IN-PERSON AND TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE. NO WAITLIST.
Act with Care Psychology
Welcome! I’m Mary Ta.
I’m a trauma-informed Psychologist who sees individuals across the lifespan, from 10+ years.
I’m committed to providing high-quality and evidence-based psychological and counselling services, whether at the clinic in Footscray or online.
Evidence-Based
Sessions are guided by evidence-based practice, meaning that the therapeutic approaches used are backed by the current science.
Client-Centred Care
Services are delivered with you in mind. I aim to tailor sessions to complement your strengths, resources, and feedback.
Collaboration
Sessions adopt a collaborative approach; we work together as a team to support you.
About Me
I’m here to support you.
I’m an Educational and Developmental Psychologist (AHPRA registration no.: PSY0001950204) who’s enthusiastic about working with you in an engaging, ethical, and collaborative way.
As someone who’s lived in the inner Western suburbs her whole life, I started Act with Care Psychology because I wanted to establish a practice that provides psychological services to the community through a caring and client-centred lens.
Prior to establishing Act with Care Psychology, I supported hundreds of clients across community health and private settings for a range of concerns (see here for more information).
My Therapeutic Approach
Compassion, authenticity, and reliability are the core tenets of my work as a Psychologist. It’s important to me that my clients feel seen and understood; as such, I aim to consistently create a safe and welcoming space where you can freely discuss and reflect on your experiences without feeling judged or shamed.
I take a non-pathologising approach to psychology: emotions (even the unpleasant ones!) and struggles are part of the human experience and are unavoidable aspects of life. You aren’t at fault or “abnormal” for being human. The focus of sessions isn’t to teach you how to avoid these experiences or “fix” you; instead, we’ll work together to understand your story, support you to learn practical skills to accept and tolerate difficult emotions, and facilitate committed action to help you live a meaningful life guided by what matters to you.
I mainly work within the framework of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Person-Centred Therapy; however, I also use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) in my work .
My Services
Presenting Concerns
Below are a list of concerns that I support clients with:
- Depression
- Anxiety, worry, and panic
- Low confidence and self-esteem
- Emotion dysregulation
- Adjustment and transition difficulties
- Grief and loss
- Stress management
- Burnout
- Relationship and friendship difficulties
- Attachment difficulties
- Assertive communication training
- Parenting
In the spirit of transparency, these are specific areas that I currently don’t provide support for:
- Substance dependency/abuse and addictions
- Personality disorders
- Eating disorders
- Court-related/forensic matters and
- Crisis support
Please note that I also don’t offer assessments or write reports for Family Court, Children’s Court, or Criminal Courts as this is outside the scope of my services. It’s appropriate to instead seek the services and expertise of a forensic or court-appointed psychologist, particularly as such assessments and reports are outside the scope of Medicare’s Mental Health Care Plans.
How it works
In 3 Simple Steps
1.
Book a free 15-minute consultation.
Fill in the contact form and I’ll aim to get back to you within 2 business days to arrange a brief phone consultation, where we’ll discuss your current concerns and figure out if we’d be a good fit to work together.
2.
The initial sessions and goal setting.
The first few sessions usually involve gathering information to get a better understanding of you, so I know how best to assist you. I’ll normally ask you questions about your life circumstances, such as your current struggles, relationships, childhood experiences, employment/education history, and past experiences with seeking professional help, among other things.
During the initial sessions, we’ll identify the goals you want to achieve from therapy; this will lay the foundation for the therapeutic process. These goals are very individual to you, whether it’s learning practical skills to strengthen relationships, ways to cope with life’s stressors, or even just having a safe space to talk.
3.
Regular sessions and reviews.
Psychological treatment is more effective with regular and consistent attendance, so we’ll agree on a frequency that works with your schedule and needs. We’ll also have periodic reviews/check-ins about sessions to make sure we’re still on the right track. Depending on how much support you need, sessions can be increased, scaled back, or paused.
