Oct 2026: Books currently closed. Will re-open from Feb 2027 for March availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alicia Shevlin is a registered psychologist and a clinical psychology registrar. This means she is fully qualified to provide psychological therapy and support as a registered psychologist. At the same time, she is also working toward an endorsement in clinical psychology through the registrar pathway, which involves completing advanced supervised training in clinical psychology.
In Australia, a registered psychologist has completed accredited university training and is registered with the Psychology Board of Australia, allowing them to assess and treat a wide range of mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, and stress-related issues. A clinical psychologist, who has completed the registrar program, has expertise in more complex or longstanding mental health concerns.
Yes. Alicia offers telehealth psychology sessions across Australia via Zoom.
She is based in Melbourne, and all appointments are scheduled in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) or Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) during daylight savings in Victoria. Weekday morning appointments are available both before and after 9:00am AEST.
Given the time difference across Australia, this availability is typically most suitable for those based in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, the ACT, and the Northern Territory.
No, a referral or Mental Health Care Plan is not required. You are welcome to book appointments directly.
Please note that if you choose to attend without a Mental Health Care Plan, Medicare rebates are not available. In this instance, sessions are privately billed at $180.
Before an initial appointment is booked, Alicia offers a free 15-minute phone call. This is an opportunity to briefly discuss your current concerns, ask practical questions, and get a sense of whether proceeding with treatment feels comfortable and appropriate. There is no obligation to proceed, and you are welcome to take time to consider your options afterwards.
The first few sessions are an assessment period. This is a time for both parties to consider whether the therapeutic relationship feels like a good fit. Alicia will reflect on whether her skills and approach are likely to be helpful for your specific needs, and you are also encouraged to consider whether you feel comfortable and supported working with her.
If it becomes clear that a different type of support would be more suitable, Alicia can assist by providing a referral to another clinician or service that may better meet your needs.
No, a diagnosis or mental health condition is not required to benefit from therapy. Many people seek therapy without having a formal diagnosis or a specific mental health disorder.
People often come to therapy when they are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, stressed, or unsure about decisions or recurring patterns in their life. Others may be navigating life transitions, relationship difficulties, self-doubt, or a general sense that something does not feel quite right, even if it does not fit a particular diagnosis.
Therapy can be helpful both for those with diagnosed mental health conditions and for those who are simply wanting to better understand themselves, improve emotional wellbeing, or make sense of ongoing challenges in their life.
Different therapeutic approaches can be helpful for different people and different goals, and one is not necessarily “better” than the other. Alicia has training in a range of evidence-based approaches, including forms of cognitive behavioural therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
That said, she specialises in psychodynamic therapy because it allows for a deeper exploration of the emotional patterns, relational dynamics, and unconscious processes that can shape how a person thinks, feels, and relates to others. This approach is often helpful when difficulties feel longstanding, repeated, or hard to shift, even when someone already understands them on a cognitive level.
Psychodynamic therapy is also focused on creating more enduring change, rather than working only at the level of symptom management. It aims to increase awareness of underlying emotional experiences and patterns that may not be immediately conscious, but can strongly influence current distress and relationships.
It’s possible that you might benefit from trying psychodynamic therapy if you have already tried other therapies, such as CBT, and felt that something important was still missing, or if you would prefer to explore your experiences with greater depth.
The frequency of therapy varies depending on your needs, goals, and financial circumstances.
Alicia’s preference is to begin with weekly or fortnightly sessions where possible, as this tends to support therapeutic momentum and continuity of work. Over time, as therapy progresses, you might want the frequency to reduce if things stabilise or as your needs evolve. If, in the long term, you prefer to keep up with regular sessions and it is within your means, this is also okay.
Any questions about session frequency can be discussed with Alicia, and adjustments can be made based on what feels most supportive and sustainable for you.
No. Alicia does not use AI note-taking software in her practice.
Yes. Alicia has experience working therapeutically with neurodivergent adults across the lifespan, including people with autism and ADHD, as well as other neurological and cognitive differences. She understands that neurodivergent people have their own strengths, ways of experiencing the world and ways of communicating, and that the world is not always well adapted to these differences. Where relevant, she adapts her therapeutic approach to support the needs of each individual.
Alicia provides psychological assessment and diagnosis for mental health conditions, but does not provide autism or ADHD diagnostic assessments. If an autism or ADHD assessment is required, she can provide a referral to an appropriate clinician.
