CAYA Psychology
Geelong
Therapy for children, teens & adults with tics and Tourette syndrome
This can include:
- Self-consciousness or fear of negative attention
- Avoidance of social situations, work meetings, or public spaces
- Increased anxiety or frustration when trying to suppress tics
- Feeling misunderstood by others
- Fatigue from constant monitoring or effort to “hold things in”
Therapy focuses not only on tics, but on how you relate to them and how much space they take up in your life.
Living with tics or Tourette syndrome can be frustrating, embarrassing, and exhausting — particularly when other people misunderstand what’s happening. I work with children, teens, and adults who experience motor and vocal tics, including Tourette syndrome, whether these have been present since childhood or developed later in life.
Many people seek therapy not to “get rid” of tics entirely, but to reduce their impact, manage associated stress or anxiety, and feel more confident navigating daily life
What Tics and Tourette Syndrome often looks like in real life
Tics are sudden, involuntary movements or sounds that can be difficult or impossible to fully suppress. They often fluctuate over time and can be affected by stress, fatigue, excitement, or attention.
People may experience:
- Repetitive movements such as blinking, facial movements, head jerks, or shoulder shrugs
- Vocal tics such as throat clearing, sniffing, or sounds
- A strong urge or uncomfortable sensation before a tic occurs
- Temporary ability to suppress tics, followed by a rebound
- Increased tics during periods of stress or pressure
- Worry about being noticed, judged, or misunderstood
Tourette syndrome involves both motor and vocal tics and often occurs alongside other difficulties such as anxiety, OCD, ADHD, or emotional regulation challenges.
You don’t need to have all of these, and your experience doesn’t need to match anyone else’s to be valid.
How therapy can help with Tics and TS
- Better understand your tics and the factors that influence them
- Reduce stress and tension that can exacerbate tic frequency
- Learn strategies to manage urges and responses to tics
- Address anxiety, shame, or frustration linked to symptoms
- Improve confidence in social, work, and relationship settings
For some people, therapy also involves structured behavioural approaches. For others, the focus is on coping, acceptance, and reducing secondary distress.
My Approach
Client centred: We focus on what matters most to you
Practical and Grounded: not overly technical or jargon heavy
Collaborative: You are not pushed faster than you are ready to go
Evidence Based: Uses principles of Comprehnsive Behavioural Intervention for Tics (CBIT) in a flexible, supportive way
Non Judgemental: There is no expectation to suppress or hide symptoms
Is therapy right for you?
You might consider seeking support if:
- Tics are interfering with work, study, or social life
- Stress or anxiety is making symptoms worse
- You’re feeling self-conscious, frustrated, or worn down
- You want support that goes beyond “just ignore it”
You don’t need a formal diagnosis to start therapy.
Therapy details
- Therapy is available for children, teens & adults
- Sessions are offered in person and via telehealth
- Appointments are confidential and paced to your needs
If you’re unsure whether what you’re experiencing is Tics or Tourette Syndrome, we can explore that together.
Taking the next step
If Tics are affecting your life or someone you care about and you’d like support, you’re welcome to get in touch to discuss whether therapy might be a good fit.
- Contact us to make a confidential enquiry
Frequently asked questions
No, you do not need a referral. You can make an appointment with a psychologist without a referral from your GP or a paediatrician/psychiatrist. If you decide to do this you will need to pay the full amount for your sessions out of your own pocket.
At CAYA Psychology, individual treatment sessions are 50 minutes. Assessment sessions may be longer.
You will need to make an appointment with your GP who will assess whether you are eligible for a Mental Health Treatment Plan. A Mental Health Treatment Plan will enable you to claim a Medicare rebate (rebates vary by type of referral).
Click here to find out more about Fees and Rebates.
To be able to claim the Medicare rebate for your session you will need to bring a copy of your Mental Health Treatment Plan to your first appointment with your psychologist.
Psychologists are health professionals who work in a range of areas including clinical, health, neuropsychology, sports, forensic, organisational and community settings. To become a fully registered psychologist you must undertake an undergraduate degree, an Honours degree and and at least two years of supervised training and further education in the field of psychology (either a Masters or Doctorate degree).
Psychologists assist people with everyday concerns such as stress and relationship difficulties, as well as mental health issues. Psychologists use “talk therapies” to help people to develop skills to cope with difficulties and to prevent on-going issues. There are a large number of research studies supporting the effectiveness of psychological therapy.
Psychiatrists have completed a medical degree and further training and study related to the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Psychiatrists specialise in the medical treatment of mental illness and can prescribe medication. Some psychiatrists combine medication with therapy.
The procedure for a first appointment varies from practice to practice, but here is an overview of how things tend to work at CAYA Psychology:
At the beginning of your first session your psychologist will briefly run through important paperwork with you. This will include checking the information you provided in your online-intake documentation (including any medical referrals and service agreements).
We will also discuss issues such as privacy, confidentiality (and limits to this), fees and other important information about sessions.
The remainder of the session is usually spent discussing the issues that have brought you into therapy. As well as developing a thorough understanding of your concerns, your psychologist will explore relevant background history, for example, information about your family, social relationships, work history and any past counselling that you have done. Based on this information we will begin to help you to understand more about what might be causing and maintaining your current issues. If time allows we will also work with you to develop a collaborative and flexible plan for future therapy sessions.
If you are bringing your child for treatment, at their first session, your psychologist will typically start the session with parent/s and child together and discuss (using age-appropriate language) the role of a psychologist, and cover issues such as privacy, confidentiality (and limits to this) as above.
Your psychologist will then discuss the reasons that have brought you and your child into therapy with you all. Your psychologist will then typically spend a portion of the session alone with your child to further discuss issues of concern and to explore your child’s interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes. Your psychologist will then provide some initial feedback to you (the parent). Subsequent consultations will typically follow a similar approach.