Illuminate Psychology Services

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Meet Your Psychologist

Hi, I'm Rachel Harmer, a generally registered psychologist based in the Riverina and the founder of Illuminate Psychology Services- a women-led clinic made up of four psychologists who provide counselling and psychological support to women across the region.

I began my career with NSW Health working in trauma counselling, and after becoming a parent myself, I developed a strong passion for perinatal mental health. I'm particularly passionate about supporting women and their partners through experiences such as fertility and IVF, family planning, pregnancy, loss, post-partum challenges, birth debrief, and adjusting to parenthood.

Alongside my perinatal work, I provide psychological support to women across all life stages, helping with concerns including depression, anxiety, ADHD, identity and self-esteem, life transitions, peri/menopause, and genito-pelvic issues.

Women of all ages

-Mental Health

-Life Transitions

-Genito-pelvic issues

Women and their partners

-Perinatal Mental Health

(IVF, Loss, Birth Debrief, adjustment to parenthood etc)

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Meet Your Psychologist

Sally Grimson

Hi, I’m Sally, a generally registered psychologist with experience in working with young people through to adults.

I am passionate about creating a warm space where people feel heard, safe and supported.

Some of my areas of interest include:

-Women's Mental Health

-Perinatal Mental Health (including Fertility, Loss, antenatal/postnatal support and mental health, birth debrief)

-Adjusting to life transitions (Teens-Adults)

-Anxiety disorders

-Self Esteem and Wellbeing

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Meet Your Psychologist

Kanesha Lewis

Hi, I’m Kanesha, a generally registered psychologist with a passion for supporting young people through to adults to improve emotional wellbeing, self-esteem, overall mental health and life transitions.

I specialise in evidence-based approaches, including DBT & CBT and have experience working with a range of client presentations.

Teens – Adults

General mental health (depression, anxiety, self-esteem etc.)
Perinatal mental health
Life transitions
Work Stress/Burnout
Emotional wellbeing
Distress tolerance

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Meet Your Psychologist

Carrie Melbourne

Hi, I’m Carrie, a generally registered psychologist.

I have worked extensively with young people and their families and hold a special interest supporting neurodiverse individuals and their family members (ADHD and Autism).

I value creating a safe space to work with you and am certified in Trauma Focused CBT as well as a wide range of therapeutic modalities.
Referrals I am accepting:

General Mental Health and ADHD/Autism -Adult Women

Support for neurodivergent young people

Adolescent- Teen girls (11+)

Areas of support may include:

• Emotional regulation & coping skills

• Anxiety & mental health support

• Social skills, friendships & boundaries

• Identity, self-esteem & independence

• Transition support: School/social, primary to high-school & daily functioning

• Parent support & coaching to implement strategies

• Goal setting & capacity building

Parent Sessions for Neurodiverse Families-Support for parents of children under 11

These sessions aim to provide individualised guidance for parents on how to support and respond to their child’s needs, particularly within neurodiverse families.

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Mental Health

Perinatal Counselling

Anxiety, Depression,

Self-Esteem and Wellbeing

Life Transition, Peri/Menopause, Identity/Self Esteem, Genito Pelvic Pain Issues (Vaginismus, Dyspareunia, Vulvodynia)

Perinatal Counselling

Antenatal mental health, birth preparation, family transition, and post-partum mental health.

1 in 5 women will experience anxiety or depression in post-partum.

1 in 10 men (though it is likely higher and under-reported) will also experience this.

Birth Debrief

Perinatal Counselling

Birth Debrief

Psychological debrief of birth experience and early post-partum for women and their partners.

Often accessed under a Non-Directive Pregnancy Counselling referral from your GP.

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Pregnancy & Infant Loss

Neurodiversity Affirming Support

Experiencing the loss of a pregnancy or infant can be profoundly painful and isolating. We provide compassionate, evidence-based psychological support for individuals, couples, and families navigating grief following miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, termination for medical reasons.

Our psychologists offer a safe, non-judgemental spac

Our psychologists offer a safe, non-judgemental space to process emotions, honour your loss, and support you through the unique challenges that can arise during grief, future pregnancies, parenting after loss, and adjustment over time.

For more support:

The Vilomah Community is a charity which provides support to individuals and families who have experiences pregnancy and infant loss.

https://vilomahcommunity.com/

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Neurodiversity Affirming Support

Psychological support and intervention for neurodiverse individuals with ADHD and/or Autism.

Including support for parents of neurodiverse children, and adolescent sessions.

Trauma Counselling

Neurodiversity Affirming Support

Trauma Counselling

Trauma comes in many forms. Limited availabilities for trauma survivors.

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Safe Kids Protective Behaviours Workshop

Safe Kids is a protective behaviour workshop for parents of children

(Kindy to year 6).

