who has been practising since 2015 (in fact, I think we have known each other that long!). She has a wide range of experience with strong interests in trauma, emotional dysregulation, anxiety, depression, relationships, and personality. Melisa’s style is compassionate and empathetic but also empowering and challenging.

The best thing about Melisa joining our team (other than the absolute gift it is to have her on board) is that she is offering appointments for adults and older adolescents by telehealth with IMMEDIATE availability, and all of her appointments are after hours!

If you or someone you know is in need of support NOW, up for telehealth, and might be a good fit, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or call our admin team on 0409 762 944 from Tuesday to Friday.

WAITLIST UPDATE:

Having hit the ground running this year with little time to pause, I wanted to provide a brief update on my waitlist. I've had to close my waitlist to all new referrals, as due to a number of factors, including the availability of additional sessions due to COVID, I have not been able to move people through my waitlist in as timely a manner as I would like.

Please feel free to contact me if you're in need of some general recommendations for other psychologists in the area or if someone else has suggested to you that we might be a good fit - there are a number of absolutely wonderful psychologists in the area who will be able to meet your needs just as well as I might have been able to, had I had availability!

As always, be kind to yourselves.

As we approach the end of a busy and fulfilling year, it's time to provide an update!

Christmas leave: Next year I plan to hit the ground running again after a couple of weeks to refresh over Christmas, with my return date scheduled for the 11th of January. From 24 December to 11 January there will be no one manning the ship, but I or someone from my lovely virtual admin team will get back to you as soon as I'm back in action if you leave us a message during those times.

Waitlist update: My waitlist is looking pretty big at the moment, and with taking a few handovers following Kim finishing up her placement, I don't anticipate I will be able to take anyone new on in the next little while. If you do decide you want to be added to the waitlist, please hedge your bets and contact a few different psychologists so that you've got a few options on the go. Clients getting support in a timely manner is the most important thing to me, so I don't mind getting in touch and finding out you've made a connection with someone else!

New referrals: I've also made the difficult decision to put a pause on taking on child clients. Currently waitlisted children will still be seen when appointments become available, but in order to ensure I have diversity in my work to manage my own wellbeing, as well as a couple of other considerations, I will be referring on all new child (12 and under) referrals.

It has been a wonderful and enormous year, with still a few weeks to hopefully do some good before greeting 2022!

As always, be kind to yourselves :)

I'm taking a break for the next week! For any enquiries, please call my admin team on 0409 762 944. Take care and be kind to yourselves ☀

Practising what I preach is so important to me! Had a surprise hour free today so popped up to the local for a few minutes of quiet.

It is such a gift to be able to share the joy and success and growth of those I work with. I was reminded of that this week when I was presented with the literal embodiment of that in the form of these flowers from a proud client's garden. Happy Spring!

It was Wear it Purple day today! You have the right to be safe, proud, and filled with joy, whoever you are 🌈💜

Are you a new/expectant mother in need of short-term psychology support in person or by telehealth?

Currently I have an experienced psychologist with a special interest in perinatal mental health completing her Master's placement with me until the end of November. She's warm, engaging, relaxed, and passionate about mums getting support when they need it most. Fortnightly availability from the week after next!

If this sounds like it might be a good fit for you, please don't hesitate to call us on 0409 762 944 or email at [email protected].

What an exciting day - my signs are finally up!

It is beyond time for an update!

This year has been off to a busy start, and I am so in awe of the amount of people who have shown willingness to get support as the year has kicked off. The flip side of that is I have had to hit the ground running and the juggle of practising what I preach has led to a couple of important points:

- It will likely be June that I can take on new clients, though please still get in touch to jump on the waitlist as sometimes things change quickly and timeframes for waiting can shrink unexpectedly.
- I am hoping to have a little help come June so things might suddenly open up around then. Watch this space!
- Email or through this page is still the best way to get in touch. When I am not seeing clients I am doing the self-care thing or spending time with my little family. If you do phone me, I will get back to you within 48 hours (except weekends!).
- My waitlist is not linear. I refer on or make exceptions to my client load based on my own strengths, perceived fit, continuity and potential length of care needed, and a number of other factors, and I may make exceptions at my own discretion based on my clinical judgement. This means I can help everyone link in with the care that best fits them rather than a first-come, first-served model.
- I am always happy to provide alternative referral pathways if I can't be the one to work directly with you.

As always, don't hesitate to reach out. I am so happy that I get to spend my time doing this thing that I love, that is, holding space for others! Take care, and be kind to yourselves.

Time to introduce my new therapy space!

I am so excited to finally have an office all my own. I can only hope that all the things that make me feel comfortable and nourished do the same for the lovely people I have the privilege of working with. It's also time to fully embrace the cat lady aspects of my identity and share it with my clients!

Taking new referrals for January!

I am so excited to advise that I am taking on new clients for ongoing appointments from January.

I work with humans from 5 and up from all walks of life, including, but not limited to:
- Those with complex trauma
- Those with anxiety
- Those with depression
- Those with mood disorders
- Those struggling to adjust to life changes
- Those on the autism spectrum
- Those who just want a space to be validated and heard

If you or someone you know needs support, please don't hesitate to reach out by messenger or email at [email protected]. I'm happy to talk you through the referral pathways or help you figure out what kind of support you might need.

There are some exciting times ahead as we start to wind 2020 down, including:
- increased availability, including office hours
- a move to paperless practice
- a new website
- increased admin support
- ongoing telehealth appointments for six months due to the extension of this support

I'm so excited to share all of this with you in 2021! Stay tuned...