Get all the details
FAQ - Frequent Asked Questions
1.
How many sessions do I need to have to feel better?
Unfortunately, I’m unable to give you a straightforward answer as this question doesn’t consider the intricacies of your individuality - your life history, existing coping strategies and current supports, and how long you’ve been experiencing the issue(s). It’s the case of, “How long is a piece of string?”
Some clients require short-term intervention (6-10 sessions) to manage mild-to-moderate issues, whereas others with more complex needs will require more. You’re most welcome to book an initial session to discuss further; we’ll also have regular reviews throughout the process to make sure that we’re on track.
2.
How much does it cost?
A standard 50-minute session before 5PM on weekdays is $200; after-hours sessions (5PM onwards on weekdays and all-day weekends) are $220. A standard 90-minute EMDR processing session before 5PM on weekdays is $300, and after-hours sessions are $330.
Sessions funded by NDIS (either self-managed or plan managed) are $222.99 per 50-minute session.
Phone calls or letters that require more than 15 minutes are charged accordingly in 15-minute blocks.
3.
Do you offer bulk-billing?
I am unable to offer bulk-billing as this clinic is a privately-run one; unfortunately, it’s not sustainable to keep the doors open and support the community offering bulk-billing. Sessions can be partially covered by Medicare or private health insurance, or fully covered via NDIS.
Do I need to be referred by my GP to see you?
4.
No, it’s not necessary. You can see me without a referral from your GP; however, you’ll need to see your GP for a Mental Health Care Plan if you are wanting to receive Medicare rebates for sessions.
If eligible, you are entitled to 10 sessions per year that are partially covered by Medicare (i.e., a Medicare rebate of $96.65 per session). The full session fee is charged to you first before a Medicare rebate is processed on your behalf, provided that your Medicare details have been provided prior to the initial session.
5.
Can I use private health insurance?
You may be able to claim a rebate from your private health insurance provider for psychology sessions, but you’ll need to contact them for further information. I’ll provide you with a receipt after the session so that you can claim the rebate yourself if you are eligible.
Please note that you cannot claim a rebate from both Medicare and private health insurance for the same session.
6.
What is your cancellation, (late) reschedule or no-show policy?
I understand that life can throw a spanner in the works, making it difficult to attend a scheduled session; however, when there is a late cancellation, reschedule, or no-show, someone else misses out on attending the session. I have a strict cancellation policy as a result.
Appointments cancelled within 24-48 hours incur a cancellation fee of 50% of the full session fee. Appointments cancelled less than 24-hours’ notice will incur a cancellation fee of 100% of the full session fee. The cancellation fee is payable within 7 days of the missed appointment; no Medicare or private health insurance rebate is available for unattended sessions.
To cancel an appointment, please contact me by email, text, or by phone. Please be assured that your message will be time-stamped, so I’ll know if you have cancelled or rescheduled in a timely manner.
7.
I’d like my child to engage therapy, but their other parent isn’t agreeing to it. Can I still bring them in?
Verbal and written consent from both parents is required before proceeding with sessions. If I’ve been made aware (either before or during psychological treatment) that one parent doesn’t consent to the child attending sessions, then sessions will either not commence or will cease. I can instead provide services to the consenting parent to help support the child.
Act with Care Psychology
Contact and Location Info
P: 0435 030 019
F: (03) 7046 6652
Available on:
- Fridays (10AM-7PM)
- Saturdays (10AM-5PM)
The clinic is located at 67 Pickett Street, Footscray, VIC. 3011.
Public Transport: The clinic is short walk from Middle Footscray Station (4 minutes) and Footscray Station (9 minutes). Alternatively, you can take the 216, 220, 410, and 472 buses and get off at the Barkly Street/Victoria Street stop; the clinic is a short distance away.
Parking: There is free 1 or 2 hour parking available nearby.
© Mary Ta - Registered Psychologist
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