Telehealth is suitable for many neurodivergent clients, although some people may benefit more from face-to-face psychological therapy. If, following assessment, it becomes apparent that face-to-face therapy would be more appropriate, Alicia can provide a referral to a suitable clinician.
Alicia works with both single-incident and complex trauma presentations.
Single-incident trauma may include events such as motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, incidents of medical trauma, sexual assault, physical assault, or other acute, distressing experiences.
Complex trauma relates to repeated or ongoing traumatic experiences, including various kinds of childhood abuse or neglect, grooming, sexual abuse, domestic or family violence, emotional abuse, bullying, ongoing forms of medical trauma, involvement in high control groups, or other long-term traumatic issues.
Therapy focuses on understanding how these incidents and periods of life may continue to affect thoughts, emotions, relationships, and sense of self, and supporting people to process and make sense of their experiences at a pace that feels safe and manageable.
Alicia works with a range of sexual and intimacy-related concerns that are often connected to emotional wellbeing, relationships, self-esteem, and life experiences.
This may include difficulties with sexual desire or satisfaction, differences in sexual desire within relationships, sexual anxiety, sexual functioning or performance concerns, and challenges with emotional or physical intimacy. Some people also seek support for sexual shame, guilt, or distress related to their sexuality, as well as questions around sexual identity or values.
Alicia also works with recurrent or distressing patterns of sexual behaviour, including concerns about pornography use where it feels out of control, impacts relationships, or is associated with shame or difficulty changing patterns. In some cases, sexual behaviour that causes you concern may also be happening alongside substance or drug use.
These kinds of issues are often connected to broader mental health difficulties such as anxiety, trauma, depression, or difficulties with emotional regulation. Alicia explores these sensitive issues in a non-judgemental manner, with attention to the underlying emotional and relational factors that may be contributing.
Yes. Therapy can be helpful for understanding repetitive patterns in relationships, especially when someone finds themselves in similar dynamics across different relationships, even when they want something different.
Alicia works from a psychodynamic perspective, which is particularly useful for exploring the unconscious tendency to repeat familiar relational patterns or dynamics that may have their roots in earlier life experiences.
These patterns might show up as repeatedly choosing similar partners, reacting in familiar ways during conflict, or falling into certain roles.
Psychodynamic therapy focuses on helping people notice and understand these patterns as they occur, including within the therapeutic relationship itself. Over time, this can support greater awareness and the ability to respond in new ways, rather than automatically repeating old dynamics.
The aim is not just behavioural change, but a deeper understanding of the emotional and relational processes that maintain these patterns, so that change can be more lasting.
Alicia has a special interest in the psychological challenges that can accompany chronic illness, disease, disability, and complex medical concerns. This is informed by her interest in disability justice and public health issues.
Alicia is interested in supporting people navigating a range of health-related difficulties, including but not limited to women’s health concerns, energy-limiting conditions such as Long Covid, chronic pain, and HIV. In her work within public hospitals, she supported individuals managing the complexity of renal disease, dialysis, and organ transplantation.
While medical conditions themselves vary significantly, and discussing your individual circumstances is an essential part of the work, therapy often focuses on the broader psychological impact of living with ongoing or complex health issues. This can include adjusting to changes in health, coping with uncertainty, grief and loss, coping with stigma or discrimination, identity changes, fatigue and pain, as well as the impact on relationships, work, and daily functioning.
Alicia’s approach is centred on helping you to make sense of these experiences, while supporting you to find meaning and purpose in your life at the same time.
No. Alicia does not keep a waitlist when her books are closed. If someone is ready to see a psychologist, it is recommended that they seek support from a psychologist who has current availability rather than waiting for an opening.
This is also because waiting months for an appointment may mean discovering later that the psychologist is not the right fit, or that their approach to psychological therapy is not what the person is looking for. Finding a psychologist who is currently available means you can begin working towards your goals sooner, while you are feeling motivated to begin your therapeutic journey.
The banner at the top of this website always shows Alicia’s current capacity for new referrals, so please check there for the latest information about availability for new patients.
If you are a previous patient of Alicia’s, you are welcome to reach out to discuss possible availability. Previous patients will be given priority for available bookings, or provided with a suitable referral where relevant.
Please check out the link below for recommended referral options.