Melissa Hughes - Call 0417 411 110

Melissa Hughes is a Psychotherapist and Counsellor who specialises in perinatal anxiety and depression related mood disorders. She now extends this specialisation into couples and relationship therapy.

Melissa has been working in North Sydney since 2007 and established her own practice “Ridge 26”, which opened in February 2013 at Level 5, 26 Ridge Street. The purpose built office suite has large comfortable therapy rooms and two group therapy/training rooms.






 

Qualifications: 

  • Grad Dip Psych and Counselling.,

  • Cert Coaching for Psychotherapists.,

  • Cert Couples Counselling.,

  • B Bus (HONS) Human Resource Management.,

  • B/IS.,

  • Interpersonal Therapy Qualification Levels A,B,C

  • Qualification in Newborn Observational Technique

  • (Assoc) PACFA, Clinical Member.,

  • ASSERT member.

 

Melissa’s compassionate yet no nonsense methods have yielded excellent results for men, women and couples alike. Melissa has great success with women who wish for a different second pregnancy experience.

Melissa works with clients using a more long term approach. We aim for symptom relief, followed by symptom reduction whilst attempting to accurately locate the source of the psychological pain, or "triggers". This will often combine a number of techniques including exploration of a clients family of origin.

"In my clinical experience these methods combined have yielded fundamental change that lasts many many years.

I work with the belief system that we all absorb a unique blue print of the family dynamic through childhood. We then unconsciously overlay this often faulty design for living over our current family situation. This blue print is set when we are quite young and it takes a while to re pattern our thinking and our beliefs as adults. We do however have choice and through choice and a willingness to change, anything becomes possible with the right therapeutic alliance.

I often find that clients are confused by the fact that they may have already “done” therapy and thought to have dealt with issues, only for them to return again. My answer to that is often, after life changing experiences we are forced to re look at our “stuff” through a different lens. For instance when we become parents, we adopt a new pair of lenses for our life glasses. This means that we get to view things over again but from a differing perspective. That means more therapy.

Sometimes clients are frightened or worried that they will be forced to dredge up years of history just to get some relief in the present. This is not necessarily the case. Therapy does not have to be overwhelming and hard, and the way I work certainly involves the use of humour and learning of new skills and tools to get through life's trickier situations."

Melissa will tell you on your first visit, that 80% of the work that is done through therapy is dependent on the relationship you develop with your therapist. If you feel comfortable and safe, disclosure and trust become easier and thus the work begins. It is very important to feel comfortable.

Telehealth Session - 1 hour $210 individual 

Couples Zoom Session - 1 hour for $315

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