What We Do
Clinical psychology is the branch of psychology focused on assessing, diagnosing, and treating psychological distress and promoting mental wellbeing. Our aim is to reduce psychological distress, enhance wellbeing, and support recovery from mental health challenges.
Mostly we work individually with people (we work with people aged 18 and over), although we do work with groups on occasion.
Sometimes our clients come to see us because their doctor has diagnosed them with a specific problem, like anxiety or panic, depression, sleep problems, or trauma. However, you do not need a doctor’s referral to see us, and most people just contact us themselves.
Our clients often come to see us for help after some major change in their life, such as losing a loved one, a health scare, or the end of a relationship. Other problems develop more slowly, like feeling unfulfilled, or feeling anxious around people, or feeling scared all the time.
Working with a psychologist is a kind of conversation – we will ask questions to try to understand what you have been experiencing and to look for causes of your distress. This will usually mean lots of questions about your life today and will often also involve questions about your past. We might also ask you to complete some questionnaires to help us get a good picture of what is happening.
We use a range of techniques to help guide our treatment, including Cognitive Behavioural Treatment (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Your psychologist will discuss this with you when you meet, and you are always welcome to do your own research.
Supporting People Withdrawing from Antidepressant Medication
For many people, antidepressants are an important part of their recovery. They can reduce symptoms, improve day-to-day functioning, and create the stability needed to engage in therapy, make lifestyle changes, rebuild relationships, or return to work.
For some, antidepressants remain an important long-term treatment. For others, there comes a point where they begin asking an important question:
"Do I still need this medication?"
For many people, antidepressant withdrawal will be a straightforward process, with no side effects, or with side effects that are mild and short-lived. However, research has found that around 56% of people experienced withdrawal symptoms when reducing or stopping an antidepressant. Among those who experienced withdrawal, almost half described their symptoms as severe.
Dunedin Psychology offers a service to support people throughout the process of withdrawing from their anti-depressant medications. This involves working with a Clinical Psychologist alongside an experienced Pharmacist and includes helping people understand what to expect during the process, navigate withdrawal symptoms where they occur, distinguish withdrawal symptoms from relapse where appropriate, and develop psychological strategies to support wellbeing throughout medication changes.
Our approach is not based on encouraging or discouraging medication use. Instead, we aim to support thoughtful, evidence-informed decisions and to help people use antidepressants in the way that is most likely to benefit their long-term health and wellbeing.
Assessment for Neurodivergence
Dunedin Psychology offers formal assessment for adults (aged 18 and older) who believe they may be experiencing symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
ADHD is a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity or impulsivity that interferes with a person’s development or their ability to carry out their everyday activities.
ASD is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting social interactions, communication, and behaviour. People with ASD tend to experience difficulties in social communication, and with some behaviours, which can include repetitive actions, having very focused interests, and having sensitivities to sensory stimuli like light, sound or touch.
We offer diagnostic assessments for adults who are struggling with symptoms of ADHD or ASD where we look at your history and at your life today to help decide if you meet formal diagnostic criteria.
Professional Supervision
We offer both individual and group supervision facilitated by experienced clinical psychologists for a range of professionals working in complex and demanding roles, including (but not limited to) supported accommodation staff, healthcare providers, legal professionals, educators, and corporate teams. Supervision provides a structured and supportive space to reflect on practice, discuss challenges, and develop practical, psychologically informed approaches to work.
Alongside building skills and confidence, professional supervision aims to support staff productivity, wellbeing and sustainable practice. This service can be tailored to the needs of individuals, teams, and organisations.
What to Expect
Your first visit to one of our psychologists is a bit like a job interview. The difference is, in this case you are the one doing the interviewing to decide whether they are the right person to help you. For therapy to be successful it’s important that you and your psychologist can work together effectively, so don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions, and find out as much as you need to make your decision.
There will be a few other things going on at your first visit to Dunedin Psychology. You’ll be asked to talk a little bit about your history, the issues that have led to you seek help, and the things that you want therapy to help you change.
Next, you and your psychologist will come up with a rough plan for how treatment might proceed if you decide to continue seeing them. You’ll find out what you can expect from future sessions, and your treatment in general. You might receive an estimate of how long treatment might take, but therapy doesn’t always conform to a timetable. Many people find they need more time to work on the problems they’re facing.
If you decide to continue with future sessions you’ll have a schedule of regular appointments, typically on the same day and time.
There’s no doubt that visiting a psychologist for the first time can be overwhelming and even frightening, and taking that first step towards getting help is an accomplishment to feel good about.
The clinical psychologists at Dunedin Psychology provide treatment for depression, anxiety, and related disorders in Dunedin, New Zealand. Get the help you need by contacting us for more information, or to make an appointment.