Mindscape Therapy Melbourne Psychology
Trauma, EMDR, DBT and Psychotherapy Melbourne Mental Health Service
If you’re searching for mental health services Melbourne, we offer evidence-based therapy for trauma, emotional dysregulation, anxiety disorders, and relationship difficulties.
We provide integrated psychotherapy using proven approaches including EMDR, DBT therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and somatic psychotherapy. We match these treatments to your specific needs rather than applying one technique to every client. Unlike general counsellors, our practice focuses on clinical methods that deliver measurable results for complex presentations including PTSD, borderline personality disorder, chronic anxiety, and neurodivergence.
Meet Rana Elmir
Mindscape Therapy Melbourne Clinical Director and Lead Practitioner
Rana is the founder and managing director of Mindscape Therapy. She is a seasoned practitioner of DBT and EMDR therapies with over 15 years of experience helping people who struggle with trauma and complex psychology.
Mindscape Therapy Melbourne aims to deliver the same excellent mental health outcomes to people in Melbourne, that it has for hundreds of clients in Canberra.
Rana is now accepting new clients for Melbourne, starting October 2026.
Learn More About Our Mental Health Services Melbourne
Mental Health Challenges We Treat:
We have supported clients with a diverse range of mental health challenges for over 15 years. Below are some of the primary conditions we work with successfully:
Trauma and PTSD
- Single-incident trauma (accidents, assaults, medical procedures)
- Childhood trauma and adverse experiences
- Complex PTSD from prolonged abuse or neglect
- Intergenerational trauma
- Vicarious trauma (for helping professionals)
Emotional and Behavioral Challenges
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD) or traits
- Chronic emotional dysregulation
- Self-harm behaviours or suicidal ideation
- Anger management difficulties
- Impulsivity and risk-taking
Anxiety and Mood Disorders
- Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Social anxiety and social phobia
- Depression and dysthymia
- Bipolar disorder
Relationship Difficulties
- Attachment wounds and insecure attachment styles
- Codependency and enmeshment patterns
- Difficulty establishing or maintaining boundaries
- Fear of intimacy or abandonment
- Rebuilding trust after betrayal
- Communication breakdowns
Perfectionism and Inner Critic Work
- Harsh self-judgment and criticism
- Chronic people-pleasing
- Imposter syndrome and unworthiness
- Feeling torn between conflicting values or desires
- Understanding repetitive self-sabotaging patterns
Addiction and Substance Use
- Drug addiction (recreational substances)
- Gambling and behavioural addictions
- Compulsive behaviours (sexual addiction, internet/gaming addiction)
- Medication misuse and dependency
Understanding Our Clinical Approach: Three Evidence-Based Modalities Under One Roof:
The practice integrates EMDR, DBT therapy, Internal Family Systems, and somatic psychotherapy – allowing tailored treatment based on assessment findings rather than therapist preference.
Treatment plans are built on individual assessment findings. Your therapy matches your specific needs, with flexibility to shift modalities as circumstances change. We communicate openly when certain approaches will serve you better than others. Referrals are made to other specialists when appropriate.
Clinical Depth: Our team holds advanced certifications in trauma-processing (EMDR), skills-based regulation (DBT), parts work (IFS), and body-based approaches (somatic).
Condition-Matched Treatment: We do not apply the same therapy to every client. Your treatment plan is built on initial assessment findings, not therapist preference.
Transparency About Fit: We will refer you elsewhere if we are not the right match. Many Melbourne therapy clients report feeling stuck with therapists who were not equipped for their specific needs.
EMDR THERAPY MELBOURNE
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based trauma treatment.
DBT THERAPY MELBOURNE
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy teaches practical skills for managing a wide variety of mental health challenges.
PSYCHOTHERAPY MELBOURNE
Psychotherapy offers depth-oriented exploration of unconscious patterns, early-life experiences and relationships.
We are honest about when certain approaches will not work for your situation. If EMDR is not appropriate yet, we stabilise first. If you need intensive DBT groups rather than individual therapy, we will refer you elsewhere. Your healing matters more than keeping you as a client.
How quickly can I start therapy in Melbourne?
Our new practice is currently planned to open in October in Prahran. In our past experience, positions fill quickly, so making a booking now is the best way to secure ongoing care as a regular client.
Note: Active crisis requires emergency services (call 000 or Lifeline 13 11 14).
Can partners or couples attend sessions together?
Currently we offer individual therapy only. For couples work, we can refer to accredited relationship therapists in Melbourne. Some individuals pursue individual therapy while partners attend separate counselling.
What is DBT?
DBT stands for dialectical behaviour therapy. It was first created to help people who experience very intense emotions and find life extremely overwhelming. DBT builds on many CBT ideas but adds important extra skills for when emotions feel out of control.
You learn four main areas: mindfulness (staying present without judgement), distress tolerance (getting through crises without making things worse), emotion regulation (understanding and managing strong feelings), and interpersonal effectiveness (communicating needs and keeping healthy relationships). DBT often includes both one-on-one sessions and group skills training, plus phone coaching for tough moments.
It is especially helpful for people dealing with borderline personality traits, self-harm urges, chronic suicidal thoughts, intense mood swings or difficulties in relationships.
