Vivienne Willan, Clinical Psychologist Verified listing

I'm a clinical psychologist with over twelve years' experience. I work part-time as a school psychologist and have previously worked within disability services, including early intervention for autism and developmental delay, as well as hospital settings.

My days off are spent chasing after my two energetic young sons, listening to true crime podcasts and reading.

My Approach
As a child psychologist, it is important to me that my clients feel accepted and able to be authentic in our therapy sessions.  I take time to build a strong relationship, ensuring that I understand who they are as little people, their interests, strengths and personalities.

​I like to have fun in my therapy sessions, often incorporating creative projects and games. I  believe that parents are the child's most influential teachers and so part of my role is to support parents to help their children.

​I use a range of treatment approaches including cognitive behavioural therapy, meta-cognitive therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy.

​I am currently taking on referrals for children and younger adolescents (up to age of 13 years approximately).

Getting Help
I have experience working in the following areas:​​

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
ADHD
Autism
Developmental Delay
School refusal
Anxiety and mood disorders
Interpersonal/friendship issues
Self esteem
Behavioural issues;
​Please feel free to email if you would like further clarification of the above information and how I may assist your child.

Do I need a referral?

Sessions can be paid for privately therefore a referral is not necessary to access services. If you wish to access a medicare rebate for services then a referral for a Mental Health Care Plan can be obtained from your GP.

​What is the fee?

The fee for a 50 minute session is $270. This is lower than the Australia Psychology Society's recommended rate, which is $300 for a 50 minute session.

​A GP can provide your child with a MHCP which allows you to access rebates for up to 10 sessions per year. The rebate per session is $137.05, therefore the gap is $132.95.

​Depending on your level of cover, rebates may also be obtained from some private health funds. Check with your insurer for more details.

What can I expect from our first session?

The first session is an assessment of the presenting issue and your child's history. As well as this goals for therapy are set. This information is used to formulate an appropriate treatment plan, which is discussed with the parent and child in the second session. This first session is also a chance for your child and I to get to know each other, creating those first building blocks to a strong therapeutic relationship.

​Depending on the age and comfort of your child, for the first session I will initially meet with parent and child together. Once your child feels comfortable with me, I usually spend some time alone with the child while the parent waits outside in the waiting room. Towards the end of the session, I like to allow some time for the parent and I to talk while your child waits outside. If your child is very young and is not comfortable being left in the waiting room by themselves it may be helpful to bring another adult. If this is not possible, we can work around this.