Our Services

Couples Counselling

At ST&A Psychology Manly our experienced psychologists in St Leonards are passionate about helping couples who are having difficulty in their relationship, or who are feeling disconnected from their partner. When relationships are going well, they can be powerfully fulfilling and life affirming, but when they’re not, can be a great source of anxiety and stress. Never are we more vulnerable or more exposed emotionally when we are in a relationship. If there is a trust or communication breakdown, this may leave us feeling undervalued, mistreated, and have a significant impact on our self confidence. Couples therapy can help you and your partner learn how and why unhelpful patterns of relating and communicating have developed; and why you and/or your partner feel disconnected, unhappy, triggered, dissatisfied, confused, frustrated disappointed, anxious, fearful, stressed, guilty. It can also help you improve your patterns of communication and connection through learning and applying helpful listening, empathy, connection, intimacy and communication skills, essential to maintaining a healthy more robust relationship to navigate the challenges life throws you, your partner and your relationship.

M. +61 1800 951 869

E. reception@stapsychology.com

Book your free video consult with one of our Psychologists, tell us what you’re struggling with, what you want to change/improve and test a video session to see how we can help.

Free 20 Min Video Consult

(Dependent on Availability)

Signs & Symptoms of Relationship Problems

Couples counselling can help resolve any issues you and your partner are facing, including:

Feeling down / negative about your partner / relationship, disconnected, frustrated, disappointed, concerned, hopeless

Lack of trust, Jealousy, Betrayal/Infidelity

Misunderstandings

Unmet needs & unfulfilled desires

Frequent arguments

Being triggered / triggering your partner

Unhealthy patterns of behaviour & Communication

Get matched with a psychologist

Free 20 Min Video Consult

(Dependent on Availability)

When to seek help?

There is a lot of stigma and differing views about when to seek out help for your relationship and attend couples counselling. Couples therapy can be portrayed as a “last resort” that married couples only engage in when they’re on the verge of divorce. The reality of couples therapy is, however, far different: Therapy can be used to improve nearly any relationship, including those who are already separtaed with kids, and it’s better to seek therapy before issues become severe. Needing assistance isn’t a sign that your relationship is destined to fall apart, either. On the contrary, a willingness to engage in therapy demonstrates mutual commitment and a desire to make things work. Even when the stigma associated with therapy is set aside, many couples have a difficult time gauging when to seek help.

Though every relationship is different, There can be many or just one reason couples or individuals within a marriage or relationship seek out couples therapy. Some of these reasons include when a betrayal has occurred, the bad times outnumber the good times; You and your partner struggle to communicate; You or yor partner are emotionally withdrawn; There’s a major issue you can’t resolve; Your goals in life don’t align; You don’t seem to be working as a team; You’re dissatisfied with your physical and sexual intimacy; You avoid discussing anything that brings up difficult thoughts and feelings; You’ve experienced a major life change; You or Your Partner Have Become Indifferent; Almost All Communication Is Negative or Leads to Fights; You or Your Partner Lie or Keeps Secrets; You feel like (your gut tells you) you need couples therapy. Regardless of the reasons, at ST & A psychology, we’re here to help you and your partner…well.

Goals of therapy achieved.

Results

We’re proud of our clients’ outcomes.

83-87% of Clients reduced their symptoms of Depression, Anxiety & Stress as measured by the DASS

73% improved their Satisfaction With Life as measured by the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)

61% of Clients rated therapy as “Extremely Effective”, 34% “Moderately Effective”, 5% “A Little Effective”, 0% rated “No Effect”.

Symptoms reduced & satisfaction improved.

Clients rating of therapy.

61% Extremely effective
34% Moderately effective
5% A little effect
0% No effect
0% It made things worse

NB data comes from 625 patients who attended 15 sessions of therapy on average between 2006 and 2023

Get matched with a psychologist

Free 20 Min Video Consult

(Dependent on Availability)

FAQ

What is couples counselling?

When should a couple consider counselling?

How does couples counselling work?

How long does couples counselling take?

Is couples counselling only for married couples?

Can one partner attend counselling alone?

How do we choose a couples therapist?

Is everything discussed in therapy confidential?

How much does couples counselling cost?

What if my partner is reluctant to attend counselling?

Get to know our team.

We are here for you.

We have 8 highly skilled, experienced, professional, friendly, warm Psychologists (male and female) aged 30 to 66 ready to help you better cope with your challenges and issues, grow and improve your satisfaction with life and wellbeing.

Simon Turmanis

Principal Psychologist & Clinical Director

Simon Turmanis Principal Psychologist & Clinical Director

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs
20 years experience
Face to Face & Video/Phone sessions. After hours

I am an extremely caring, warm, open, helpful, respectful, supportive, encouraging, hardworking and compassionate person. I am very passionate about helping people…well. Helping people to reduce their suffering is important to me. I will want to understand the unique way you are suffering or struggling to cope. I work hard to help anyone who decides to work with me, as a client, colleague, supervisee, fellow team member or workshop participant. I have 20 years experience working with adults, adolescents, and children with various psychological problems/issues. Within this, I have 18 years’ private practice experience working with adults of all ages, couples, adolescents, children and families on a broad range of issues.

