Clare is unable to accept new referrals at this time – please make contact with another of our psychologists to make an appointment

Clare Scholes
Clinical Psychologist
B.A.(Hons), MPsych(Clin)

Clare works with people experiencing mental health difficulties and human struggles in the perinatal years. She sees clients from pre-conception, pregnancy and birth through to postpartum and the early parenting years. This season of life is a time of such huge development – for your infant, for you as a person and as a parent, and for your relationships. Clare understands this and has a flexible approach to therapy, welcoming your babies/toddlers as well as partners into sessions, with the aim of supporting and building workable strategies for the whole family.

Clare has a warm and authentic manner, and creates a safe therapeutic space for people of all gender identities, sexual orientations and ethnicities. Through the particular challenges of the perinatal period, she is committed to holding the needs of both parents and infants in mind. Her therapy approach focusses on helping people better to understand themselves and manage the spectrum of emotions that this stage of life can bring – from joy, delight and the deepest love, to sorrow, rage, fear, overwhelm, and exhaustion.

Using an integrated treatment approach, Clare draws from a range of therapeutic backgrounds including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Compassion-Focussed Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Developmental and Attachment Theory. Clare has completed additional training in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, non-directive pregnancy counselling, perinatal loss, and perinatal and infant mental health. She is a registered Circle of Security Parenting facilitator, and use the Circle of Security model to help parents build secure attachments with their children by being ‘Bigger, Stronger, Wiser and Kind’ figures in their child’s lives.

Areas of Special Interest

• Preconception, including fertility issues
• Pregnancy
• Perinatal loss
• Antenatal depression and anxiety
• Birth trauma
• Premature Birth
• Postnatal depression and anxiety
• Parent-infant attachment
• Adjustment issues
• Infants
• Toddlers
• Parenting
• Fathers

 Professional Memberships

• Member Australian Psychological Society (MAPS)
• Member APS College of Clinical Psychologists (CCLP)
• Member APS Perinatal and Infant Psychology Interest Group (PIPIG)
• Member Australasian Marcé Society
• Member Circle of Security International Parenting Facilitator

Fees & Rebates

Cost: $190 per 50-minute session  *Medicare Rebate:   $136.35
Out-of-pocket: $53.65 per session

Note: please contact Clare to discuss a fee reduction if you are experiencing financial hardship

*Medicare rebates are available to those who have a referral and Mental Health Care Plan from their GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician.  This must be in place prior to the first claimable session.

Available: Tuesdays, Thursdays and alternate Saturdays