Email: insight-psychology@outlook.com | Fax: 02 82463438
At Insight Psychology, therapy is a respectful and collaborative space where you will be met with understanding rather than judgment.
Founded by Dr John Ahern, a registered psychologist with a PhD in Clinical Psychology, Insight Psychology was established to help people make real, meaningful changes in their lives through compassionate, evidence-based psychological care.
At Insight Psychology, we take a person-centred, empathetic, and collaborative approach, where your goals guide the therapy.
At Insight Psychology, we understand that people seek therapy for different reasons — sometimes because life feels overwhelming, and other times because they want to achieve personal growth or gain clarity. Whatever has brought you here, our aim is to provide support that is grounded in compassion, backed by evidence, and genuinely focused on your progress.
We draw upon a range of evidence-based therapies and adapt them to suit your needs, including:
For many people the symptoms of depression, anxiety, addictive habits and self-damaging behaviours stem from untreated trauma. Many people believe that trauma is untreatable and that we just have to move past these painful experiences but is near impossible when painful memories keep resurfacing, your nervous system feels out of control and you are filled with negative beliefs about yourself and the world.
I specialise in treating trauma using the approaches of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing and/or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Therapy usually involves first helping you understand trauma and how it impacts your daily life. With support, we focus on stabilisation of symptoms before reprocessing old memories that can affect your current life so that you can feel more present in your everyday life and open more choices in your life.
Depression and anxiety can occur alone or often together. They are mood disorders that affect our ability to engage with the world around us and tend to make life feel more difficult. I have treated both extensively in the past and start with first supporting you to understand why they occur before developing strategies to take these head-on using behavioural approaches and ways to challenge unhelpful thinking related to them. Depression and anxiety are sometimes not the “problem” but our brain’s solution to managing long-term stressors in our lives. Often, the work with depression and anxiety involves working on these deeper stressors to gain long-term relief, which we can do in sessions to understand why it has developed, along with a treatment plan to help with recovery.pibus leo.
Panic is an extremely high state of anxiety that causes individuals to feel like “I might die” from extreme anxiety symptoms (severe heart racing, shortness of breath, feelings of choking, racing thoughts etc.). Panic, unfortunately, can develop related to specific events, such as going out in public or sometimes without clear warnings. As part of the treatment, I help individuals try to understand how panic develops, utilise strategies such as relaxation & breathing techniques to initially calm anxiety and then focus on behavioural exercises that overcome panic attacks so that you can live your life without feeling debilitated by panic symptoms.
The quality of our life is often dependent on the quality of our relationships. I help individuals to work on many types of relationship difficulties (e.g. work, friends, intimate or family relationships) to develop skills to improve or manage challenges in relationships such as developing clearer communication skills or establishing boundaries. Often I find by discussing relationship difficulties openly we can find solutions that help us to build more meaningful connections in our lives.
Many adults with ADHD describe difficulties with focus, organisation, motivation, or emotional regulation that can impact work, relationships, or self-esteem. These challenges often persist from childhood, though some people are only diagnosed later in life. My approach involves helping clients better understand how ADHD affects them personally, identify strengths, and develop practical strategies to improve day-to-day functioning. This may include working on attention and planning skills, managing emotional responses, and addressing patterns like procrastination or self-criticism.
Sessions are collaborative and tailored to individual needs, aiming to support greater clarity, balance, and self-confidence in daily life.
Ongoing stress can leave us feeling exhausted, disconnected, or unable to enjoy things that once felt meaningful. Burnout often develops gradually when demands outweigh our capacity to rest or recover along with growing feelings of cynicism or hopelessness. In therapy, I help clients recognise and manage stress and recover from burnout, understand the factors that contribute to them, and develop healthier ways to manage pressure and restore balance. This may include working on boundaries, perfectionism, or self-criticism, as well as rebuilding motivation and wellbeing. Sessions are collaborative and practical, focusing on small, sustainable changes that support long-term resilience and a more grounded sense of self.
Sessions can be booked in two easy ways:
1. Email insight-psychology@outlook.com and I will provide the next available appointment. After the first session, we can set an ongoing schedule that suits you.
2. Sessions can be booked via our website – hit the book an available session slots. Occasionally, I may contact you if the slot clashes with another commitment to make
an alternative time.
Please note that if you are a new client, I do offer a free 15-minute consultation call. This is to discuss your goals and establish if I will be a good fit for your needs.
Yes. I am currently accepting new clients. I aim to keep wait times to a minimum and will always offer the earliest available appointment. If this changes, my website will be updated accordingly.
Sessions are $205 per appointment for a standard 50-minute session.
Longer session times are available if required and can be discussed on a case-by-case basis (e.g. example EMDR sessions can be 75 to 90 minutes, higher fees may apply).
Yes. If you have a valid Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, you can access up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year.