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing. It is a powerful therapy designed to help the brain process stuck traumatic memories so they lose their emotional charge.
During EMDR sessions you recall a disturbing memory while your therapist guides you through sets of side-to-side eye movements, taps or sounds. This helps your brain reprocess the memory in a healthier way, almost like what happens naturally during REM sleep. You still remember what happened but it no longer feels as upsetting or overwhelming.
EMDR is widely used and very effective for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), single-event traumas like accidents or assaults, childhood abuse, grief, phobias linked to past events, and even performance anxiety or negative beliefs about yourself that started from difficult experiences.
What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?
Counselling typically addresses current life challenges, situational distress, or specific skill-building. Psychotherapy clients often work on deeper patterns, trauma processing, personality-level changes, and long-standing emotional difficulties. Both valuable – different depths and durations.
What is Schema Therapy?
Schema therapy helps with deep, long-standing patterns (called schemas) that usually begin in childhood or adolescence. These patterns are like core beliefs about yourself, other people and the world – for example, “I’m unlovable”, “People will always abandon me” or “I have to be perfect to be okay”. They often lead to repeating the same relationship problems, low self-worth, or self-sabotaging behaviours over many years.
Schema therapy combines elements from CBT, attachment theory, emotion-focused work and even some psychodynamic ideas. It helps you understand where these schemas came from, heal the emotional wounds behind them, and build healthier ways of thinking, feeling and relating.
It is particularly useful for personality difficulties, chronic depression, repeated relationship breakdowns, perfectionism, or feeling empty and disconnected even when life looks fine on the outside.
What is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy focuses on the body rather than just talking about thoughts and feelings. Trauma, stress and strong emotions often get stored in the body as tension, tight muscles, shallow breathing, or a constant sense of being on edge.
Somatic approaches help you tune into those physical sensations in a safe, gentle way. You learn to notice what’s happening in your body, release held tension, and build a greater sense of safety and calm from the inside. Techniques might include grounding exercises, gentle movement, breath work, tracking body sensations, or touch (with clear consent).
It pairs very well with talk therapies and is especially helpful when people feel “stuck” in their heads, have unexplained physical symptoms linked to stress, experience dissociation, or find that regular counselling alone doesn’t fully shift the nervous system’s response to past events.
Which therapy is right for me?
It really depends on what you’re dealing with and what feels most helpful to you. CBT is great if you want clear tools to change thoughts and behaviours fairly quickly. DBT shines when emotions feel overwhelming and you need skills to manage crises and relationships. EMDR is often the best choice when specific traumatic memories keep intruding or causing distress. Schema therapy suits people who notice the same painful patterns repeating across their life and want to address the deeper roots. Somatic therapy is ideal if you feel trauma or stress living in your body or if talking alone hasn’t been enough to create lasting calm.
Many people benefit from a mix of these approaches that addresses their context intelligently.
All our therapists conduct an initial session to learn about your experiences and needs to develop an appropriate plan that uses the methods which best suit your needs, challenges and context.
Therapy is collaborative. If EMDR feels too intense initially, we stabilise first. If DBT skills do not resonate, we may try IFS or somatic approaches instead. Your comfort and pace guide treatment direction.
Can these therapies be combined?
What happens if I need to pause or cancel sessions?
Life circumstances change. We offer flexible rescheduling with 24-hour notice. Extended breaks can be accommodated with mutual agreement and check-ins before resuming.
Book Now
We are Accepting New Melbourne Clients for October 2026
We are currently accepting advance bookings at our new location in Prahran for October 2026. Book your initial one-to-one consultation and eligibility assessment for EMDR, DBT and Psychotherapy in Melbourne.
What to Expect After Requesting a Booking
1. We'll Call You
After requesting a booking, we'll call you to chat and explore if you're a good fit for our therapy and confirm your booking if so.
2. Initial Assessment Session
For your first formal session, we will conduct a 60-90 minute comprehensive assessment covering personal history, symptoms, triggers, patterns, expectations and methods.
3. Regular Therapy Sessions
Weekly sessions provide consistency while building momentum toward your objectives.
4. Progress Review and Recommendation
Therapy aims to create measurable improvements. Every 6-8 weeks, we review your progress and adjust the treatment plan as needed.
Cost, Rebates and Insurance | Mindscape Melbourne Mental Health Services
Medicare Mental Health Care Plans
With a GP-referral Mental Health Care Plan, you are eligible for Medicare rebates on up to 10 sessions per calendar year. Current rebate approximately $88.25 per session (subject to annual changes).
This means:
- Reduced out-of-pocket cost per session
- Structured treatment planning with your GP
- Access to allied mental health professionals
Requirements:
- GP appointment for care plan development
- Formal referral letter provided before sessions begin
- Maximum 10 claims per calendar year
Private Health Insurance
Most Australian private health funds offer rebates for registered psychotherapists with appropriate qualifications. Rebate amounts vary by fund and level of cover. Contact us for current participation details.
Clear Pricing Transparency
No hidden fees or surprise charges. Full cost structure provided before your first session. Bulk billing available for eligible concession card holders on request.
