Child Therapy Services & Fees | MindfulNest Spotswood

Services

Mental health care throughout the lifespan

Postpartum

Infant & Preschool

Gentle, attachment-informed support to nurture maternal wellbeing and strengthen the early parent–infant bond.

Developmentally informed support that nurtures emotional security and builds strong foundations in the early years.

Child & Early Adolescent

NDIS

Thoughtful, evidence-informed care that strengthens emotional regulation, resilience and growing independence.

Individualised, strengths-based support focused on building functional capacity, emotional wellbeing and meaningful participation in everyday life.

Postpartum mental health care

The transition to parenthood can be profound, beautiful and unexpectedly overwhelming. The postpartum period brings physical recovery, hormonal shifts, sleep disruption and significant identity change — often all at once.

This service offers specialised postpartum and perinatal mental health support in Spotswood, providing psychology-informed, evidence-based therapy for parents navigating the early months and years after birth.

Support is gentle, non-judgemental and centred on both parental wellbeing and the developing parent–infant relationship.

Postpartum and perinatal mental health support may be helpful for:

Postnatal depression
Postnatal anxiety
Birth trauma
Adjustment to parenthood
Relationship stress after baby
Identity shifts
Sleep-related distress
Feeling disconnected from baby

MindfulNest provides a calm, respectful and confidential space where your experiences are validated. There is no expectation to present as the “perfect parent” — only space to be honest. MindfulNest is operated by an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker providing psychology-informed, evidence-based postpartum therapy.

Infant & Preschool mental health care

The early years of life lay the foundation for emotional wellbeing, attachment and brain development. When babies and preschool-aged children experience distress, regulation challenges or relational difficulties, early support can make a profound difference.

This service offers specialised infant and preschool mental health assessment and treatment in Spotswood, supporting families across Melbourne’s Inner West with developmentally informed, attachment-focused care.

Infant mental health is not about diagnosing babies — it is about understanding relationships, regulation and emotional development within the caregiving system.

This service includes a thorough, developmentally sensitive mental health assessment designed specifically for infants and preschool-aged children.

Assessment may include:

Parent–infant or parent–child observation
Exploration of attachment relationships
Detailed caregiver interviews
Review of developmental history
Screening tools appropriate for early childhood
Consideration of sleep, feeding and regulation patterns

The focus is on identifying strengths and areas of vulnerability within the child’s emotional development and caregiving environment. From this, a tailored treatment plan is developed.

Support for Common Early Childhood Concerns

Infant and preschool mental health support may be helpful for:

Separation anxiety
Sleep and regulation challenges
Intense tantrums or emotional dysregulation
Behavioural concerns
Attachment difficulties
Adjustment to family changes
Early trauma or stress exposure

Child & Early Adolescent mental health care

Childhood and early adolescence are periods of rapid emotional, neurological and social development. When a young person experiences anxiety, behavioural challenges, emotional distress or changes in mood, it can affect their confidence, relationships and overall wellbeing.

This service offers specialised child and early adolescent mental health support in Spotswood, providing psychology-informed, evidence-based therapy tailored to each young person’s developmental needs.

MindfulNest supports families across Melbourne’s Inner West seeking thoughtful, relational and professional child mental health care.

This service includes a thorough and developmentally informed mental health assessment, designed to clarify underlying concerns and guide treatment planning.Therapy integrates established psychological approaches, adapted for children and early adolescents in ways that feel safe and engaging.

Children often communicate most effectively through play and creativity.

This service incorporates play therapy and creative modalities as central therapeutic tools. Child mental health is relational. Family-based sessions and parent support are integrated throughout the therapeutic process. Strengthening the caregiver–child relationship is often key to sustainable change.

Animal Assisted Therapy (Where Appropriate)

For some children, animal assisted therapy can enhance engagement and emotional safety.

The presence of a calm therapy animal may:

Reduce anxiety
Support emotional regulation
Foster connection
Increase comfort in sessions

This modality is thoughtfully integrated where clinically appropriate.

Who This Service Supports

This child and early adolescent mental health service supports concerns including:

Anxiety disorders
Emotional dysregulation
Behavioural challenges
Social difficulties
Low mood
Adjustment concerns
School-related stress

NDIS mental health and wellbeing support

Our NDIS mental health service provides individualised, psychology-informed support for children and young people with psychosocial, emotional and developmental needs. We understand that mental health challenges can impact confidence, relationships, learning and participation in everyday life, and we work gently alongside each young person to strengthen emotional wellbeing and functional capacity.

Using a strengths-based and developmentally informed approach, we support emotional regulation, anxiety management, social connection, self-understanding and coping skills. Sessions are tailored to each participant’s NDIS goals and may focus on building independence, improving communication, navigating peer relationships, and increasing participation at home, school and within the community.

We collaborate closely with families, educators and support coordinators to ensure care is consistent and meaningful. Above all, we provide a safe, respectful and empowering space where young people feel understood, supported and capable of growth.

Fees, Medicare & NDIS

We believe families deserve clarity and honesty when is comes to fees

Session Fee

$200 per 60-minute session

This includes:

50–60 minutes of therapeutic time
Parent involvement and guidance
Thoughtful preparation before each session
Clinical documentation and care planning
Collaboration with other professionals (if needed)

Medicare Rebates

If your child has a Mental Health Care Plan from a GP, paediatrician, or psychiatrist, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate.

Session fee: $200
Medicare rebate: $87
Out-of-pocket cost: $113 per session

Rebates are processed after payment and returned to your nominated bank account.

Most families can access up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year (subject to eligibility and referral requirements).

NDIS Funding

If your child has an NDIS plan, sessions may be covered under:

Capacity Building
Improved Daily Living supports

Fees are charged in line with the NDIS price guide.

If funding is available in your child’s plan, there is typically no out-of-pocket expense.

We will talk through whether your plan is:

Self-managed
Plan-managed
NDIA-managed

So that invoicing is clear from the beginning.