Therapeutic Coaching

Stephanie specialises in...

• Quick and permanent reduction of work stress and career concerns

• Lifting of even long-standing depression or dark moods

• Alleviation of anxiety, panic and phobias

• Creation of a positive mindset conducive to recovery from illness

• Guidance for couples with relationship challenges

• Nutrichology - nutritional protocols for optimising mood, intellect and neurological function

"Food affects behaviour. To ignore the role of nutrition is indefensible."

Dr Alexandra Richardson, Department of Physiology, Oxford University, UK

• Assistance with other challenging emotional or practical issues, such as legal or work problems

• Support with managing health conditions. (Specialty in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) / Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME))

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Rates

Stephanie charges below the official recommended rates for psychologists in Australia:

Special Consultations

• Telephone consultation: Applicable rates as above.

• Call-out: Applicable rates as above plus 50% per hour including travel time.

• Court preparation: $330 per hour plus associated costs.

• Court appearance: $425 per hour plus associated costs.

After-hours Consultations

Standard rates plus $85 per hour or part-hour apply for evening and early morning times; Standard rates plus $150 per hour or part-hour apply for night time hours, Sundays and public holidays; Standard rates plus $175 per hour or part-hour apply for all remaining hours.

Thank you for settling your account on the day of your consultation with cash, Visa or MasterCard.

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Rebates

Medicare Australia

Stephanie is a registered Medicare Australia Allied Health Professional.  A minimum of $75 per session is rebatable through Medicare, or up to $180 once you reach your Medicare threshold.

To be eligible for these rebates please obtain an EPC or MHCP referral to Stephanie from your General Practitioner, Paediatrician or Psychiatrist.

Matters covered by both Medicare and Stephanie include...

• Anxiety, Panic and Phobias - fears which seem irrational or extreme

• Depression - persistent very low mood

• Post-traumatic Stress (PTSD)

• Unexplained physical (somatic) symptoms

• Sleep problems - insomnia

• Obsessive/Compulsive behaviour

• Bereavement/grief symptoms

• Children's behavioural problems

• Eating disorders

Private Insurance

Many private insurers now rebate 30-80% of psychological services. Details vary, so please check your policy.

Tax Deductions

Because Stephanie is an Executive Coach, help with issues that pertain primarily to your career or work performance may be tax deductible as a professional development expense.  Please consult your tax advisor.  GST will apply to this work and rates are different.       

» Learn more

WorkCover / Workers Compensation

It is with deep regret that from 2010 we are no longer able to offer Workers Compensation services due to unmanageable financial and administrative burdens introduced by new WorkCover guidelines, as well as the difficulties of getting invoices paid by some insurance companies. 

(We may consider your case if you are insured by Allianz Australia only - please enquire.) 

We will, however, always be very happy to assist you privately.

» Contact us now

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What is Therapeutic Coaching?

Stephanie uses a positive, pragmatic, solution-focused and brief approach to psychological counselling which she terms Therapeutic Coaching.

For those who know the lingo, this draws on the best of three techniques - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), business coaching and solution-focused counselling.

Stephanie explains, "The difference is the strong emphasis I place on respecting my clients' unique life circumstances, character and wants. My job is to facilitate their insight, learning and problem-solving, so that they can move quickly through whatever is going on for them and come out stronger."

This contrasts with more common therapies in which clients are too often told how to live, and/or required to spend a great deal of time being psychoanalysed. This often reinforces distress by encouraging the mistaken and demoralising belief that we are powerless puppets of things that happened in the past, or that there is just one right way to succeed.

"A coaching model is far more enjoyable and empowering because it progresses you toward a solution, right here and now. It deeply respects your intelligence, personal perspectives and experience.

My job is in fact to make myself redundant as quickly as possible. If we spend more than a few sessions on any one thing, then we need to re-evaluate what we are doing."

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What is Health Psychology?

(Also called Medical Psychology)

Stephanie says, "There is amazing research in this area which shows extraordinary relationships between psychological or emotional learning, and health and life expectancy - far stronger correlations than even I had expected."

In a study of almost 6000 middle-aged people, those with the highest emotional / psychological self-regulation abilities were 50 times[!] as likely to be alive and without chronic illness 15 years later than those with the lowest self-regulation scores.
Grossarth-Maticek & Eysenck. 'Self-regulation & mortality from cancer, coronary heart disease & other causes: A prospective study.' Personality & Individual Differences. (6):781-795.

She no longer speaks of the 'mind-body connection'. "We know now that there really is no 'connection' at all - it is, and always has been, one integrated system. Memories, emotions and every thought that you have, are physiologically represented throughout your body.

It's an awesome feedback system too. You can influence it much more than you might expect."

Stephanie also has a passion for the role of nutrition in improving intellectual performance, mood and neurological function. "Certain nutrients have great power to affect cognitive [brain] and nervous system function and health. It's a terribly under-applied field of knowledge."

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More About Stephanie Thompson

Stephanie completed her BA Double Honours Psychology and Business in the United Kingdom in 1990, and trained further in Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

She studied Executive Coaching with the British ex-Olympic gold-medallists who were the originators of the concept of business coaching, and holds Certificates of Hypnotherapy, Adult Education and Psychometric Assessment.

Prior to establishing Insight Matters, Stephanie was...

• Technical Director, McKenzie Consulting Group (including McKenzie Carrick) - Australia

• Consultant Occupational Psychologist, Saville & Holdsworth (SHL) - Singapore

• Lecturer, Singapore Institute of Commerce - Singapore

• Research Psychologist, Biopsychology (Nutrition), Department of Psychiatry, Leeds University - United Kingdom

Stephanie is authoring the audio book series Footloose and Wrinkle-free: How to get into great human condition, which includes No Whiffs, No Butts, No Smoking! and quick relief approaches to phobias, anxiety, stress and depression, due out in 2010/11.

The humour/self-help/gift title The Mating Habits of Humans (and other animals) is in print form and available from your local book store (or ask them to order it for you from New Holland Publishing), or buy it online.  Another humour/psychology title, Who Moved My Marbles?, is due out in 2010/11.