Tue 30 August 2022
Are you a Psychotherapist, Psychologist, Counsellor or Social worker looking to move into private practice? Are you concerned about how to establish yourself with a place to practice and gain referrals? Are you not able to meet the financial commitment of starting a private practice? Are you concerned about the potential isolation of working privately?
We are a centre for excellence in counselling, psychotherapy and wellbeing located in Glebe in Sydney. We understand the difficulties of starting a new practice and are committed to facilitating the process for others. This is a unique opportunity for new practitioners to capitalise on their investment in training, and for experienced professionals to expand their practices. Our facilities are able to used on either a full time or part time basis. We offer daily and hourly rates that allow you to work as often as you would like. This allows you to build whilst minimising the risk and investment that accompanies starting a new business.
Therapeutic Axis is a highly comprehensive facility. This includes six fully serviced rooms to practice in, a fully functioning office including EFTPOS and HICAPS facilities, computers, printers, internet and telephone. Our office presents a highly professional image and has reception Monday to Friday to help with appointments, messages and communications.
We are perfectly located on St Johns Road in Glebe which is a short distance from the CBD as well as a short walk to many restaurants and cafes on Glebe Point Road. On street parking is also available and we can check your car for you while you practice to avoid unwanted parking fines. A bus stop for the 470 is just out the front of the practice and several buses run on Glebe Point Road.
We have a well established and burgeoning referral network, our referral system is client centred, mutually beneficial and responsible.
Therapeutic Axis offers a professional environment in which to practice in that it is populated with like minded individuals which provides a supportive and enriching environment in which to practice. Additionally there is a good network of referrals within the practitioner cohort.
Scheduling can be done through reception during business hours or via our online booking system. Access is available for those practitioners with appointments outside business hours (early, late or weekends). The facility is secure, with a combination of locks and security agency monitoring of out-of-hours movements.
The most attractive feature of the centre is the fee structure for members. The shared facilities allow practitioners to join our practice, in a highly professional environment, while obviating the need for up-front investment. After a modest monthly membership fee, facilities are charged on a very reasonable per-client-hour basis, which ensures that your facilities expenses always match the income you derive from them. At any level of use, the cost is less than that of maintaining a sole private practice with no reception or administration, and far less than maintaining one with the comprehensive features of Therapeutic Axis.
The best way to understand our practice is to visit us during business hours, tour our facility and talk to us. Alternatively you can contact us via phone on (02) 9692-9788 or email us at enquiries@therapeuticaxis.com.au
Mon 27 March 2017
Are Our Bootstraps Really Enough?
By Kate Hollingsworth – Social Worker Counsellor at Therapeutic Axis
Recently, this Leunig cartoon caught my eye. It made me think about the concept of pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps to better our situation. The idea that if we just try hard enough, we have the capacity to change our circumstances. That we can overcome problems without any outside help. Therefore we should be able to overcome problems without any outside help.
Of course, even as I write this, I can think of many situations where it’s obvious that this idea doesn’t make any sense. No-one would expect a stroke survivor to recover without medical treatment and physical therapy. Nor would anyone expect an athlete to compete in the Olympics without support from a coach.
Yet somehow this notion that we should be able to manage life’s challenges and setbacks ourselves continues to pervade our individual and collective psyches. If we can’t do this, the problem lies with us. We internalise the problem. We aren’t tough enough, committed enough, good enough, clever enough…basically, we aren’t enough.
Unfortunately, this inability to resolve our difficulties can result in blaming and shaming, whether this is by other people, or ourselves. Many cancer patients are told to practice positive thinking as a means of fighting their cancer. When the cancer continues to progress in spite of this, feelings of blame and shame can arise, with the person believing it’s their fault because they’ve not been positive enough.
As a social worker and counsellor, I firmly believe that everyone has skills, strengths and inner resources which can be used for change and wellbeing. However, I am also concerned by the implications of this bootstraps mentality as it fails to acknowledge that people’s problems don’t occur in a bubble.
Human beings are social creatures. We belong to families, communities, larger society, and a global community. Within these systems, there are stressors and supports, social norms and values, all of which impact on a person’s wellbeing. I like to imagine that an individual is part of a hanging mobile. If you touch one part of the mobile, it will affect the other parts and vice versa.
Not every therapist works from this systemic perspective. Take anxiety for instance. Many therapeutic models treat anxiety as if it stems from within the individual. Treatment strategies include medication and cognitive and behavioural therapies designed to teach the person to think and/or behave differently. The responsibility for managing the anxiety lies with the individual, and if their anxiety doesn’t improve, it’s due to their shortcomings.
