contact: Liz@familyguidanceclinic.con   
Sandringham, Vic 3191, Balaclava, VIC  3187
Telehealth

Family Guidance Clinic  with Liz Palamara and Brum (Pet-Assisted Therapy Dog by request not in all sessions):

Mental Health – Trauma-Informed -Neuro-affirming- LGBTIQ+friendly

The family guidance clinic based in Sandringham Village Victoria , provides support and treatment of young people, adults, and families. Specialising in parenting support, caregiver burnout, mental health support, School Can’t and life transitions- post separation, grief and loss, impact of family violence on child /self and trauma recovery.

Liz works in a down-to-earth, supportive way guided by the individual’s needs, strengths and goals informed by evidence-based and therapeutic frameworks. It is important to feel you can trust that your therapist has the skills to support you and that you can trust the therapy process. That is why being transparent, collaborative and authentic are underlying principles of the Family Guidance Clinic.

Pricing:

 $190 a session 

Medicare rebate available with mental health care plan and GP referral

NIDIS funded

Private Funded

Pet-assisted therapy is available on request

Telehealth/ zoom can provide support interstate.

Walk and talk

keep scrolling for all services provided.

Liz Palamara

B.A.(Psych),B.SW, M.A. Child & Adolescent Mental Health
Accredited Mental Health Social Worker

Liz has over 25 years of clinical therapeutic experience supporting children, young people, adult, family mental health and trauma recovery. Working within a down-to-earth, trauma-informed, and neuro-affirming approach that draws on the strengths and lived experience of the client to work together to reach wellbeing goals.  

Liz focuses connection and guidance as you are the expert in your life, what well- being and recovery means to you. 

It’s about connection not perfection.

 

Professional Credentials

Licenses & Certifications

  • AASW Accredited
  • CBT, & DBT Accredited
  • Play and Art based relationship and attachment therapy accreditted
  • Newborn observations Accredited
  • Evidence-based and trauma-informed parent and young people group recovery programs and emotion coaching
  • Accredited in over 15 evidence-based, trauma-informed parenting, attachment, child and adolescent programs 
  • Parenting First Relationships

education background

  • Masters in Child and Adolescent Mental Health
  • Postgraduate certificate in Family Psychodynamic and Attachment theory
  • Bachelor of Social Work
  • Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Anthropology)

Professional Experience

  • Clinical therapeutic counseling in the non-profit  and private sector for over 20 years. specializing in families and young people in mental health , trauma recovery, parenting, school anxieties.
  • Professional consultation in trauma-informed practice and neuro-affirming frameworks in the education and family sectors
  •  Designed, Implemented and delivered evidence-based  young people and parenting group programs in schools, non-profit sectors, and community mental health
  • Truama-recovery for women and children recovering from family violence.
  • Parenting newborn -teens, PND, Additional parenting needs, Mental Health
  • School mental health and healthy relationships professional development, secondary consultation and group delivery

services

Individualised Care

Contact:  Liz@familyguidanceclinic.com                                                                                                                   Liz Palamara: 0408699776

Contact Form Below:

EMDR

EMDR -Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing is a structured therapy that supports the recovery from distressing responses to traumatic memories or phobias. There have been scientific studies and evidence to support EMDR and its effectiveness in PTSD recovery and high distress states. EMDR is a shorter process than talk therapy usually 6-8 weekly sessions. The therapist supports the client  to briefly focuses on the trauma memory while being exposed to bilateral stimuli (following a computerized dot and the speed of REM sleep and tapping) to help the memory reprocess into a neutral memory.  It doesn’t”  fix” what has happened or “cure”  all mental health disorders, but it does reduce your physical and emotional response to the memory and support the recovery process.

If you want to know more and see a video to explain click below.

Single Service

Individual Therapy
Adults

Individual therapy is what it says, therapy for the individual not a one size fits all.

Evidence-based frame works and techniques are drawn on but attuned to the person.

Individual Therapy
Young People (11-21)

Working with young people needs to move beyond ‘talking therapy’ and prioritise providing a space that helps them feel safe and regulated.

This is done through play, art, sensory based activities in an environment that suits the young person.

This may be in the counselling rooms, park, beach, at school.

 

School CAn't
(refusal)

School Can’t (refusal) is more than wanting to miss a few days of school, it is, can’t get to school because the anxiety, physical response and barriers to getting, staying and connecting with school and/or peers is too much for the young person. This affects their mental health and well-being and also the care-givers and siblings. School Can’t can be caused by many things. It is important to listen and try and understand what is going on for the young person and support them and their families through the process of recovery. School is one shape and doesn’t always fit everyone. Finding the right learning environment or supporting the school to provide the right supports for the young person is essential.

Parent Support

Parenting – who knew it could be this challenging, rewarding, but at times hard and overwhelming. Most parents want the best for their children, you are reading this so odds are high you are one of them. Children can have additional behavioural needs that we don’t understand, are challenged by or feel exhausted supporting. Parenting can be difficult if you have your own mental health difficulties or traumatic life experiences that effects parenting confidence. Life, such as partner seperatation, grief and loss, life transitions and School Can’t ect ,can take it’s toll. Parent support sessions offer practical parenting skill and strategy development, along with guidance in understanding your needs as an individual, parent and the needs of your child. Sessions are non-judgemental, supportive and strategy focused. They can be single person sessions or both care-givers can attend.

 

 

Pet-Assisted

Pet-assisted therapy has shown to support our neurological and physiological well-being and regulation. Brum (puppy in training) helps provide a calming focus and support the trust, focus and connection with the therapeutic process. There is lots of evidence and science behind why animal assisted therapy works and you can learn by clicking the link below. Brum is just cute and calm and soft and animals just get you. Pet-Assisted therapy isn’t for everyone so Brum has the days he attends and the days he doesn’t. The rooms have hepafilta purifiers and are thoroughly cleaned in between his visits.

 Brum-
Pet Assisted THerapy Puppy in Training

It is about discovering who you are and then finding the people and places that help you glow, grow and shine.

Depression Therapy

Swine burgdoggen pork loin, ham hock t-bone sausage shoulder tail pork belly turkey short ribs strip steak. Hamburger cupim brisket, chicken venison fatback turducken biltong ribeye tenderloin. Chuck venison andouille pastrami tri-tip sausage strip steak biltong jerky shankle salami. Drumstick jerky ribeye, turducken shank pork loin chicken tail short ribs biltong landjaeger bresaola corned beef frankfurter. Corned beef sirloin pork chop leberkas shoulder, turkey jowl porchetta tail pastrami chuck landjaeger fatback pork belly prosciutto.

Sirloin chuck swine, drumstick t-bone ball tip fatback ribeye hamburger frankfurter sausage. Doner capicola hamburger flank frankfurter pork loin swine short ribs beef fatback. Pork chop tongue pancetta, porchetta landjaeger rump pork pastrami swine tri-tip sausage burgdoggen bacon. Bacon chicken tenderloin short loin meatball kielbasa.

Chuck venison andouille pastrami tri-tip sausage strip steak biltong jerky shankle salami. Drumstick jerky ribeye, turducken shank pork loin chicken tail short ribs biltong landjaeger bresaola corned beef frankfurter. Corned beef sirloin pork chop leberkas shoulder, turkey jowl porchetta tail pastrami chuck landjaeger fatback pork belly prosciutto.