A Compassionate, Evidence-based Approach to Child, Adolescent and Parenting Psychology
Our Services
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We work with children, adolescents and adults to provide holistic family therapeutic support. With over a decade of practice, Renee has extensive experience providing psychological intervention and counselling with children, adolescents and families.
Our approach is integrative and neuroaffirming, drawing on expertise in cognitive and mindfulness therapies (ACT, CBT), IFS, play-based therapies, and parenting literature. Submit an enquiry to learn more about our current availability.
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We have expertise in neuroaffirming neurodevelopmental, cognitive and psychoeducational assessment.
Neurotype Identification Assessments: ADHD, ASD (ADOS-2), Specific Learning Dis/Abilities, Giftedness, Developmental Delays, Nervous System & Sensory Sensitivities and more.
Process-Based Assessment: This is an assessment that investigates how to support “positive behaviour” (i.e. regulation) including: environmental, social, neurotype/nervous system style, attachment, systemic and generational factors. This is very helpful for individuals with complex trauma. -
Dr Renee Cachia is a board-approved supervisor of provisional and registrar psychologists, as well as experienced psychologists wanting to upskill, engage in reflective practices and peer-to-peer development of core and desired competencies.
The most consistent feedback Renee gets from supervisees is that they feel safe to be honest and vulnerable in order to develop areas of competencies with trusted mentorship. Supervisees are expected to be self-reflective and take initiative in the supervision relationship. -
Dr Renee has been researching parent-child dynamics, neurodivergence, the role of stress, trauma and Polyvagal Theory, and the healing impact of nervous system regulation, mindfulness-based therapies like ACT since 2014.
She holds a PhD, a published self-help book and numerous published academic journals articles/book chapter. Through her workshop series, it is her greatest privlidge to share her knowledge in a practical way to support parents and professionals.
Experienced Psychologists Conveniently Located at Pakington Health in Newtown, Geelong. Supporting Families Across Geelong, Surf Coast, and Bellarine Peninsula with Telehealth Options Australia-Wide
Child Psychology
Adolescents/Young Adults
Parenting Psychology
Enquire Now
Submit a new client enquiry to learn about our current availability and Dr. Renee and the team will respond promptly with further details.
Northern NSW clients are welcome to continue working with us online and via our workshops.
Stay informed on practice updates through our monthly newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!
Upcoming Workshops
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Self-regulation for Anxious & Sensitive Kids
MARCH 20253 X 75 MIN PARENT WORKSHOP SERIES
Does your child have difficulty self-regulating? Do you struggle to know how to respond to and support their anxiety? Do you have a ‘‘highly sensitive child’ who doesn’t respond to traditional strategies? Our upcoming live workshop with Dr Renee Cachia is for you.
Join Dr Renee Cachia’s live interactive workshop series to learn a neuroaffirming, integrative approach to addressing a dysregulated nervous system, how to support your sensitive or anxious child, to better understand your child’s interior world, and apply mindful, attuned strategies to support the co-regulation process.
This workshop aims to empower you as the parent, to self-reflect and to practice actionable and practical strategies that are not ‘cookie cutter’ and instead focus on short and long-term positive change. This workshop is designed for parents primary aged children to early adolescence.
All workshop webinars will be held on Zoom and recordings will be available for replay for 3 months.
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Working With The Parent in Clinical Practice
MAY 20253 HR CPD PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Are you a professional or psychologist who works with adults and ends up supporting parenting related stressors? Do you want to upskill or refresh your knowledge of child psychology and emotional attunement strategies? Do you want to feel more confident in this area of your practice?
Join Dr Renee Cachia’s live interactive workshop series to learn a neuroaffirming, integrative approach to Working With The Parent in Clinical Practice to develop competence and confidence in working with the parent-child psychological ‘system’.
This workshop is designed for psychologists, allied health professionals, speech pathologists, OT’s, GP’s, Paediatricians, professional wellbeing staff, or any practitioner who would like to feel more confident supporting parents in order to have a positive indirect impact on their children too.
This workshop webinar will be held on Zoom and the recordings will be available for replay for 3 months.
Workshop Facilitation & Public Speaking
Dr Renee Cachia regularly facilitates tailored workshops for parents and professionals on a range of topics. Our feedback has been encouragingly positive and all organisations presented for to date have requested to rebook on different topics.
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Dr Renee has successfully facilitated workshops on the following topics:
Navigating Dysregulation: Supporting Families to Navigate Neurodivergence and Dysregulation through the Key Developmental Ages and Stages
School Can’t: A Guide for Parents
Supporting Young People with ADHD: A Parent Workshop
Coping With Change: Navigating Busy Periods, Routine Changes and Long School Holidays with Grace
Becoming Unstuck in Parenting: Building Emotional Resilience in Young People
Mindful Parenting: To Foster Empathy, Flexibility, Emotion-Regulation, Communication & Boundary Setting
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Dr Renee Cachia has successfully facilitated tailored professional training for staff across settings:
75min Professional Training Workshop: Includes a 1-hr lecture-style presentation on agreed topic and 15-min for questions or group discussion.
