Empowering individuals to overcome OCD, anxiety, phobias and panic
Dr Shelley Obst Clinical Psychologist
Helping you build a life that's bigger than OCD, anxiety and panic
Psychologist offering
face to face services in Carlton
or
Telehealth
Who We Are
SO Psychology provides psychological treatment for
children, adolescents and adults.
I treat a number of mental health difficulties, offering psychological assessment, diagnosis and both short-term and longer-term therapy.
I work extensively with individuals experiencing a wide range of mental health difficulties, including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, phobias, panic, depression, and grief and loss.
I also have a special interest in working with women during the perinatal period, IVF and menopausal stages.
Whilst I have supported individuals with a variety of mental health difficulties, some areas of interest are noted below.
If you have any specific concerns,
please get in touch for a free 15 minute introductory conversation.
I am based in Inner Melbourne,
offering face to face services in Carlton or via telehealth.
I am also an AHPRA board approved supervisor and can provide supervision to fully registered psychologists, provisional psychologists and allied health professionals.
Services
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can have a big impact on your life, taking up a lot of time, interfering with things that you value (such as relationships, work, daily living) and cause distress and discomfort. Obsessions are unwanted thoughts, images or urges that cause distress and are often persistent. Compulsions are rituals that are performed to try and reduce the discomfort of the obsession - these might be physical or mental rituals. The gold standard treatment for OCD is Exposure Response Prevention (ERP). We will work with you to develop a treatment plan that will enable you to get back to the things that you value in life.
Shelley works in supporting children, teens, and adults living with mild to severe OCD.
Exposure & Response Prevention
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD can be treated and the gold standard treatment is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
As an OCD psychologist, Shelley will work beside you helping to create a hierarchy and engaging in ERP in session as well as outside of sessions. This doesn't just have to be in the consulting room either, ERP is often engaged in the best out in the 'real world', whether that's at home, at an airport, on public transport, at a cafe - we get creative and work on it together!
Teens with OCD and anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Teens with OCD and anxiety
Our treatment process for adolescents has a strong focus on collaboration with parents, tailored to each teen’s developmental stage.
We continue to use an ERP approach to work with teens with OCD, we just get more creative to make it a little bit more fun, however also use a family focused approach to create meaningful change.
Sometimes, it is difficult for a teen to seek change for their OCD symptoms and to willingly engage in treatment. When this happens, we use a family focused approach to create meaningful change, integrating parents insights and concerns into the treatment. At SO Psychology, Shelley is a SPACE provider, a form of treatment that focuses on a parent based approach only that is proven to elicit change and improvement.
Assessment and Diagnosis
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Teens with OCD and anxiety
Are you unsure if you have OCD, anxiety or another mental health difficulty? Many mental health conditions overlap and can look similar, even to those who work every day in mental health settings.
OCD is one difficulty that is often misdiagnosed, which is why it is important to speak with a psychologist or psychiatrist who is familiar with OCD. At SO Psychology, we provide assessment and can provide diagnosis for children, teens and adults.
Perinatal Difficulties
Perinatal Difficulties
Perinatal Difficulties
At SO Psychology, we are committed to helping individuals navigate difficulties experienced during the perinatal period. This might be around the decision to be a parent, difficulties experienced conceiving, perinatal loss, perinatal OCD, managing anxiety and depression during both the antenatal and postnatal periods and feelings of grief you might experience from missing your life pre baby. Whatever difficulty you are facing, you don't have to do it alone.
Agoraphobia
Perinatal Difficulties
Perinatal Difficulties
Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety, where the person experiences fear, panic or anxiety often about being in public spaces. People who experience agoraphobia might struggle leaving their home or environment where they feel safe. Often individuals with agoraphobia will experience fear about having a panic attack while out.
Shelley can offer telehealth sessions if it is difficult to leave home, or in person sessions and together make a graded plan on how we can get you back to doing things you love.
Panic
Perinatal Difficulties
Depression and Anxiety
Panic attacks feel terrifying. We have a sudden period of extreme distress or fear, which are accompanied by body sensations, such as feeling as though you are having a heart attack, or unable to breathe. We can support you by understanding how panic attacks work and giving you real, effective strategies to help manage your distress and symptoms, allowing you to get on with life.
Depression and Anxiety
Perinatal Difficulties
Depression and Anxiety
Depression, fear, and anxiety are some of the most common and uncomfortable emotions that we can experience at some point in our lives. Through our psychology sessions, we are able to help you recover motivation, perspective, and joy that you once had in your life.