For parents and caregivers
Accessing support for your child
Practical, structured support for children, teenagers and families across south-west Brisbane and Ipswich. Below is an overview of how to get started through Medicare or the NDIS, what to expect after referral, and some of the common goals addressed in therapy across different ages.
How to get started
Accessing support with Medicare
If you would like to access support for your child through Medicare, the first step is to book an appointment with your GP and discuss your concerns. If appropriate, your GP can prepare a Mental Health Care Plan and referral.
- Book an appointment with your GP
- Discuss your concerns and request a Mental Health Care Plan
- Ask your GP to send the referral to admin@elliotmcbridepsych.com
- Referrals can be sent via Medical Objects or email
Once the referral is received, you will be contacted to arrange an initial parent appointment.
Accessing support through the NDIS
If your child is NDIS funded, the first step is usually to confirm that there is appropriate funding available for psychology under their plan. Where relevant, this can be discussed with your Support Coordinator or plan manager.
- Confirm available funding in the relevant support category
- Check this with your Support Coordinator, where applicable
- Reach out by email or website enquiry form to make initial contact
- An initial parent session can then be arranged to clarify goals and determine suitability
This allows us to ensure the referral pathway, funding and presenting concerns are clear before therapy begins.
What to expect
Initial parent appointment
After initial contact or referral, the first appointment is generally a 60-minute parent-only session. This provides space to discuss your child’s difficulties openly without them being present, and helps me understand the main concerns, relevant history, and the goals that should be prioritised in therapy.
Where relevant, I will also administer parent questionnaires to help me get up to speed with your child’s presentation.
Ongoing therapy sessions
From there, recurring sessions are scheduled for your child. The level of parental involvement varies depending on the child’s age, developmental stage, and the nature of the concerns being addressed.
Older children and teenagers are typically supported to work more independently, while younger children usually require greater parental involvement to support change across home, school and other settings.
Broader support and collaboration
I am accessible via email between appointments for important or time-sensitive updates. Where clinically relevant, I also seek to work collaboratively with the other adults involved in a young person’s care.
This may include attending school meetings, NDIS-funded multidisciplinary meetings, or liaising with other stakeholders to support more consistent, wrap-around care.
Common goals across ages
Younger children
Commonly including primary-school-aged children
Older children and adolescents
Commonly including upper primary and teenage years
Young adults
Support continuing into late adolescence and early adulthood
Approach to therapy
How I work
My work is developmentally informed, attachment-aware, and grounded in evidence-based practice. With younger children, therapy often involves greater parent input and a stronger focus on the systems around the child. With older children, adolescents and young adults, therapy typically includes more direct work on insight, emotional awareness, coping, behaviour change and functional outcomes.
Frameworks commonly used
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- DBT-informed emotional regulation work
- Developmental and attachment-based formulations, particularly with younger children
Therapy is tailored to the individual needs of the child, young person and family.