Revive Therapies and Psychology Services
Sonia Muller of Revive Therapies and Psychology is a qualified and experienced clinical psychologist who also offers holistic therapies that encompass the mind and body.
Sonia is currently working with adults (18 years +). She can assist with a variety of mental health disorders as well as strategies for those who simply want to experience real personal growth and feel more in control of their life.
Clinical Psychology
Outcomes and Ethics
Given the nature of counselling and psychological therapy it is difficult to predict or guarantee any specific outcomes.
The success of therapy is largely dependent on the relationship between you and Sonia as well as your readiness and willingness to work towards your goals. However, Sonia will do her best to help you to experience the benefits that psychological therapy has to offer.
She has adopted a number of therapies and approaches that are grounded in the latest neurobiological research around trauma and stress, and that take the whole person into consideration – mind, body, emotions and spirit/self.
More Information about Clinical Psychology
Assessments
As with any process, it is important to measure your progress to ensure your therapy is working.
While you should notice yourself feeling better and happier, as a professional clinical psychologist Sonia also uses quantifiable methods to confirm that the therapy is working at various intervals throughout the journey. Depending on your experience, you will be asked to complete one or more psychological questionnaires.
Psychological Testing is a formal process using validated and reliable measures of aspects of an individual’s psychological or cognitive functioning. It might include paper and pencil tests like questionnaires and surveys, or the completion of set puzzle-like activities that evaluate certain skills such as planning, memory or problem-solving. Testing should be used for diagnostic and treatment planning and may also be written up and presented in a psychological report.
Privacy and confidentiality
Sonia Muller respects the privacy of her clients, holds in strict confidence all information about clients and complies with applicable privacy and other legislation.
What information is collected about me?
Most of the personal information collected relates to your diagnosis and treatment. When you attend a session, a file will be made containing your name, address, contact details and other information such as the nature of the problem, family history, diagnosis and treatment. This information will be stored in a secure and confidential way.
No information will be released to a third party without your prior written authorisation. At any time, you have the right to withhold or withdraw consent to, or place conditions on, the disclosure of your information
There are situations, however, where Sonia Muller / Revive Therapies and Psychology would be legally required to release personal information. This occurs if mandated by a court order, but also if you reveal information that indicates:
- a clear and immediate danger of harm to yourself or others;
- abuse or serious neglect of a child in need of protection; or
- abuse by another registered health professional.
While these events are rare, it is essential that you are aware of your therapist’s obligations. Formalities aside, Sonia’s overall goal is to make Revive Therapies and Psychology a place where you feel comfortable to talk about personal concerns.
Sonia will also consult with other supervising professionals for guidance specific to psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing™ and EMDR for the purposes of providing you with the highest quality care. Information provided in these contexts will be anonymous.
Informed Consent
Informed consent for psychotherapy and psychological assessment is always gained by Sonia as a part of respecting
You will be asked to sign a Statement of Informed Consent that details all Terms and Conditions before commencing treatment.
Sonia Muller of Revive Therapies and Psychology is governed by
Client responsibilities
Personal commitment to therapy and counselling is crucial for success. It is important that you be active, open and honest with Sonia.
Seeing a therapist is often enhanced with additional efforts made between sessions, such as:
- thinking about the material covered in your sessions;
- monitoring the behaviours you are trying to change;
- reading a book or article;
- completing worksheets;
- practising a new skill; or
- taking other actions to support your growth.
It is your responsibility to tell Sonia when you are uncomfortable with any parts of the treatment. If you have any questions, please ask and she will do her best to answer your questions in full.
EMDR Therapy
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy is a structured therapy that is helpful in treating PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Our eyes are our windows to the outside world but they are also useful for helping us see memories stored in our brains from a different perspective.
EMDR uses a series of steps to prepare you for the treatment before your therapist creates an ‘intervention’ by using bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements) while simultaneously having you recall your traumatic memory.
The treatment has been shown to be successful in reducing the vividness of traumatic memories and the associated negative emotions.
Somatic Experiencing™
After a traumatic event, there is often stress and tension that remains in the body which can continue to be triggered for decades after the event.
Somatic Experiencing™ is a therapy that focuses on creating an awareness of the body-mind connection and relieving the negative effects of adverse bodily reactions.
