Confidential support for health professionals?
Psychologists and counsellors in attendance at our Centre support people across the health and caring professions, whatever their role. That includes medical, nursing, allied health, dental, pharmacy, veterinary, paramedic and mental health practitioners, as well as students, early-career practitioners and people who have stepped away from clinical work. If you care for others for a living, this page is for you.
People come to see us for burnout, compassion fatigue, anxiety, low mood, trauma from clinical work, the stress of a complaint or Ahpra notification, relationship strain from long hours, and decisions about career direction. You will be seen by someone who understands the pressures of clinical work and who will treat you as a person first, not a colleague.
Written and clinically reviewed by Natascha Madden, Registered Psychologist (AHPRA reg. PSY0000953827), Brisbane Counselling Centre. Last reviewed: October 2026
Why do health professionals it hard to seek help?
Health professionals are trained to be the helper, not the one who needs help. Many worry about being judged by colleagues, about confidentiality in a small professional community, or about being reported to the regulator.
Common barriers include:
- feeling that needing support means you are not coping or not good enough
- worry about running into a colleague or patient in the waiting room
- long hours, shift work and on-call rosters that make appointments hard to keep
- uncertainty about mandatory reporting and what a treating practitioner has to report
- a culture that rewards pushing through rather than slowing down
These barriers are real, and they are also the reason that problems are often left until they become more serious. Seeking help early is a sign of good professional judgement, not weakness.
What are the signs of burnout and compassion fatigue?
Burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged work stress, where the demands of the role consistently outweigh the resources available. Compassion fatigue is the emotional cost of repeatedly caring for people who are suffering or traumatised.
Signs to look out for include:
- exhaustion that rest and days off no longer fix
- feeling detached, cynical or numb towards patients or clients
- dreading shifts, or feeling sick before work
- irritability with colleagues, partners or family
- difficulty sleeping, or replaying cases at night
- reduced concentration and second-guessing your decisions
- relying more on alcohol, caffeine or other substances to get through
- intrusive memories of a difficult case, death or critical incident
This is not a matter of needing more resilience. Burnout usually reflects a mismatch between the demands of the role and the support available. Read more on our stress and burnout page.
Will seeing a psychologist mean I am reported to AHPRA?
In almost all cases, no. Under the National Law, a psychologist who is treating you as a patient only has to make a mandatory notification if they form a reasonable belief that you are placing the public at substantial risk of harm, or in cases of sexual misconduct. Ahpra states it is very unlikely a treating practitioner will need to notify about a client, particularly when a health issue is being appropriately managed.
Seeking treatment is one of the clearest ways to show that a health concern is being managed. Your psychologist will explain confidentiality and its limits in your first session, and you are welcome to ask about this when you call to book.
What can a psychologist help health professionals with?
- Burnout and compassion fatigue, including returning to work after leave
- Trauma from clinical work, such as patient deaths, violence at work, critical incidents and adverse events
- Anxiety and low mood, see our pages on anxiety and depression
- Complaints, investigations and Ahpra notifications, including the stress of waiting for an outcome
- Moral distress, when you cannot provide the care you believe is right because of the system around you
- Perfectionism, self-criticism and imposter feelings
- Grief and loss, including the cumulative grief of caring work, see grief and loss counselling
- Relationship and family strain, see couples and marriage counselling
- Career decisions, including reducing hours, changing specialty or leaving clinical work
What does treatment involve?
Sessions are conversations, at a pace that suits you. Your psychologist or counsellor will listen, help you make sense of what is happening and work with you on practical strategies you can use between appointments.
Approaches commonly used include cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based approaches and EMDR, which is particularly helpful where distress is connected to a specific clinical incident or traumatic event. EMDR is an area of specialist expertise at our Centre. You can read more about what a typical session looks like.
How do I book an appointment?
- Please call (07) 3831 4452 or complete our enquiry form. Our reception team will discuss what you are looking for and suggest a suitable practitioner. You do not need a referral to book, and you do not need to say why you are calling if you would prefer not to.
- Decide how you would like to pay. You can see a psychologist privately, use a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your own GP for a Medicare rebate, or claim through private health insurance. If your employer offers an Employee Assistance Program, you may also be able to use that.
- Attend your first session in person or online. Online and telephone sessions are available if you would rather not attend in person.
Brisbane Counselling Centre is at Level 7, 87 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, near the Brisbane CBD and close to the city’s major hospitals, about five minutes’ walk from Central Station. We are open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday 8:30am to 5:00pm.
Meet the psychologists and counsellors or see our fees and rebates.
Frequently asked questions
Is seeing a psychologist confidential for doctors and nurses?
Will my psychologist have to report me to Ahpra?
Do I need a referral to see a psychologist as a health professional?
Can health professionals get a Mental Health Treatment Plan?
How much does it cost?
Can I book around shift work?
What is the difference between burnout and depression?
I am a psychologist or counsellor. Can I see someone at the Centre?
Can a psychologist help after a patient death or critical incident?
Can I see a psychologist online?
Where are you located and is there parking?
Help is available
You spend your days looking after other people. Taking time to look after yourself is part of practising well, and it is part of staying in the work you care about. Take the courageous step and reach out today.
Please call to speak with our reception team, or send us a message. The Brisbane psychologists and counsellors are available to help.
If you need urgent support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, available 24 hours. In an emergency, call 000.
