Kate Matarese
Psychologist
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Master of Psychology (Clinical)
Pronouns: She/her
Three beliefs that colour the way I work with my clients:
I believe…
That feeling heard and understood is the foundation for creating change.
I believe…
That developing and practicing acceptance can free us from suffering and help us live a full, rich and meaningful life.
I believe…
In the mind-body connection – this means that our thoughts, feelings and beliefs can affect our physical functioning, and what we do with our physical body can impact on our mental state.
Get to know me
My secret talent:
I am a great listener and I always give time and energy to my friendships.
What’s it like to be in a room with me?
I am a warm, compassionate and down-to-earth clinician. I strive to help my clients feel comfortable, accepted and understood as I feel this creates a foundation for a positive and powerful therapeutic experience. I regard my roles as a therapist as a privilege and hold great respect for my clients.
What’s my non-negotiable when it comes to taking care of my own mental health?
For my own mental health, I know that balance is Important. This means time for exercise, relaxation, family, friends, good food and fun!
My life motto:
You can’t pour from an empty cup.
My background and experience
I have been a registered psychologist since 2008, and since this time I have worked In a variety of settings Including private practice, the public and private hospital sector, schools, and community health. I completed my Master of Clinical Psychology in 2018 where I developed a keen interest in health psychology and psycho-oncology.
I believe in the importance of a collaborative therapeutic relationship, and aim to empower clients to make changes so that they can live full and meaningful life. I value a reflective practice and enjoy engaging in supervision and professional development to improve and refine my therapeutic skills.
I can help you with:
- Adjustment to stressful life changes
- Anxiety
- Social anxiety
- Communication skills
- Depression
- Emotional difficulties
- Family issues
- Generalised anxiety
- Grief and loss
- Health anxiety
- Job or study dissatisfaction
- Living with cancer
- Chronic pain / illness
- Low self-esteem
- Perfectionism
- Relationship difficulties
- Self-development
- Stress and burnout
- Trauma and post-traumatic stress
- Wellbeing and self-care
My therapeutic approaches
Depending on my client’s needs and preferences I use a variety of evidence-based approaches including:
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Schema Therapy principles
- Motivational Interviewing
- Strengths-based approaches
- Compassion-based approaches
- Positive Psychology principles
- Psychodynamic principles
- Trauma informed practice
- Cognitive Processing Therapy