The therapy was pioneered by Dr Peter Levine who wrote the book Waking The Tiger: Healing Trauma. His work is based on the observation that wild animals, whose lives can be threatened several times a day, don’t carry the effects of the trauma after each threat to their survival. Instead, the stress and energy
With humans, on the other hand, our lives are much more complex than wild animals and when our survival or well-being is threatened, there are a lot more residual feelings that accompany the episode. Humans also often don’t have the opportunity to ‘discharge’ the stress and pent-up energy.
Dr Levine discovered that by focusing on the body and its reactions, we can effectively reset the nervous system to a more normal rhythm and flow rather than it being constantly interrupted by memories of past events.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
The IFS Model developed by Dr Richard Shwartz is a powerful therapy for treating trauma. The IFS model views a person as containing an ecology of relatively discrete minds or parts, each of which has valuable qualities and each of which is designed to — and wants to — play a valuable role within. These parts are forced out of their valuable roles by life experiences that can reorganize the system in unhealthy ways.
IFS works with three distinct groups of parts such as MANAGERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND EXILES
Most clients had parts that tried to keep them functional and safe. These parts tried to maintain control of their inner and outer environments by, for example, keeping them from getting too close or dependent on others, criticizing their appearance or performance to make them look or act better, and focusing on taking care of others’ rather than their own needs. These parts seemed to be in protective, managerial roles and therefore are called managers.
When a person has been hurt, humiliated, frightened, or shamed in the past, he or she will have parts that carry the emotions, memories, and sensations from those experiences. Managers often want to keep these feelings out of consciousness and, consequently, try to keep vulnerable, needy parts locked in inner closets. These incarcerated parts are known as exiles.
The third and final group of parts jumps into action whenever one of the exiles is upset to the point that it may flood the person with its extreme feelings or make the person vulnerable to being hurt again. When that is the case, this third group tries to douse the inner flames of feeling as quickly as possible, which earns them the name firefighters. They tend to be highly impulsive and strive to find stimulation that will override or dissociate from the exile’s feelings. Bingeing on drugs, alcohol, food, sex, or work are common firefighter activities.
One other key aspect of the IFS Model also differentiates it from other models. This is the belief that, in addition to these parts, everyone is at their core a Self, containing many crucial leadership qualities such as perspective, confidence, compassion, and acceptance.
When working with an individual, the goal of IFS is to differentiate this Self from the parts, thereby releasing its resources. When the individual is in the state of Self, we can work together to help the parts out of their extreme roles.
Counselling
The ultimate goal of counselling is to help you become more self-aware and enhance your well-being. It provides a safe and private place to express feelings, confusion, worries, secrets and ideas as we work towards that goal.
Choosing the Approach That’s Right for You
While counselling is a major part of Sonia’s work, she is also qualified to assist with a range of other therapies that can be utilised to create a treatment program that will address your unique needs.
Specific Therapies
Therapies such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), Somatic Experiencing™ are body-based therapies supported by current neuroscience. They are used to help with a variety of mental health problems (i.e. PTSD, chronic stress and anxiety, grief and loss and depression)
These therapies are not suitable for everyone, however, Sonia is happy to provide more details about what’s involved and whether they would be of benefit to you.
Other therapies and psychological services:
Other forms of therapy or training Sonia can provide to help you improve your life and reach your goals include:
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
- Schema-focused Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Emotional regulation skills development
- Distress tolerance strategies and skills development
- Relaxation skills training
- Communication and assertiveness training
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Psychological Assessment
Sonia conducts psychometric assessments for the purposes of diagnostic assessment and treatment planning for adults and adolescents.
Psychometric assessments can also be conducted to assist with the application process for various organisations such as Centrelink and the Australian Defence Force.
Note: Sonia does not do medico-legal assessments.
Groups
Revive Therapies and Psychology runs a regular resiliency groups program (6-12 per group). The program is conducted as required on site. Sonia can develop a tailored resiliency group program to meet the needs of your organization or workplace.
Remote Therapy Online
Rural people experiencing mental health issues may find it difficult to access psychological services without travelling a significant distance. Sonia also provides video conference consultations or telehealth sessions via Skype. Online sessions may also be claimed under Medicare, however, some restrictions do apply.