This is where I am trained to approach things differently. Not only am I interested in the client as an individual, but I’m also curious about the big picture that client’s life is located in. Do they have a good support network they can rely upon, or are they socially isolated? Are they from a socially/politically marginalised community? Do they have a sufficient income or are they struggling to make ends meet? Are they in stable housing or homeless? These social factors and many more can easily exacerbate an individual’s anxiety levels. It’s pretty straightforward really. If a person is living with a whole lot of stress and not much support then, of course, they’re more likely to feel anxious. This is why I don’t regard anxiety as being solely endogenous with no external contributing factors.
So what does this mean for the client who comes to me wanting help managing their anxiety? In a nutshell, it means I pay attention to the internal and external factors affecting a client’s wellbeing. I remember that difficulties occur within a context, not within a bubble. As a starting point, I work with the client to help them develop skills for managing and reducing their anxiety. Together we come up with strategies so that they are able to function within their social systems and not be as anxious. For some people, this is enough and that’s great. In every case, my job is to work with a client on what’s important to them. However, from a social work perspective, this is only part of the work.
Let’s go back to Leunig’s cartoon for a moment. Looking at the man, we notice that he’s not in the best of circumstances. Being a social worker, I want to know more about him. How has he ended up living like this? Why hasn’t he managed to improve his situation? What has happened to result in him having to beg for money? Does he have any income? If not, why not? Why has nobody put any money in his cup? Why does he think he needs to improve his situation on his own? Does he not have anyone he can turn to for help? Would he even be able to pull himself up by his bootstraps given his lack of shoes! How is it that in a first world country like Australia some people have enough access to resources and others don’t?
As you can see, once these contextual questions start being asked it becomes clearer that the solution is not as simple as him saving up the money to pull himself up by his bootstraps. He’s not starting from a level playing field in terms of privilege and power. We can assume that there’s some stigma attached to him being a beggar on the street. If this man was my client, the work would include working at a systemic level with the social structures impacting on wellbeing. What this would look like depends on the client, but the bottom line would be that I would shift the focus from his situation being solely his fault, and his responsibility to fix. I would consider how the other parts of the mobile either help or hinder his wellbeing. I would challenge those systems which perpetuate disadvantage and work to strengthen those that support him. To me, this is a social justice issue. Without consideration of how our social, political and economic systems affect wellbeing, we run the risk of perpetuating unhelpful systems and scapegoating individuals for not being able to resolve their difficulties.
Thu 24 November 2016
What is professional supervision?
Professional supervision is a process of in-depth reflection by practitioners on their work in order that they continue to learn and develop from their experiences and provide quality services to clients or staff. It focuses on the ‘work’ of the practitioner and the structural and personal influences that impact on that practice. Through a process of critical reflection, practitioners can:
- Enhance their practical skills
- Increase their confidence and competence in working with individuals, families and groups
- Consider specific issues arising from client work
- Focus on their mastery of theoretical or technical knowledge
- Seek support in developing positive self-care strategies to nurture themselves, reduce stress, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma
Why do professionals need supervision?
Therapists, counsellors, health, welfare professionals and educators’ focus involves supporting the complex needs of clients, their families and others. There are many joys and challenges working closely with others who are dealing with intricate issues in their lives.
However, to do this work effectively we need support for ourselves and to ensure we are providing the highest quality service to the people with whom we work. Supervision is one way we can work towards achieving this objective.
Who would benefit from professional supervision?
In the past it was assumed that supervision was only for new graduates. Increasingly, professions are recognising professional supervision is most useful throughout a career. This means that whether you have just begun your career, have been working for a few years or many years there is much to be gained from professional supervision.
Many agencies provide a form of supervision from line managers. In busy health and welfare settings it may only be possible to provide brief opportunities for reporting on client work. There may be no choice of supervisor. For those staff working in solo positions or in private practice there may be no formal structures of support.
Professional supervision that is initiated by the practitioner means you can choose a supervisor that suits your needs, your areas of interest and approaches to supervision that appeal to you.
What professional supervision is available at Therapeutic Axis?
At Therapeutic Axis we provide professional supervision in a variety of ways. Professional supervision can be arranged for a one on one session with (a) highly skilled and experienced supervisor(s). (not sure if Annie Crowe is joining the practice and wants to be included in this?)
We also offer group supervision either held at an agency setting or at Therapeutic Axis in Glebe. In addition, we can provide professional supervision to 2 or 3 colleagues from the same or different agencies who wish to work on specific issues in a group with a skilled facilitator.
Recommended frequency of professional supervision varies depending on practitioner’s circumstances, the requirements of their professional body and the supervisor providing the service. Some practitioners make a regular fortnightly or monthly commitment, others come for a few sessions to work on specific issues. Please contact Therapeutic Axis for more information.
Author: Moira Carmody is able to offer professional supervision.