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Suzanne Carmichael

Experienced Psychologist

Suzanne Carmichael Experienced Psychologist

Tue, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat
Face to face & Video/Phone sessions. After hours.

I am an empathic, thoughtful, person-centred psychologist with over 18 years experience helping people in clinical, counselling and organisational settings cope with difficult situations, at times traumatic situations, to cope, and improve their health, wellbeing and satisfaction with life. I am passionate about helping you work towards what’s important to you in your life and find and commit to direction, purpose and meaning in your life. Warm and caring, I will want to ensure you feel heard and valued.

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Jacob de Wet

Principal Clinical Psychologist

Jacob de Wet Principal Clinical Psychologist

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs
Face to face & video/phone sessions. After hours.

I am an extremely compassionate, professional and approachable psychologist, committed to treating you with warmth, care and dignity. I will be guided by your strengths, needs and circumstances to best support and empower you to be able to create positive changes, cope with challenges and difficulties, and improve your wellbeing. For the last 5 years, I have worked full-time at ST&A Psychology where I have helped hundreds of clients. My ability to help people…well has led to my role as Principal Psychologist.

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Edwina Wong

Registered Psychologist

Edwina Wong Registered Psychologist

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs, Fri
Face to face & video/phone sessions. After hours.

I am an extremely professional, warm, friendly, empathic and thoughtful Psychologist. If you choose to work with me, I will listen and care with interest as we work together to understand how your issues have developed over time, what’s maintaining these issues, and the best way to help you cope more effectively. I value transparency and accountability, and so will regularly invite your feedback to ensure we are on track.

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Dr Matthew Gerathy

Clinical Psychologist

Dr Matthew Gerathy Clinical Psychologist

Tue, Wed, Thurs, Fri
Face to face & video/phone sessions. After hours.

Warm, friendly and approachable, I am extremely passionate about helping people live happier, more fulfilling and productive lives through raising self-awareness and compassion. I will provide a respectful, empathic space where we can build a strong relationship, use evidence based therapy, & design a treatment approach that is individual to your specific difficulties/challenges, informed by your strengths and goals, and is openly communicated, and regularly reviewed. Over the last 18 months I have worked full-time at ST&A Psychology and helped over a hundred clients…well, with a broad range of ages and issues.

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Sabrina Choo

Registered Psychologist

Sabrina Choo Registered Psychologist

Tue, Thurs, Fri
Face to face & video/phone sessions. After hours.

I am a warm, caring, compassionate and empathetic person. As a Psychologist in Manly Vale, I will be committed to treating you with compassion, care and dignity and dedicated to helping you reach your goals of therapy, whatever that takes. My approach to therapy is person centred where goals and treatment plans are actively guided by your strengths, needs and circumstances. I am passionate about collaborating with you to support and empower you to create positive changes, cope with challenges and difficulties, and improve your wellbeing. I strive to create a strong therapeutic relationship where you feel safe to tell your story in an environment where you feel heard and understood.

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Mark Podesta

Experienced Psychologist

Mark Podesta Experienced Psychologist

Thurs, Fri, Sat
Video/phone sessions. After hours.

If you choose to work with me I will be respectful, collaborative, compassionate, supportive and empowering; to help you create positive changes, cope with challenges and difficulties, and improve your wellbeing. My clinical skills are honed through years of experience treating people from diverse backgrounds and abilities, with a wide range of presenting issues across the lifespan. In my time at ST & A psychology (18 months), I have helped close to 100 clients…well.

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Jodie Gibson

Provisional Psychologist

Jodie Gibson Provisional Psychologist

Mon, Wed, Thurs
Face to face & video/phone sessions. After hours.

I am a passionate, warm, empathetic and compassionate Psychologist (full registration due January 2025). If you choose to work with me, I will strive to forge a genuine connection, and value your unique circumstances and challenges. I will be collaborative with you, working together to understand what you want to achieve in therapy, the issues you are struggling with and how we might improve your mental health and wellbeing. I will be committed and enthusiastic about your personal goals, fostering resilience and empowering you to achieve personal growth, as I believe everyone possesses inherent strengths and the potential to thrive.

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See more of the team

Free 20 Min Video Consult

(Dependent on Availability)

How it works

Smart Match with Your Therapist

Match by personality, experience and a range of preferences to suit your needs. You can also schedule a free introduction video consult/telephone call.

Schedule Sessions face to face or by video/telephone

Book days and times for your sessions via video/telephone or face to face that work for you. Our therapists are ready to work with you to help you achieve your goals of therapy, improve your mental health and satisfaction with life.

Measure your change & Track Your Journey

Measure and track how far you’ve come, changes you’ve made – and how far you can go with your dedicated psychologist, we’re with you every step of the way as you evolve and grow and make changes to achieve what you are working towards.

Claim Medicare or Private Health Rebate

With a GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan you can be eligible for a Medicare rebate for 10 psychology sessions per year. Most private health insurers provide between 30-80% rebates on sessions. We process the claim on your behalf at time of session.

