About Me.
My name is Liz O'Dea
I am a Mental Health Social Worker and Family and Couples Therapist providing individual, couple and family therapy in the inner West Melbourne area. I would love to help you and your loved ones get the kind of relationships you want, or work through the challenges you may be facing.
Please note, I am currently on maternity leave and expect to return to work around April 2025.
What I can help with..
Relationship conflict
Relationship disconnection
Parenting challenges
Child and adolescent emotional & behavioural problems
Challenging family dynamics
Parent-infant attachment
Sibling relationships
Grief and loss
Trauma
Anxiety
Depression
Separation
Life-cycle transitions
Improving intimacy
Services
Face-to-face and online sessions available.
Individual therapy gives you an opportunity to talk about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a safe and confidential environment, and work through their problems, gain a deeper understanding of yourself, and develop the tools and strategies to live a more fulfilling and satisfying life.
Relationship counselling helps you and your loved one the space, insights and tools to explore issues, change unhelpful patterns of behaviour, repair trust and intimacy, and develop a stronger and more satisfying relationship.
Family therapy helps families talk safely about their challenges and stressors, in ways that respect each person’s unique experiences, perspective and strengths. The process helps families make useful changes in their relationships by improving communication, resolving conflicts, overcoming challenges together and building stronger, healthier relationships.
More About Me.
I am warm, accepting and non-judgemental, and at the same time, I don't beat around the bush! I'll be honest with you, and I hope that you feel comfortable-enough to be honest with me too. I want you to leave our sessions feeling safe, heard, understood and perhaps even challenged in some way... I believe good therapy leaves you with lots of questions to reflect on...
When we meet, I'll be curious to hear about what you want to get out of coming to therapy and will do my best to help you get there. Whether that is a better relationship with a loved one, a better relationship with yourself, or getting through a difficult time in your life, we will work together towards your goals.
I like to mix therapy up, so it's not all talking (some of us don't like just talking and that's ok) so you might find me using the whiteboard, or emotion-relationship cards, or animal figurines, or getting people moving around the room with an activity (families). I'll do what works best for you...
I really enjoy what I do and feel very lucky to meet so many interesting, complex and beautiful people.
I really look forward to meeting you, and helping you achieve whatever it is that matters to you.
Commonly Asked Questions
How long do sessions go for?
Sessions go for 1 hour. Sometimes I might recommend a 90-minute session for large families, or particular exercises. I will talk to you about this first.
How much does it cost? Can I get a Medicare Rebate?
Yes, you can! You can access a Medicare rebate with a Mental Health Care Plan and referral from the GP. This will allow you to receive a rebate of $81.90 per session with Medicare.
Individual, family and couples therapy sessions cost $200 per hour. There is an additional $10 charge for after-hours sessions.
Do I need a referral?
You don’t need a referral for therapy. You can contact me on my phone number listed below, or fill in a enquiry below, and I will get in touch to organise a 15 minute phone consult to talk about your situation and book an appointment.
However, if you would like the Medicare rebate, you will need to get a referral from your GP.