My name is Swami Dharmashakti, I am a registered psychologist and a senior yoga teacher / yoga therapist (initiated swami). I am here to support you when experiencing life difficulties and stressors, with mental health conditions, with challenges coping, and to explore your potential.

Fun fact, I am also completing a Masters of Clinical Psychology!

A psychologist is someone who has done a lot of study, training, and jumped through a lot of hurdles (truly a lot!) to become a registered practitioner. I have studied human behavior, cognitive processes (how people think, feel, learn, perceive, sense), the brain, therapeutic interventions and assessment. I have also written a systematic literature review on the the Health Action Process Approach to behaviour change.

Psychology is a regulated profession in Australia meaning you have to be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency in order to practise and to use the title ‘psychologist’.

That’s a good question and one that I will answer briefly here. Essentially, it means ‘master of oneself’.

I was trained in an oral, community based, and traditional yoga lineage which means most of the yoga teachings that I have learnt have been passed down from a guru (that’s nothing to freak out about and is another good question maybe for the blog!) and founded in the wisdom of centuries of continuous teachings, refined through personal practise, and adapted through the ages.

Being initiated as a swami means, that I have received specific teachings in yogic spirituality as part of my connection to yoga and through my lineage.

A swami is not regulated through AHPRA!

In both my work teaching yoga and as a psychologist I have worked with, and walked alongside many different people from diverse backgrounds.

As a psychologist I have worked in forensic settings, with veteran’s and their families, with men, women, and children.

I have been teaching and practising yoga for over 30 years, I have spent time living in a yoga community with a focus on karma yoga.

No, you can self-refer. However, if you would like to claim a rebate for your session from Medicare then you need a mental health care plan from a GP.

Unfortunately, there are currently no rebates for couples counselling.

$220 for a 50 minute session for individuals ($126.65 with medicare rebate).

$250 for a 60 minute session for couples.

Marathon therapy (12 hours) for couples is available upon request.

The current medicare rebate for a 50 min session with a generally registered psychologist is $93.35.