Personalised mental healthcare that makes sense to you.
Dr. Addy Dunkley-Smith is a doctoral-level clinical psychologist providing quality mental health care to Australian residents.
Addy is often integrating components from different therapy styles. She draws most from ACT, CBT, EMDR, ERP, & IFS (we know…lots of acronyms! Click on them for more information).
Dr. Dunkley-Smith completed her doctorate of clinical psychology at Deakin University, where her thesis focused on applications of self-compassion for adult children of parents with mental illness. Prior to that she completed honours and a bachelors degree in psychology & psychophysiology. Addy often incorporates knowledge of human physiology into her practice, especially for those clients who like to know how things work.
Addy has a deep belief in the boundless capacity of people. She believes that life can be rich and meaningful for all people but that pain is the price of a full life. In providing therapy she lives out her trust that suffering is eased in the compassionate presence of another.
In her spare time, Addy loves being active and getting outdoors with her family and friends, eating delicious food and laughing, lots.
Modern down-to-earth mental healthcare
Services
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Therapy for Adults
You might be seeking support for a specific concern or working on personal growth. Based on your goals, Dr. Addy will tailor an approach to your unique situation, empowering you to build resilience, gain insight, and move forward with confidence.
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Therapy for Teens
Adolescence is a complex time marked by intense emotions and significant life transitions. Dr. Addy enjoys working with young people to build their self-esteem, and establish foundational coping skills that will put them in good stead to face the challenges life has in store.
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Family Therapy
Whether dealing with conflict, big changes (e.g. marriage, pregnancy, blending families, ageing parents) or mental health concerns, Dr. Addy’s goal is to guide families in finding understanding, lasting harmony and emotional wellbeing.
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Sport & Performance Psychology
Preparing for a milestone event? Looking to level up your mental game? Contemplating retirement? As a former Australian rower, Dr. Addy understands the needs of driven individuals operating in competitive environments.
Our Services
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ACT combines mindfulness skills with behavioral change strategies to help individuals live more fulfilling, value-driven lives. The primary goal of ACT is to help people accept the challenges and difficulties that are a natural part of life, while also committing to actions that align with their values and lead to meaningful change.
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CBT focuses on understanding and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress. CBT is based on the idea that how we think, feel, and behave are interconnected—by changing the way we think (cognitive) and act (behavioral), we can influence how we feel emotionally.
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ERP is a structured, evidence-based treatment that helps people gradually face the thoughts, images and situations that trigger their anxiety or obsessions, while learning to resist the usual compulsive responses. By repeatedly approaching feared cues and reducing avoidance, the brain relearns that these triggers aren’t actually dangerous. Over time, anxiety naturally drops, compulsions lose their grip, and daily life becomes less dominated by OCD patterns.
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IFS considers the mind as made up of various "parts", each with its own unique perspectives, feelings, and roles. IFS offers a compassionate, non-pathologizing approach to understanding the different aspects of oneself and resolving inner conflicts. Central to IFS is the idea that everyone has a "Self" that can lead the internal system, bringing balance, healing, and harmony to the mind.
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EMDR is an evidence-based, structured therapy that helps people process distressing memories and reduce the emotional and physiological intensity tied to them. It uses bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, to support the brain in reprocessing stuck or overwhelming experiences. As the memory becomes less activating, clients gain clearer perspective, and establish more adaptive beliefs about themselves and the event.
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Addy's approach is also informed many well established theories of human behaviour, emotion and physiology. These include; attachment theory, polyvagal theory, contextual behavioural science, a bio-psycho-social model of mental health, strengths based, person centred, stages of change theory, common factors theory.
Fees
Individual therapy
Online or in-person, this is designated for individuals to process and explore their thoughts. Typically, appointments are weekly or fortnightly at first, becoming less frequent as clients progress toward meeting their goals. (4pm or later + $10)
50 mins | $285 | Get started
Online or in-person, I will meet with those you consider to be your family. Typically, appointments are fortnightly at first, becoming less frequent as families make progress toward their goals. (4pm or later + $10)
50 mins | $310 | Get started
Family therapy
Eligible for Medicare & self-managed NDIS rebates
Most of Dr. Addy’s clients will receive support toward the cost of consultations in one way or another. Including via private health insurance, medicare or NDIS. Addy offers psychological therapy services so that eligible clients receive a Medicare rebate of $145.25 for a limited number of sessions per calendar year. Talk to your doctor about obtaining a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP).