The UniSC Psychology Clinic is a training clinic for postgraduate psychology students.
The Clinic provides psychological services to the Sunshine Coast community at no cost.
Please note that the UniSC student-led Psychology Clinic runs from 8:30am – 4:30pm Monday-Thursday from 2nd April – 28th November 2024. The Psychology clinic is currently open to therapy referrals only. The waitlist for Cognitive Assessments is now closed and we are no longer able to accept any further Cognitive Assessment referrals.
Services
We offer individual therapy to children and adults for a range of concerns including:
- emotional and mood problems
- fears and phobias
- sleep problems
- health-related behaviour change
- chronic pain
- relationship problems
- stress and trauma
- parenting support
- cognitive assessments
Clinic Eligibilty
Because the Clinic is a training clinic that provides short-term interventions and cognitive assessment, treatment cannot be provided for problems that require intensive or long-term support, e.g:
- Eating Disorders
- Psychosis
- Substance abuse
- Severe suicidality and/or current crisis with significant risk to safety
- Other conditions that may require specialised or intensive support
- Children under the age of 6 years
Please talk to your GP about other treatment options if you require help for any of the above.
We are unable to provide services to the following:
- Current UniSC staff members and/or immediate family
- Current students and/or immediate family of students enrolled in:
Provisional Psychologists in the Clinic are unable to provide services to anyone currently involved in legal proceedings. We are not able to offer any advice on medico-legal issues, prepare reports, or provide expert opinion in court.
Cognitive assessment
The waitlist for Cognitive Assessments is now closed and we are no longer able to accept any further Cognitive Assessment referrals.
The UniSC Psychology Clinic provides basic cognitive assessments, carried out by Provisional Psychologists. The Clinic does not provide neuropsychological or complex cognitive assessment. Our Provisional Psychologists are registered with the Psychology Board of Australia and receive regular supervision from experienced psychologists.
Referral from a registered Health Practitioner is required for booking a Cognitive Assessment.
We use evidence-based cognitive assessments for clients of all ages to provide a provisional or formal diagnosis with a range of concerns, such as:
- memory loss
- specific learning disorders (e.g. dyslexia)
- intellectual disability
- changes in focus/concentration
It is important to note the following limitations to the assessment services we provide. We recommend you see your local doctor or other suitable health professional for more appropriate referral options to avoid unnecessary delays in obtaining appropriate assistance for your needs:
- We do not offer ADHD or ASD assessments or diagnosis. We recommend that you consult with your GP to arrange a referral to a psychiatrist or paediatrician for ADHD or ASD assessment.
- We do not administer ADOS assessments (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule).
- We do not complete capacity assessment for medico/legal, worker’s compensation, family court, or other legal matters.
- We do not complete NDIS applications or specific assessment for NDIS funding. Reports provided by the clinic can be used as supporting documentation only.
- We do not provide services to students undertaking studies in psychology or counselling at UniSC.
When you visit the clinic, we will:
- determine the most appropriate tests/measures to answer your referral question
- conduct a robust assessment
- give insight into your condition
- highlight your strengths and weaknesses
- discuss next steps after your assessment
During your sessions with us:
- You will get to talk about what you are experiencing.
- We will conduct the assessment over different days (most typically 4 – 10 hours in total).
- Once your assessment is complete, we will provide a written report and explore your assessment results and recommendations in a feedback session.
Each year, the UniSC psychology clinic offers a small number of basic cognitive assessments, specifically assessing for intellectual, learning, memory and psychological (e.g., mood and personality) functioning for individuals aged 6 or older. The clinic does not offer complex cognitive assessment, formal neuropsychological assessment, or diagnosis of cognitive or neuropsychological disorders, For assessment needs that are beyond the scope of the clinic, we may be able to complete some initial basic cognitive assessment components (e.g., completing the intellectual or memory assessment only) with further assessment to be undertaken with a neuropsychologist. Please specify if this is the case when making a referral.
Psychological Therapy
A brief telephone interview is used to assess if the Clinic can meet your needs.
If the Clinic is suitable, a comprehensive assessment will then be conducted over one or more sessions to understand your concerns and overall health and wellbeing. An individual treatment plan will then be developed collaboratively with you.
Treatments provided at the Clinic are evidence-based, meaning high-quality research has demonstrated that the intervention effectively reduces the problem you are having.
Services are usually provided in in-person consultations at the Clinic. However, telehealth services are also available in some circumstances. Your Provisional Psychologist will discuss the options with you.
The standard treatment session is 50 minutes.
Treatment is tailored to the needs of each consumer. Your psychologist will discuss the estimated treatment duration when developing the treatment plan with you.
You may be asked to complete questionnaires from time to time to monitor your care and overall treatment effectiveness. We also welcome your feedback at any time.
The Clinic does not have childcare facilities and does not allow children to remain unaccompanied in the waiting room. Please do not bring children to the Clinic unless requested by your psychologist to participate in treatment.
The privacy of personal information you share with us in the assessment and treatment of your problems is of utmost importance to us. You can read our Privacy Policy here.
Treatment Providers
Supervision
Experienced, registered Clinical Psychologists and/or Clinical Neuropsychologists supervise all Provisional Psychologists in the Clinic.
Appointments
We try to provide services as soon as possible. However, the need for services sometimes exceeds our capacity to deliver services. We do have a waitlist service where we gain contact with you when an opportunity arises.
If you cannot attend a scheduled appointment, please telephone the Clinic on 07 5459 4514 or email psychologyclinic@usc.edu.au to cancel as soon as possible.
Referral from a registered Health Practitioner is required for booking a Cognitive Assessment.
Referral from a Health Practitioner is not required for therapy appointments, however please complete the Clinic request for service form.
You can request services at the UniSC Psychology Clinic by completing the Request for Service form (PDF 799KB) and emailing it to the Clinic. Email: psychologyclinic@usc.edu.au
If you are unable to complete the form, you can telephone reception on 07 5459 4514.
Clinic Details
Psychology Clinic Reception
Tel: +61 7 5459 4514
Email: psychologyclinic@usc.edu.au
Street address
UniSC Clinic
University of the Sunshine Coast
Ground Floor, J Building
90 Sippy Downs Drive
SIPPY DOWNS QLD 4556
Postal address
UniSC Clinic (Psychology)—ML75
University of the Sunshine Coast
PO Box 5280
SUNSHINE COAST MAIL CENTRE QLD 4560
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