In 2014 two Lane Cove locals Jen Bradon and Rebecca Cuskelly started The Practice Healthcare at St Leonards. The Practice is a multidisciplinary team of clinical psychologists, psychologists, a dietitian, and psychiatrist.
As highly trained practitioners Jen and Rebecca believed that by combining their expertise, they would create a warm and inviting space where people could be supported in accessing all forms of treatment in one clinic. They wanted to create a unique service where clients receive specialised care that acknowledges the person, their body and mind, and their situation.
Fast forward to 2020/2021 and Jen and Rebecca knew they had to expand The Practice to meet the overwhelming demand for support as our community navigated the COVID19 pandemic. Jen and Rebecca have seen first-hand the stress and worry caused by the pandemic. Lockdowns, remote learning, remote working, social distancing and in some cases loss of employment created a mental health crisis. People struggled with the loss of human connection and finding ways to remain engaged in relationships with the public health orders that were in place.
In the 4 weeks to 19 September 2021:
- Lifeline saw several historical record high daily call volumes, and 96,273 calls were offered in total, up 14.1% and 33.1% from the same periods in 2020 and 2019 respectively;
- Kids Helpline received 32,572 answerable contact attempts, up 4.6% and 16.7% from the same periods in 2020 and 2019 respectively;
- Beyond Blue received 27,099 contacts, down 2.7% and up 20.9% from the same periods in 2020 and 2019 respectively. [1]
With the adjustments and loss that the community has suffered through the last two years and its impact on our wellbeing, Mental Health services are under enormous pressure. There is greater awareness of the importance of well-being support and the consequences of suffering without treatment. Long waitlists and lack of mental health appointments create their own stress. The Practice responded to this need by expanding its clinical team and increasing the availability of appointments.
As well as mental health concerns like anxiety and depression, The Practice can help with support around relationships, physical health, and life stage adjustments.
Areas of special interest include eating disorders and body image, adjustment and stress, school and peer issues, and a range of other mental health concerns. Their clinicians also see people across the lifespan, from children through to older adults. The team offers both Telehealth and face-to-face appointments, to increase access to treatment around work, school, and caring responsibilities.
The team tries to make it as smooth and as easy as possible to see a clinician as they acknowledge there can be difficulty in making this initial step.
Jen and Rebecca are extremely proud to be able to offer the Lane Cove community a wide range of specialist services so close to home run by a team of highly competent multi-disciplinary professionals. To discuss which clinician might be most helpful for you, give The Practice a call on 8068 2309 or have a look at the team experience at www.theprac.com.au
This is a sponsored post – The Practice is an ITC Business Supporter.
[1] https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-contents/mental-health-impact-of-covid-19
