- Thank You
Mr Christopher Basten
Clinical Psychologist
Basten and Associates, Clinical Psychologists
Westmead, Sydney NSW 2145
In Person + Telehealth
Philosophy & Vision
Every client is viewed as a special, unique person who has already come far in life and can change how they grow in the future. Chris aims for excellence in every step taken with a client. This includes using evidence-based treatments (those interventions with known effectiveness from research).
Background
Chris has enjoyed working with his clients in different settings for over 20 years. He has a particular interest in Eating disorders.
Services
Individual therapy and counselling for adolescents and adults.
Psychological assessment and testing.
(Other psychologists in the same practice work with children and adults)
Quality Provision
* Commitment to evidence-based practice
* Adhering to APS ethics guidelines
* Chris maintains professional development regularly
Areas of Special Interest
Accreditations
- Bachelor of Arts (Hons) - University of NSW
- M Psychology - University of Sydney
- Ph.D - University of Sydney
Modalities
CBT - Schema Therapy - Solution Oriented
Therapy Approach
Chris essentially practices humanistic counselling, focusing on the individual's life pathway thus far and their current emotional state.
His main therapeutic orientation is cognitive-behavioural (CBT), knowing that this powerful mode of therapy has the most support for effective outcomes from international research.
Professional Associations
- Australian Association for Cognitive & Behaviour Therapy
- Australian Clinical Psychology Association
Practice Locations
Suite 301, 151-155 Hawkesbury Road
Westmead NSW 2145
Westmead: Near Westmead station; wheelchair access; Parking on site or nearby carparks.
Chatswood: Free parking (3hrs) at Westfield carpark.
Suite 4, 27 Albert Avenue
Chatswood NSW 2067
Appointments
Monday to Friday 8:30 to 6:30
Last appointment 4:30 or 5:30
(depending on the day)
Online Therapy available.
Fees & Insurance
While there is a standard fee of $300.00 per session, fees are variable, with rebates through Medicare and private health insurers, with whom we are registered.
Payment Options
EFTPOS, Visa, MasterCard, Cash.
Contact Christopher
Please contact me to make an appointment
When contacting a therapist, let them
know you found them at Good Therapy
A conversation with Christopher Basten
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I have always had an interest in the human condition - what it means to think and feel. This extended to wanting to understand why some people think and feel differently ina way that causes them pain.
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Humanistic psychology - especially the idea that we can help others when we focus on them as a individual whose life events have shaped them uniquely and who deserves as much respect as anyone else.
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One part of the human journey that is central to my work is the of adolescence to adulthood. This is when most emotional problems have their onset (depression, anxiety, eating disorders, emotional dysregulation). It is also a time when our sense of identity or self is being crystalised, so it is crucial to have a healthy transition. This is not always possible, though. When I work with adults, we usually need to explore what messages they picked up along the way and undo some bad learnings that happened earlier.
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I use approaches that are known to work but only select a treatment for a person after a thorough assessment. So for panic attacks and phobias and loss of confidence, CBT has the best results from international studies. For bulimia nervosa CBT is usually the treatment of choice, but research suggests that Dialectical behaviour therapy and Interpersonal psychotherapy can also be helpful for some people. For depression - the approach depends on the sub-type of depression that you have and there are several subtypes. Make sure you have a thorough assessment with your clinical psychologist before the therapy starts. Be wary of clinicians who (a) are not fully trained and (b) decide what treatment they use before they have done an assessment.
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That can occur very early but for many it takes several weeks. As long as they feel understood and that the clinical psychologist is working hard to understand them, some progress is being made.
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I have learned a lot about courage, love and patience from my clients. I do 'practice what I preach' (at least sometimes).
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A sense of helping others and seeing people do amazingly brave things with their anxieties and distress.
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Not enough hair on the old head to worry.
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Withering reduction in substantial connectedness in communities. We are all too individualistic. We then focus on short-term and self-focused outcomes. That means we take things personally and get too distressed about things while at the same time we have lost connections and a sense of communal support.
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The weather makers (book) by Tim Flannery. It will change how you live and think about the environment.