Yes. I offer both telehealth (online) and face-to-face sessions.
a. In-person sessions – available at my Newtown clinic from Tuesday to Thursday
b. Online sessions – available Tuesday to Thursday, with some limited availability on either a Monday or Friday. Sessions are conducted via a secure Microsoft Teams link.
Telehealth is available Australia-wide.
Yes, you can get rebates back from your private insurance depending on your level of cover.
Sessions are paid at the full fee, and you can then claim a rebate from your private health insurer using your receipt.
Please check with your insurer on your individual policy, as coverage varies between providers and plans, before booking a session to be sure. Some clients submit receipts after each session, while others prefer to claim them in one bundle — either option is fine and is at your discretion.
Before your first session, you’ll receive an information and consent form to complete. This includes providing:
Payments are handled securely through Halaxy, my practice management system. These details are required before any completion of sessions.
After each session:
What is your cancellation policy?
Sessions must be cancelled with at least 48 hours’ notice.
If you miss a session, that’s okay — life happens. The cancellation policy will apply, and we
can reschedule a new time that suits you. Please do try to notify us as early as possible if you feel you cannot make a session, this is to avoid a fee for you and possibly allow time for others to access the service.
If you aim to attend in person but cannot due to time constraints or travel issues, sessions can be conducted via telehealth, so you do not miss out on a session.
Unfortunately, rebates cannot be accessed for missed sessions. Please note that you will not be able to re-book for another session until any outstanding fees have been paid in full.
On our system, you will receive an email reminder at the time of booking a new session, along with an email and text reminder in the upcoming days before your next session to help you as a reminder
I work with adults aged 18 and over who are experiencing difficulties related to:
The above list is not exhaustive and often issues can co-occur. Please feel free to contact me for a 15-minute call to discuss what issue you would like to work on and I can advise if I am the best fit for you.
Therapy is tailored to your individual needs and goals. Depending on what’s most helpful for
you, sessions may draw on a range of evidence-based approaches, including:
The aim is not just symptom reduction, but helping you build a more meaningful, balanced, and fulfilling life.
The first few sessions
The first one to three sessions are primarily assessment sessions. During this time, we focus on:
From the outset, sessions are active and supportive. You’ll also be provided with practical
coping strategies where appropriate, rather than feeling like you’re “just talking” with no direction. I aim to help you become empowered to manage any issue that arises more
confidently in the future using evidence-based strategies.
Confidentiality and its limits are explained clearly and respectfully, along with being outlined clearly on your intake form, to help you feel safe and comfortable.
Ongoing therapy and treatment planning
By sessions two to four, we typically:
Where appropriate, we will discuss an estimated number of sessions to work towards your goals. This is always flexible and reviewed regularly.
The focus of therapy is to help you feel better as efficiently as possible, while still working at
a pace that feels safe and manageable. Therapy works best as a collaborative process, with
open communication and ongoing feedback. Ending therapy will always be a choice that is left up to you and we can discuss a plan at regular intervals so you end when you are ready and ideally after meeting your goals.
My approach is warm, supportive, and collaborative.
I aim to help you:
Therapy is not about “fixing” you in my view, as you are not broken. It’s about supporting change, growth, and resilience in a way that fits your life.
Therapy is not one-size-fits-all. The length of therapy depends on your goals, preferences, and the complexity of the issues you’d like to work on.
Some clients attend for a short period to address a specific concern, while others choose to work more deeply over time. We regularly review progress and adjust the plan as needed.
Progress is monitored using:
These tools help guide therapy and allow us to track change over time. Results are always
shared with you and discussed collaboratively.
Yes. Therapy is confidential.
There are legal and ethical limits to confidentiality, which are outlined in the consent form and discussed with you before therapy begins. This ensures transparency and allows you to make an informed decision about engaging in treatment.
You do not need a referral to attend sessions.
However, if you would like to access Medicare rebates, you will need a Mental Health Care Plan from a GP or psychiatrist.
Many clients find it helpful to have both a GP and psychologist involved in their care, providing coordinated support.
It’s normal to be unsure — especially if you’ve never been to therapy before, or if you’re not quite sure what’s “wrong”.
I offer a free 15-minute phone call where we can:
There’s no pressure to commit. It’s simply an opportunity to explore your options and ask questions.
The clinic is located on at 6/134-140 King Street, Newtown, NSW, 2042.
When you arrive, please buzz 6 on the outside of the building. I will open the front door and you can walk upstairs, where I will meet you in the waiting room.
For your first session, I strongly recommend arriving 15 minutes early to allow time for parking and to settle before your appointment. This helps you arrive feeling more grounded and ready for the session.
We do not provide a service to give reports or documentation for court or legal matters.
We see private paying clients and we do not provide services under WorkCover or CTP.
No but we do see self-managed clients. Self-managed NDIS clients are treated as private
paying clients – we issue invoices and clients claim privately. We do not accept referrals for
plan or agency-managed NDIS clients.