What is protective behaviours and why is it important?

It is an approach to parenting and child safety which places value on

empowering children to know their body, the rules of their body and

how to judge safe and unsafe situations.

In this workshop we deli

Safe Kids is a protective behaviour workshop for parents of children

(Kindy to year 6).

What is protective behaviours and why is it important?

It is an approach to parenting and child safety which places value on

empowering children to know their body, the rules of their body and

how to judge safe and unsafe situations.

In this workshop we deliver information and education to parents on

how to tackle challenging conversations about private parts,

personal safety, boundaries, secrets vs. surprises and identifying

safe adults in their life.

This information is accompanied by hands on activities to complete

with your children, provided to you in hardcopy at the time of the

workshop.

This workshop will arm parents with activities, skills and confidence

to be their child’s first teacher in this domain which will build trust in

the relationship over time.

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Groups

Safe Kids Protective Behaviours Workshop

Groups for adolescents, teens and adults, coming soon...

Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us at if you cannot find an answer to your question.

Where are you located and where do I park?

Rooms are located inside "Wagga Work Spaces" at 207 Edward Street. Look for the dark grey building with Illuminate logo. Best parking option is down Oates Avenue.

How long does a therapy session last at Illuminate Psychology Services?

Ongoing sessions are a standard 50 minutes. Extended sessions or brief intervention sessions are by request.

How to I get referred to have an initial appointment?

You have a few options:

Self refer with no mental health care plan and pay the full fee.

See your GP to obtain a Mental Health Care Plan, a Medicare rebate will be sent to your bank account after your appointment. (see fees below)

What is a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP)

MHCP's are created by your usual GP, they outline any diagnosis, symptoms or goals of treatment and are sent along with a referral letter to a psychologist. You need a MHCP and referral to be eligible for a Medicare rebate. MHCP's are updated if there is a change in presentation, and referrals last for the course of treatment (i.e. 6 sessions or 4 sessions).

You will initially be referred for 6 appointments; then a letter is sent from your psychologist to your GP giving an update on your presentation and treatment and requesting more sessions if needed.

At this time, you see you GP again for a check in and a new referral for 4 sessions is provided.

A total of 10 sessions per calendar year can be rebated.

What are the fees for therapy sessions at Illuminate Psychology Services?

At Illuminate Psychology Services 50-minute session fees are set at:

·$250 for initial assessment

(this covers initial contact, setting up of client files and additional administration costs)

· $235 for ongoing sessions

A Medicare rebate of $101.55 will be rebated if you have a Mental Health Care Plan referral from your doctor. Rebates are processed for you back into your bank account linked with Medicare when full payment received.

Gap cost for ongoing sessions $133.45

Non-Directive Pregnancy Counselling rebate $74.40

Payment accepted via Halaxy secure payment or direct deposit. Processing fees apply.

The APS and AAPI set recommended fees in 2026-2027 for a 4–60-minute session at $340. IPS works hard to keep fees below this.

(Fees as above from 1 July 2026)

NDIS?

Carrie does see clients who are under NDIS plans or children have NDIS plans.

The plan needs to have psychology as a service you or your child are eligible for.

We will ask you for a copy of your plan to ensure we are the appropriate service.

You can continue to access our services as a private client or under Medicare if the plan does not allow for sessions. Please refer to fees as above.

The psychological services provided by Illuminate Psychology Services and its employees are bound by the legal requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Client Information

Client files are held securely within the Halaxy practice management system which is accessible only to Illuminate Psychology Services (IPS), it’s employees and any authorised administrative assistants. Halaxy complies with Australian Privacy Principles and data sovereignty requirements. Halaxy is also used as the booking system and Telehealth platform for IPS. The information on each file includes personal information such as name, address, contact phone numbers, medical history, and other personal information collected as part of providing the psychological service.
Safety and security are managed within our secure Microsoft 365 environment, configured and monitored by a local IT service provider and multi-factor authentication is enabled on all accounts.
Supervision and Case Consultation: Psychologists are required to engage in supervision and reflective practice to maintain standards of clinical practice. Your case may be discussed in supervision/case review within Illuminate Psychology Services. If discussed with external supervisors, client information will be de-identified.

How client personal information is collected

A client's personal information is collected in several ways during consultation with IPS including when the client provides information directly to the service using hard copy forms, during correspondence (emails) or verbally as the client interacts directly with the employees such as the administrative services. Information may also be provided by other health practitioners to the service, via referrals and correspondence.

If a client does not wish for their personal information to be collected in a way anticipated by this Privacy Policy, the psychologist may not be in a position to provide the psychological service to the client.