3-hour ‘Half Day’ Professional Training: Broken down into three core topics (flexible) and includes mixed modality learning and engagement including presentations, interactive exercises, group discussion and feedback.
6-hour ‘Full Day’ Professional Training: Same as 3-hr option, tailored in more depth, topics and content relevant to your outcome goals as well as more interaction with Dr Renee.
Previous Training Examples:
Professional Learning for Life Education Educators on neuroaffirming practices for varying learning abilities and neurodiversity tailored for their unique role.
Professional Development for Teachers/Educators on rapidly evolving topics: neurodiversity, trauma-informed care, disability inclusion, educator stress & burnout support, coping with complex student behaviour and overwhelming demands and responses to unexpected crises (e.g. student suicide/prevention), concerns (climate change, bushfires etc.) and communication with young people about serious events/topics.
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Dr Renee Cachia can speak on all topics as described in the workshop descriptions and staff training examples, as well as tailored topics for your need. She is able to tailor presentations to staff and/or parent audiences.
If you are interesting in a talk on Parent -Child/Teen Attunement and Connection she also offers packages that include:
Public Speaking Presentation/Workshop for parents or teachers
A copy of her book, Parenting Freedom: From stress and Depletion to Connectedness and Meaning
Take home PDF’s with workshop takeaways and summaries to remember.
Please feel free to enquire to work with us.
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All sessions are 50-minutes. In-person sessions are in Newtown (Geelong VIC) and online Telehealth sessions are available Australia-wide.
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Please enquire with admin to learn details about current availability, session and assessment fees.
All fees are set below the recommended APS fee schedule to promote accessibility of psychological services.
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Payment is required in full at the time of service. Credit card details are stored on and processed via our secure online system.
For off-site presentations or school visits, full payment is required in advance. Deposits are required for assessment bookings.
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We understand that life happens unexpectedly at times, however require 48 hours for rescheduled appointments. We have a late cancellation and full fee now show policy.
Session Details & Fee’s
Rebates & Referrals
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The most common referral we receive is a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) which provides a total of up to 10 sessions with a Medicare rebate of $96.65 per session.
You only require a referral if you wish to apply for a Medicare rebate. Parents can claim 2 of 10 sessions without the child present.
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Most assessments are not covered under Medicare with the exception of Helping Children with Autism Initiative (HCWA): this provides eligible clients with a rebate of approximately $87 per 50-min appointment. This Medicare item requires a referral from your child's paediatrician.
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Please refer to your Private Health Insurer to find out if you have comprehensive cover for psychological services. Note you cannot use Medicare and Private Health rebates for the same session.
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We work with many self-managed clients who are treated as private paying clients where we issue invoices as per other clients and they can claim privately.
We do not accept referrals for plan managed NDIS clients at this point in time.
FAQ
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All minors under 18 require at least one parent to consent to engage in psychological services. If parent’s are separated, two consenting parents are usually required.
The first initial intake session for all clients under 16, and ideally 18, require a parent only session to obtain a comprehensive developmental history.
Except in the case of young children (under 3yo), from our experience sessions are more effective without the parent in the room. This is always client-centred and on an individual basis.
Parent feedback is essential and encouraged, allocated during session time, pending the child’s consent. Our goal is to work as partners with parents who are engaged and involved.
If the psychologist is concerned about risk or client safety, the young person’s confidentiality may be overruled, a parent notified and appropriate safety plan actioned.
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Telehealth sessions are hosted on Zoom and your Zoom Meeting Link will be emailed/messaged to you prior to your session. Please aim to arrive 5 minutes early.
We recommend you use a laptop or desktop, or tablet or iPad device that has a stand. We prefer you don’t use a phone especially when a young person is attending.
You will be required to be in a secure, private area with a door closed and use headphones to maximise privacy and security. Session payments are taken via our secure online management system at the time of appointment.
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We are collaborative with your doctors, Paediatricians, other allied health professionals such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, dieticians and educational staff with consent where appropriate. Involvement and communication varies on a need basis on an individual basis.
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We often work with parents without seeing the child in session, depending on appropriateness. There are many reasons or benefits of this, for example:
When a child has their own psychologist already but you want to focus on self-reflective parenting
When a child is completely disengaged from services but you still need support
When you feel reluctant to have your child attend for personal reasons but want to seek psychological advice
When you need support with co-parenting
Many more valid reasons
Medicare have limits on parent sessions under MHCP which can be discussed in your intake session.