Perinatal Mental Health Services
Mental Health Occupational Therapy & PsychologyWe can provide 10 rebated sessions through Medicare if you receive a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP. You're not alone on this journey, we're here to support you every step of the way.
We support the perinatal period through two complementary pathways, Mental Health Occupational Therapy and Psychology, so you can choose the kind of support that fits you best.
Psychology or Mental Health OT? Here's the difference.
Both are Medicare-rebated pathways to perinatal mental health support. Here's how to choose what's right for you.
PERINATAL MENTAL HEALTH OT
Practical + Therapeutic Support
BEST FOR
Sensory overwhelm, birth trauma, matrescence and identity shifts, bonding, daily routines
APPROACH
Talk-based therapy (CBT, ACT, mindfulness) combined with practical, sensory and nervous-system strategies
CHOOSE THIS
You want practical tools alongside emotional support
PSYCHOLOGY
Talk-based therapeutic support
BEST FOR
Anxiety, depression, trauma processing, deeper psychological patterns
APPROACH
Evidence-based talk therapy focused on understanding thoughts, feelings and behaviour
CHOOSE THIS
You want to work through what's going on beneath the surface
Not sure which is right for you?
Areas We Can Help With
-
Postnatal depression & anxiety
-
Sensory overwhelm & rage
-
Building self-esteem
-
Relationship stressors
-
Grief, loss & trauma
-
Fear of childbirth (Tokophobia)
-
Birth trauma
-
Bonding with your baby
-
Matrescence coaching
-
Parenting / attachment coaching
Additional Services
-
Adult Mental Health Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapists have a holistic understanding of both the mind and body, and a unique perspective on its connection to occupation and performance.
-
Paediatric Mental Health Occupational Therapy
Supporting children from 2-18 years old, we provide support and therapy that respects and celebrates the neurological differences of each child in their home or school environment.
-
Psychology
Psychologists help people understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours so they can manage challenges, improve wellbeing, and build healthier ways of coping.
-
Counselling
Counsellors provide a safe space for people to talk through challenges, understand their emotions, and develop practical strategies to improve their wellbeing and relationships.
-
Clinical Supervision (OT)
Juliette provides clinical supervision for Occupational Therapists wanting to strengthen their mental health clinical skills and confidence when working with NDIS participants.
-
Unsure about what you need?
We understand that sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what you need, or that your feelings might not always make sense, and that’s okay. At Nesting Space, we’re here to listen and help you explore what support might feel right for you. If you’d like to talk or learn more, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Mental Health Occupational Therapy in the perinatal context is a combination of developmental and attachment theories, psychological and sociological therapies, and Matrescence - all considered through the occupational therapy lens.
Occupational Therapists focus on occupation and being a mother is an occupation. MHOT’s have a deep understanding of the sensory system which is typically completely overwhelmed in early parenthood and is the reason for hypervigilance and overwhelm.
MHOT’s will provide you with strategies to reduce your sensory overwhelm so you can cope with the demands that come with early parenthood and build strong connections with your baby.
-
Mental Health OT's are endorsed under medicare. The cost of a standard 50-minute telehealth consultation with Nesting Space is $260, which is payable when you book in the session.
Nesting Space is now offering in-home appointments for women in their postpartum period in the Sydney area. Cost of these home visit sessions is $260.00.
*Conditions applyIf referred by your Doctor on a Mental Health Treatment Plan, Medicare will refund $95 for clinic and telehealth appointments, and $115 for in-home appointments.
Rebates are also available through private health insurance. Please check with your private health provider whether Occupational Therapy is covered.
-
Telehealth has many benefits for you including providing a service when you can’t physically attend leave the house as well as limiting person-to-person interactions in waiting rooms and with front desk staff.
As a new mum or dad, telehealth can have even more benefits including flexible and convenient appointment times, ability to get support without having to leave home and possibly reducing the need to access childcare.
-
All appointments are scheduled for 50 minutes. You will be phoned or admitted to your Zoom meeting room by your clinician if you are attending via telehealth.
-
Each person attending therapy will have different needs. You will agree the frequency of your appointments with your clinician after an assessment phase and adjust this as necessary during your treatment. At the most frequent you would have weekly appointments.
-
As above, each person attending therapy will have different needs. You will agree the number of sessions you require with your clinician after an assessment phase and adjust this as necessary during your treatment.
At present, Medicare is funding up to 10 sessions through a Mental Health Care Plan.
-
In your first session, the clinician will ask you some questions to understand your current situation and what assistance and treatment may be beneficial for you. This might include topics like:
What is currently challenging for you – mood, sleep, eating patterns, behaviours, thoughts, relationships
Your mental health history
Who your family and current social supports
Your living situation
Your clinician may also ask you to complete some assessments to assess your mental health. You will develop a treatment plan together and subsequent sessions will be spent working together on your goals.