AI Note Systems

IPS uses secure AI-assisted documentation tools (such as Heidi Health) to support clinical note-taking efficiency. Heidi Health complies with Australian Privacy Principles and data sovereignty requirements. These tools temporarily process session audio for the purpose of generating draft clinical notes. Psychologists review and edit all notes and retain responsibility for clinical records. No audio recordings or transcripts are retained as part of the clinical record. Clients may withdraw consent to AI-assisted note-taking at any time without impact on their care.

Purpose of holding personal information

A client's personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing psychological services, which includes assessing, diagnosing and treating a client's presenting issue. The personal information is retained in order to document what happens during sessions, and enables the psychologist to provide a relevant and informed psychological service.

Record keeping & disposal

The personal information is retained for seven years after last contact for adults, or until age 25 for minors. Records are kept securely per guidelines outlined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). Records are securely destroyed after this time.

Disclosure of personal information

Your personal information will remain confidential except when:

1. It is subpoenaed by a court, or disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law; or

2. Your psychologist believes there is a serious threat to the life, health or safety of any individual (including the client) or the public, or to locate a person who has been reported as missing (see "Mandatory Reporting"); or

3. The client's prior consent has been obtained to:

Share your information for a specific reason and purpose.

A client would reasonably expect your personal information to be disclosed to another professional or agency, and disclosure is directly related to the primary purpose for which it was collected, such as to inform your GP of treatment and progress, to claim Medicare rebates on your behalf etc.

Provide a written report to another agency or professional, e.g. a GP, psychiatrist, health professional, school or University or a lawyer; or

Discuss the material with another person, e.g. a parent/partner, employer, health professional, or other person agreed to by the client.

Clinical consultation with another professional is required to provide better services. If this occurs, identifying details will remain confidential.

Disclose the information in another way;

If, during treatment, the psychologist becomes aware of a risk to someone’s life, health, or well-being, the psychologist is required to report the matter to the appropriate agencies (see ‘mandatory reporting’ below).

IPS takes reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. Security measures include password-protected systems, multi-factor authentication, secure cloud-based practice software, and locally managed IT security services. While IPS takes reasonable steps to protect electronic communications, email and SMS communication may carry some privacy risk.

Mandatory Reporting

In NSW, psychologists' mandatory responsibilities are prescribed under three pieces of legislation that cover three different types of mandatory reporting.

1. The Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998;

2. Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) No 86a; and

3. The NSW Crimes Act 1900

Where there is a serious threat to the life, health or safety of a person, or where reporting obligations arise under law, your psychologist may disclose relevant information to appropriate services or authorities.

Requests for access and correction to client information

At any stage a client may request to see and correct the personal information about them kept on file. The psychologist may discuss the contents with them and/or give them a copy, subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). If satisfied that personal information is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete, reasonable steps will be taken in the circumstances to ensure that this information is corrected. Original records remain the property of the practice and are retained securely in accordance with legal obligations. All requests by clients for access to or correction of personal information held about them should be lodged with Rachel Harmer.

An appointment may be required for clarification purposes. Where a written summary of treatment is requested, an administration fee may apply.

Feedback or complaints

If clients have a concern about the management of their personal information or provision of services, they may inform Illuminate Psychology Services or Rachel Harmer (Psychologist and Owner) and are encouraged to raise issues in session with your clinician if you feel comfortable. Alternatively, clients can contact their psychologist via admin@illuminatepsych.com.au . If clients wish to lodge a formal complaint, they can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on phone 1300 363 992, or online https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints, or by mail to GPO Box 5218, Sydney, NSW, 2001; or contact the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) on 1300 419 495.

Waitlist Closed (Oct & NOV 2026) contact the clinic for more information

Illuminate Psychology Services Contact

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Meet Your Psychologist

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Meet Your Psychologist

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Meet Your Psychologist

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Meet Your Psychologist

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Meet Our Client Service Officer

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Mental Health

Perinatal Counselling

Perinatal Counselling

Perinatal Counselling

Perinatal Counselling

Perinatal Counselling

Birth Debrief

Perinatal Counselling

Birth Debrief

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Pregnancy & Infant Loss

Neurodiversity Affirming Support

Neurodiversity Affirming Support

Neurodiversity Affirming Support

Neurodiversity Affirming Support

Neurodiversity Affirming Support

Trauma Counselling

Neurodiversity Affirming Support

Trauma Counselling

About Illuminate Psychology Services

Safe Kids Protective Behaviours Workshop

Safe Kids Protective Behaviours Workshop

Safe Kids Protective Behaviours Workshop

Groups

Safe Kids Protective Behaviours Workshop

Safe Kids Protective Behaviours Workshop

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact IPS:

New Clients

Illuminate Psychology Services

New Client- Click here

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