Free 20 Min Video Consult

(Dependent on Availability)

What we offer you.

Psychologists available now
A psychologist that’s carefully matched for you.
Saturdays & after hours appointments
Days & times that suit you.
Medicare & Private Health Rebates
Face to face or video/phone sessions from wherever you’re comfortable
Sessions booked in advance at optimum consitency for best results.
Help setting your goals of therapy, track your journey, measure changes made
Our commitment to listen & care with support & compassion & provide value each & every session.

Psychologists available now

A psychologist that's carefully matched for you.

Saturdays & after hours appointments

Days & times that suit you.

Medicare & Private Health Rebates

Face to face or video/phone sessions from wherever you're comfortable

Sessions booked in advance at optimum consitency for best results.

Help setting your goals of therapy, track your journey, measure changes made

Our commitment to listen & care with support & compassion & provide value each & every session.

Unlike other practices with long wait lists, we have psychologists in our team ready to work with you now and help you achieve your goals of therapy.

We understand the importance of getting the fit between you and your psychologist right, thus we’ll take the time to help you work out what you’re struggling with, what you want to change/improve/work on & book you in with the right psychologist based on their skills, experience & therapy style.

We offer sessions on Saturdays and before and after school and work in the mornings and evenings.

With a referral from your GP and a mental health care plan, you may claim up to 10 Medicare rebates per calendar year for 10 sessions. Also, you may claim rebates from your private health insurance.

You may choose to come into our practice, meet our client liaison officers and experience therapy in one of our four therapy rooms and/or have sessions via video/phone in the comfort of your home, office or car.

Based on research of what is the most effective therapy, clients need consistent sessions over a required duration to achieve all their goals of therapy in the most efficient way. Thus we work with you to schedule your appointments weekly to fortnightly in advance at times that suit you.

Based on the research of what is the most effective therapy and what will help you reach your goals of therapy, we’ll help you set specific realistic achievable goals, walk you through how you can achieve them and consistently measure your progress along the way.

Each of our psychologists are committed fully to helping you perceive value from each and every session with care and compassion.

Book an appointment this week.

Free 20 Min Video Consult

(Dependent on Availability)

Results

We’re proud of our clients’achievements.

NB data comes from 625 patients who attended 15 sessions of therapy on average between 2006 and 2023.

83-87% of Clients reduced their symptoms of Depression, Anxiety & Stress as measured by the DASS

73% improved their Satisfaction With Life as measured by the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)

61% of Clients rated therapy as ”Extremely Effective”, 34% “Moderately Effective”, 5% “A Little Effective”, 0% rated “No Effect”.

Goals of therapy achieved.

Progress reported

Percentage of clients reporting they made progress since
commencing therapy.

Symptoms reduced & satisfaction improved.

Clients rating of therapy.

Free 20 Min Video Consult

(Dependent on Availability)

What we can help you with.

Our Manly Psychologists and North Sydney Psychologists help adults, children, parents, adolescents and couples with a mix of presenting issues & challenges

Anxiety Counselling/Treatment

Depression Counselling

Couples Counselling

Child and adolescent therapy

Recovery treatment

Personality Disorders & Interpersonal/Social Issues

ADHD and ADD Counselling

PTSD/Trauma Counselling/Treatment

Free 20 Min Video Consult

(Dependent on Availability)

Other issues, diagnoses and presentations we work with:

Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety, Specific Phobias, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Phobia, Worry, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder. Personality Disorders (Narcissistic, Borderline, Dependent, Obsessional, Paranoid etc.), Problems Relating to others (including couples therapy), Specific Relationship Problems, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention difficulties.
Dissatisfaction with life, Sleep problems, Body image issues, Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Pain, Chronic Fatigue.
Addictions and Abuse problems Child-Parent relational issues, Child Behavioural Problems, Adolescent Issues, Parent Skills Training, Oppositional defiant disorder.
Child parent relational issues.

We also help people with:

Stress management
Self esteem issues and building self worth
Adjustment to life change
Perfectionism
Grief and loss
Procrastination and Improving Motivation
Assertiveness and Emotion management (Anger etc.)
Goal Setting and Achieving
Weight management and physical health
Problem Solving
Bulimia Nervosa
Career and vocational guidance
Sexual orientation
Pain management and psychological effects of physical injuries

Still have questions, not sure who to work with or how we can help?

We’ll call you and have a confidential no commitment chat about what you’re struggling with, what you want help with and want to change, who in our practice might be able to help, how therapy can help and answer any questions you might have.

Couples Counselling

Signs & Symptoms of Relationship Problems

When to seek help?

We’re proud of our clients’ outcomes.

FAQ

What is couples counselling?

When should a couple consider counselling?

How does couples counselling work?

How long does couples counselling take?

Is couples counselling only for married couples?

Can one partner attend counselling alone?

How do we choose a couples therapist?

Is everything discussed in therapy confidential?

How much does couples counselling cost?

What if my partner is reluctant to attend counselling?