I'm back!

After a brief hiatus to adjust to motherhood, I am pleased to announce my return to practice for both face-to-face and telehealth appointments. I haven't yet returned to my full capacity but am gradually getting back into the swing of things.

I am eagerly awaiting the government's position regarding the extension of Medicare-rebated telehealth sessions after 30 September. Should this scheme be extended, I will continue offering mixed mode sessions, which will increase my capacity for ongoing appointments. I am also monitoring the COVID situation and will return to exclusively telehealth should community transmission rise once again.

At this point I am not looking at taking on new clients until November or December so I am not currently maintaining a waiting list - I would much rather refer on to ensure that help is provided in as timely a manner as possible!

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you are seeking some referral options!

I hope everyone is taking care in the interesting time that is 2020.

An update on the practice:

I'm currently enjoying some time off on maternity leave adjusting to the recent exciting changes to our family. I plan to return to the office on a mixed face-to-face and telehealth basis from 12 August, with a view to gradually considering my availability to take on new clients from around September/October. In the meantime, I am still checking emails and messages at least weekly.

Thanks so much for your patience and understanding during this time!

As we all wait for a time we can safely go out and about to beautiful places like this one, I wanted to provide a general update on the practice.

Currently I have an anticipated finish date of 29 May, and I will be taking maternity leave for approximately 8 weeks from this time (though this could be subject to change depending on how predictable the new little human I bring into the world chooses to be!).

As my current clients are aware, I have switched to telephone/videoconference sessions since early April. Should the government recommendations remain consistent and the curve flat, I anticipate that my return in August will be in full capacity at the office. Should this change or should we see a spike in cases or risk, this may change, but I will certainly keep everyone informed.

I thank all my current and future clients for your patience and understanding as I make my way through this transition in my personal life during these interesting and, at times, trying times, and I look forward to coming back to my professional life bright and ready to work together! I am also hopeful that September/October may lend themselves to me taking on new clients or supervisees, particularly as I am now a Board-approved supervisor!

Stay safe, take care, and be kind to yourselves!

In these times of uncertainty, I would like to provide some information about how I plan to continue to support my clients.

The short answer is I'm just not sure yet what the next couple of months will look like.

Here is what I know so far:
- for now, business as usual until we are told to go into lockdown at which point I will switch all sessions to phone or telehealth
- if financial issues pose a barrier to continuing therapy, let me know; we can discuss your case directly and come up with a solution together (eg, bulk bill, reduced fee, etc)
- if you or someone you know is physically ill or vulnerable, please DO NOT attend booked appts; let me know and we can explore alternative ways of support such as telehealth
- all cancellation fees are being waived

Please keep your focus on taking care of yourselves and your loved ones. Don't be afraid to reach out if you have questions or need additional support. Take care, stay safe, and be mindful.

Like these beautiful budding flowers, I also have new life coming my way in June!

This means (all going to plan) I will have a hiatus from client work for June and July, with a planned return in August when I am hopefully less sleep-deprived. For existing clients this means a bit of a break (or I can recommend someone for you to see in the interim).

Unfortunately, it just wouldn't be responsible for me to take anyone new on until my return as I am not available for any new appointments until April. (If you haven't met me yet but you've already got an appointment with me booked, this doesn't mean you!)

Please don't hesitate to reach out, though, as I'm more than happy to provide recommendations of alternative psychologists who do amazing work!

Hello!

If you've found my page you might be looking for some support for you or someone in your family.

I am a clinical psychologist working in Ipswich and I work with people of all different ages and backgrounds. It is my intention to work with each person I meet to fully understand who they are and where they're coming from in order to collaboratively work towards a life that is personally meaningful and fulfilling. This might look a little different for each individual person because we're all so different - there is no one size fits all approach!

That said, like all humans I have my own particular style of working which may be a great fit with some and a not-so-good fit with others. I am warm, honest, curious, and sometimes a little silly. I am not afraid to challenge you if I think it will help empower you to take steps in the direction you want to, but first and foremost I aim to hear you and meet you where you're at with whatever you're going through. I will treat your story with the utmost respect but I will not be a stony cold therapist - for us to be a team in your life we have to develop a collaborative relationship. When working with smaller humans my focus is shared between enabling their little voices to be heard and understood and collaboratively working with caregivers to help their little humans get to where they need to be.

I work a lot with anxiety, emotion dysregulation and borderline personality disorder, depression, and mood disorders. However, I see humans as humans and don't define people by their problems, so if you're experiencing something a little bit different or you simply need a reflective space to find your own sense of self or be heard, don't be afraid to reach out to me!

The best way to contact me is by email at [email protected]. My working hours include office hours, after hours, and telehealth. My fees are set out below.

I can't wait to hear from you and get to know your story!

Fees:
From January:
$185 payable at the end of each session, with a $129.55 Medicare rebate available if you obtain a referral from your GP ($55.45 gap) for up to 10 sessions per calendar year.
$185 private fee with no rebate available.
$214.41 NDIS self-managed or plan-managed only (I am not an NDIS registered provider).
Eligible DVA clients will incur no out-of-pocket fees.

For Medicare, DVA, and private clients: 50% of the session fee is payable (out-of-pocket) for late cancellation or no-show.

For NDIS clients: 100% of the session fee is payable for late cancellation or no-show.