About Us
Assessment & Consultancy Program
Early intervention helps give your child the best possible start in life and may also prevent the need for more costly intervention in the future. A comprehensive assessment is an important first step in helping your child. The assessment will identify your child's learning strengths and needs, their preferred learning style, appropriate intervention and useful strategies for the classroom. Children struggle to learn for many reasons. Some children have difficulty paying attention, reasoning, remembering things, communicating, reading, spelling or socialising, while others have co-ordination and behavioural problems. Learning problems can be the result of trauma, illness, a disability or life experiences. Whatever the cause, some children just desperately need help to learn.
Learning disabilities are a group of disorders leading to significant difficulties in listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities which are inconsistent with a child's general ability. They are not related to intelligence, parenting styles or educational opportunities. A child with a learning difficulty experiences significant delays in one or more academic or developmental areas. Learning difficulties are often the result of an intellectual disability, physical and sensory disabilities, emotional difficulties, lack of educational opportunities, an illness or disruption to schooling, and/or inadequate environmental experiences.
A child with a developmental disability has a significant impairment in acquiring cognitive, language, motor or social skills which is likely to continue into adulthood.
Psychological assessments consist of:
- an initial consultation with the parents/ caregivers and the child;
- psychometric testing; and
- a comprehensive report including recommendations.
The aim of a psychological assessment, whether it be for neuropsychological or educational purposes, is to identify a child’s current level of functioning and put into place an intervention that addresses any strengths or areas of concern for that child.
The psychometric testing will depend on the reason for the assessment and may include tests of intelligence and achievement based tests.
Family Services
Each family is unique and needs access to clear and detailed information that allows them to make decisions according to their needs. While immensely rewarding, parenting is also a difficult job and relationships can become strained. Families can experience concerns, such as difficulty communicating, managing behavioural problems with one or more children, or attempting to deal with a problem or issue which seems to continually arise in different situations.
Play Therapy and Counselling is available for children experiencing and presenting with grief, loss, anger, poor self-esteem. Many children who are struggling at school with learning can experience these difficulties. Using play, children and adolescents are able to explore strong feelings of loss, hopelessness and anger in a safe and contained environment with the support of a trained counsellor.
Medico-Legal Reports
Specialties include:
- compensation claims
- child custody evaluations
- personal injury assessments
- abuse and related issues assessments ie kinship carer and foster carer placement assessments
- post-traumatic psychological injury
- parenting adeptness
- Work Cover claims
Supervision Programs for Intern Psychologists:
Provision of supervision and support to Intern Psychologists undergoing registration with the N.S.W Psychologists Registration Board. Helena is accredited under the new supervision guidelines stipulated by the N.S.W Psychologists Registration Board. Supervision takes place in an emotionally safe environment where you will be given the opportunity to choose which topics and issues you’d like to cover. Example:
· Case studies
· Play therapy techniques
· Psychological issues eg trauma, depression, anxiety, domestic violence, sexual abuse, attachment and bonding
· Self care strategies
· Literature review and research
· Liaising with government departments eg DoCS
· Development of policy, procedures, protocol
· Transference issues
What is offered to Intern Psychologists?
- Individual supervision sessions
Cost:
1 hour $80
1.5 hours $120
- Group supervision sessions - Minimum 2 people and maximum 6.
These sessions are structured to meet the needs and interests of the Intern Psychologists. Sessions may focus on a range of diverse psychological issues including: ethics and code of practice; anxiety and depression; grief and loss; trauma; psychological testing; professional recording keeping, methods of therapy; counselling sessions for adults, children, adolescents and families.
Cost:
1 hour $ 120
2 hours $ 240
Example: for a 2 hour group supervision session with 3 people, the cost per person is $80
