Are you feeling Anxious, Stressed, Overwhelmed all the time? Do you battle with Racing Thoughts, Out of Control Emotions, or Impulsivity? Do constant Negative Thoughts about your Weight, Body, and Food rule your life?
- Are You Feeling Anxious, Overwhelmed, Stressed, Panicked, Just Stuck?
- Do You Struggle With Racing Thoughts, or Find it Hard to Control Your Emotions?
- Do You Worry About Being Rejected, Judged, or Abandoned by Others?
- Are Obsessive or Perfectionist Thoughts and Behaviours About Food, Weight, Exercise, Performance or Body Image Ruling Your Life?
Are these types of problems making you feel tired, over life, just stuck!
Have you tried to make a change yourself, but it is just too hard.
Maybe you have even tried therapy before, but you were not quite ready.
At The Calming Suite we want to help you believe that change & recovery is possible,
We want you to know that we will never give up on you, because you deserve someone who cares and goes that extra mile!
Dr Alissa Knight
Clinical Psychologist | Eating Disorder Specialist | Psychology Media Spokesperson | Researcher | Conference Speaker | Yoga . Tai Chi . Meditation . Instructor | Teacher
Dr Alissa Knight
Clinical Psychologist | Eating Disorder Specialist | Psychology Media Spokesperson | Researcher | Conference Speaker | Yoga . Tai Chi . Meditation . Instructor | Teacher
Welcome
Welcome
Hello there! My name is Alissa, and I am a Clinical Psychologist, Researcher, and Founder of The Calming Suite in Novar Gardens, Adelaide, South Australia.
Even though I haven’t met you before, I can already tell just by clicking on my page that you have been searching for ways to help yourself, or your loved one with what you are going through.
This may be the very first time you are looking for some support. Or, you may have already had mental health support or treatment before, but you weren’t quite ready. You might have tried before, but just didn’t feel that you connected with the treatment approach or therapist.
Many of the clients who come to The Calming Suite are looking for a psychologist who is upbeat, young at heart, friendly, easy to connect with, safe, and full of warmth and compassion.
Someone who does not judge them, and won’t give up on them! Clients quickly notice and appreciate the depth of commitment, passion, and extraordinary lengths I will go to in helping them reach their full potential and transform their life for the better.
I specialise in therapy, assessment and counselling for adolescents and young female adults (12 – 30) with Eating Disorders, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Bipolar Type II, Anxiety, Social Anxiety Disorder, Trauma, Phobias, Suicidal Ideation, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Dance Performance Enhancement (Coping with the pressure, stress, body image/eating concerns, anxiety, time commitment).
So, if you are ready to make a change, and this is the type of support you are looking for, I invite you to meet with me for a really gentle conversation about what you are needing right now, and how I may be able to help and support you. You can do this by making a First Session Appointment at The Calming Suite (click on link below)
Hello there and welcome! My name is Alissa, and I am a Registered Psychologist, Researcher, and Founder of The Calming Suite. Even though I haven’t met you before, I can already tell just by clicking on my page that you have been searching for ways to help yourself, or your loved one with what you are going through. This may be the very first time you are looking for some support, or you may have already had mental health support or treatment before, but you weren’t quite ready, or you just didn’t feel that you connected with the treatment approach or therapist. Many of the clients who come to The Calming Suite are looking for a psychologist who is upbeat, young at heart, friendly, easy to connect with, safe, and full of warmth and compassion. Someone who does not judge them, and won’t give up on them! Clients quickly notice and appreciate the depth of commitment, passion, and extraordinary lengths I will go to in helping them reach their full potential and transform their life for the better.
Welcome
Hello there and welcome! My name is Alissa, and I am a Registered Psychologist, Researcher, and Founder of The Calming Suite. Even though I haven’t met you before, I can already tell just by clicking on my page that you have been searching for ways to help yourself, or your loved one with what you are going through. This may be the very first time you are looking for some support, or you may have already had mental health support or treatment before, but you weren’t quite ready, or you just didn’t feel that you connected with the treatment approach or therapist. Many of the clients who come to The Calming Suite are looking for a psychologist who is upbeat, young at heart, friendly, easy to connect with, safe, and full of warmth and compassion. Someone who does not judge them, and won’t give up on them! Clients quickly notice and appreciate the depth of commitment, passion, and extraordinary lengths I will go to in helping them reach their full potential and transform their life for the better.
As Seen In
My Therapy Approach
At The Calming Suite we use a ‘Person-Centred’ therapy approach,
as opposed to a ‘Diagnostic-Label’ therapy approach
Why?
Because You are Special, One of a Kind, and you Deserve a Different Therapy Experience!
How?
click on the toggles below to find out
Every person has their own unique identity, personality, characteristics, wide-range of experiences (both positive and negative), and developmental history.
For this reason, in my psychology practice, I do not use a ‘one-size-fits-all’ treatment approach (e.g., using the same rigid therapy approach for every client who has a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder for example).
Just because two people may have a diagnosis of BPD, does not mean they will respond equally the same to a particular style of therapy. They are still uniquely different individuals with different values, personalities, background histories, circumstances, likes/dislikes, and may or may not have other psychological issues as well that differ.
