Abbie Couchman
Clinical Psychologist
Brunswick East, Melbourne VIC 3057
In Person + Online Therapy Australia-wide
Philosophy & Vision
I am a clinical psychologist with a relaxed and collaborative approach to therapy. I aim to create a therapeutic space that feels warm, supportive, honest, and helpful.
I help clients:
Work through trauma, anxiety, depression and phobias (including OCD)
Understand and manage anger
Build self-esteem and confidence
Manage grief and loss
Understand relational patterns and strengthen social connections
Support their mental health and wellbeing before and after pregnancy and parenthood
Background
In my ten years practicing as a psychologist, I have worked in a variety of roles. I have worked clinically in inpatient units, outpatient teams, in emergency mental health, and in therapy roles in non-government and private organisations. I have also worked in research, and in program design and implementation. I have worked with clients in acute and crisis situations, as well as those with lower acuity, longer term concerns.
Services
Areas of Special Interest
Accreditations
- Master of Clinical Psychology - 2025 - The Cairnmillar Institute
Modalities
ACT - Attachment Theory - CBT - Compassion-Focused Therapy - DBT - Developmental - EMDR - Emotionally Focused Therapy - Existential - Gestalt - Gottman Method - Inner Child - Internal Family Systems - Interpersonal - MBTI - Mindfulness - Motivational Interviewing - Psychodynamic - Schema Therapy - Solution Oriented - Somatic Experiencing® - Somatic Psychotherapy - Strengths-Based - Trauma-Informed
Professional Associations
- Australian Psychological Society
Practice Locations
Brunswick East VIC 3057
Parking available on the street (free)
Fees & Insurance
Sessions are charged at $230 per hour. A concession fee may be charged for those with financial challenges or a healthcare card. If you are attending under a valid mental health care plan, you will be eligible for a rebate of $141.85 per session.
Payment Options
Payment is due on the day of the appointment, and can be made via Stripe (secure online payment system) or by direct bank transfer.
Contact Abbie
Please contact me to make an appointment
A conversation with Abbie Couchman
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I've always been curious about why people are the way they are. I'm naturally drawn to subjects like psychology and sociology, and I love having conversations with people about their lives, relationships and how they make meaning.
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I love the work of buddhist thinkers like Pema Chodron, who talk about understanding what is, and learning how to "just be" rather than having an attitude of needing to change or fix our lives. I've also been really interested in the work of people like Brene Brown and Sam Harris talking about free will. I truly believe that we're all doing the best we can with the tools we have at any moment in time, and that belief has helped me be a more compassionate and curious therapist.
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Relationships (to self, other, the world), how we make meaning (and what we value), and how certain aspects of health can significantly impact how we feel (e.g., the importance of exercise)
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I think parts work is really useful and transformative, and really like internal family systems therapy. Related to that I like chair work and other techniques that allow us to understand and embody different "parts" of ourselves. I also think exploring what happens in the room in therapy can be really useful, e.g., clients being able to test out their beliefs with me ("are you judging me right now?") and using this open dialogue to learn more about their relational patterns (e.g., maybe they assume judgement when there isn't any in other relationships).
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I think there is often a sense of progress in sessions 1 and 2 as problems are shared and there is optimism about the work going forward. Then there can be a stalling in sessions 4-6, as there are ups and downs and clients wonder if therapy is "actually" helping. Then I think there tend to be more wins and some progress, and over time realistic expectations of therapy emerge (i.e., that it is really helpful... over time... and not all at once but incrementally).
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I've been lucky to have some wonderful therapists, and therapy has been incredibly helpful and transformative to me. It's helped me develop more compassion for myself, accept parts of myself that I previously wasn't very kind to, and be more able to be myself day to day.
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Having the privilege of speaking with people about the most important, emotional, and vulnerable parts of their lives, and learning so much about what it is to be a human.
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I do! I have parts of myself that get triggered and upset. I have days where I feel anxious and worried. And I have an amazing therapist of my own that I speak to about it all.
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Climate change, wealth disparity and the tendency toward moral condemnation/blame vs. meaning making come immediately to mind.
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The book "What I loved" by Siri Hustvedt. The film Call Me By Your Name.