For this reason, I utilise a person-centered treatment approach, whereby the therapy is tailored specifically to each individual client.
We know from scientific evidence this offers the best possible chance of change and recovery.
Sometimes this means instead of using one manualised therapy (e.g., DBT), we can use a blend of various elements from a few different therapies (e.g., DBT, Yoga for PTSD, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) the person feels will meets their needs and goals best.
My clients know they are always in the ‘driving seat’, with the ability to openly discuss with me their goals and what they would like work on in accordance with their needs.
Every client is involved in choosing the right treatment for them that will best meet their needs, their goals, and increase the likelihood of achieving long-lasting change or recovery.
Of most importance, is that my clients feel supported, and heard, and therapy is guided by what matters most to my clients in their lives.
I bring a warm, genuine, and compassionate atmosphere to therapy where my clients feel relaxed and comfortable in the therapeutic environment.
I ensure clients don’t ever feel pressured into doing things they are not comfortable with.
Service Options
Issues
I offer Psychological treatment and assessment for a variety of issues including:
• Eating Disorders (early intervention)
• Body Image Issues
• Anxiety Disorders
• PTSD
• Complex PTSD
• Dance Performance Enhancement
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Suicidal Thoughts
• Bipolar Disorder (Type II)
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
• Perfectionism
• Family Conflict
• Relationship Issues
• School issues
(academic/bullying)
Phobias
Outcomes
The type of treatment goals we can work on throughout therapy can include things like:
Body Image Fears and Distress ~ Learn how to give up food rules and the constant thoughts and anxiety about food and your body.
Fear of abandonment ~ Developing an awareness of why fear of abandonment occurs, and learning ways to develop healthy relationships with people without fear of being rejected or abandoned.
Emotional Dysregulation ~ Learning effective ways to regulate the intensity of emotions like anger, anxiety, fear, sadness, internal pain, and learn how to identify what triggers these types of emotions.
Dissociation ~ Learning effective ways to decrease the frequency and intensity of dissociation and develop healthier ways of coping with distress.
Anxiety/Panic Attacks ~ Learning effective ways to manage anxiety symptoms in both the body and mind so you can live your life worry free and enjoy things again like socialising or giving a speech.
Dance Performance ~ Learning effective ways to manage and cope with the immense pressures that come with being a professional dancer, such as body image, time commitment, stress, performance anxiety.
Therapy
I am trained in a wide variety of psychological therapies including:
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
• Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT-E)
• Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD
• Schema Therapy for Eating Disorders
• Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) “Tapping” for Weight Management
• First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED model)
• Yoga Therapy for Eating Disorders
Today She Decided That it Was Time to Put Herself First!
How are sessions conducted?
Psychologists offer therapy sessions either face-to-face (in-person) or over Telehealth (e.g., Zoom or Phone). Some people greatly prefer face-to-face only, others like to do a blend of both. Many clients prefer telehealth due to the flexibility and convenience it offers over face-to-face, while still receiving the same quality of care and support.
What to expect at your first visit?
The first session is a wonderful opportunity for us to get to know each other (much like you would chat to your friend). In this session I like to learn about you, what you are hoping to achieve, and together how we may be able to achieve that. Clients are often pleasantly surprised that it is not anywhere near as scary as they imagined, and any anxiety or worry they had is usually gone in the first few minutes.
Confidentiality and Privacy
By law, Psychologists are bound to a comprehensive Code of Ethics by the Australian Psychological Society that covers matters such as confidentiality, privacy, duty of care, professional development, safety and service quality. Confidential means that any verbal or written information thing you provide in our sessions stays with me. I cannot, and will not, share anything you tell me with anyone else unless you provide consent for me to do so. The only limitations to this rule are if you are at risk of harming yourself or someone else (which then, it is my legal obligation to do everything I can to keep you safe), or if I am subpoenaed by the court of law.
Cancellations
Due to the sheer number of people waiting to have psychological support, I require a minimum of 48 hours’ (2 days) notice if you wish to cancel your appointment. This is to ensure that your cancelled appointment time slot can be allocated to someone else on the waitlist. If you cancel your appointment with less than 48 hours’ notice, or in the event that you do not show for your appointment without any notice, you will be charged a cancellation fee.
How many sessions will I need in my treatment?
This really varies from person to person. Some people respond really well to treatment, others may take a little longer. Again, this is because everyone is so beautifully unique! We will regularly monitor your progress, and together we can decide what might be the right number of sessions in your treatment that will give you the best chance of achieving the goals you have set, and moving towards living the life you deserve.
How frequently will I need to have sessions?
I usually see clients fortnightly for sessions. We choose a day and time that work best for you, and then we reserve that spot in the calendar for you on a fortnight basis. If you need to change it at anytime, that is perfectly fine. Some clients may require, or prefer, weekly or monthly sessions. This is also negotiable, and we can discuss that too. Whatever is in your best interests and you are comfortable with.
Let's Make it Happen ~ Get in Touch
Book an Appointment Today
If you would like to book your first session with me, or you have any general questions,
there are 3 easy ways you can do this:
