Psychologist

I’m American by birth and Australian by choice (which means I do have a little bit of an accent!). As someone whose neurodivergence was confirmed later in life, I can relate to many experiences you might have in understanding what it means to be an ND adult. It's a privilege to guide individuals exploring neurodiversity, whether you're seeking assessment, grappling with a new diagnosis, or curious about what a neurodiverse-affirming approach looks like. My goal is to assist you in finding clarity, acceptance, and strategies for thriving as an ND adult.

For some, being neurodivergent intersects with diversity, equity, and inclusion. For example, exploring how being ND interacts with your gender, sexuality, culture, and/or spirituality. These topics are important to me. So, let’s explore them! I encourage you to share anything you feel is important in sessions, and we’ll incorporate it meaningfully. However, I don’t expect you to educate me; I’ll research what is important to you without putting further burden on your shoulders.

Sylvia T. Gray

Some of the things that make me 'me':

Other people may describe me as:

What will sessions look like?

As your ally, I view our sessions as a collaborative journey. You bring invaluable experience, knowledge, and skills about yourself and your life. For my part, I'll bring knowledge, skills, and experience relating to neurodivergence as well as the science and practice of psychology. Together, we'll work toward achieving your goals, addressing your challenges, or answering your questions. We might process your experiences, explore what scientific research tells us, or create some experiments for the world outside our conversations. I hope we create your custom toolkit of solutions, resources, and knowledge to conquer challenges now and in the future. We'll also have some laughs!

What can we talk about?

Nearly anything! It’s not uncommon to explore:

Masking: Understanding and navigating the nuances of masking and how to unmask safely.
Sensory needs: Identifying and addressing your sensory preferences and needs.
Identity: Exploring your ND identity, embracing strengths, and aligning actions with values.
Prejudice, Stereotypes, Discrimination, Internalised Ableism: Addressing and working through external judgments and self-perceptions.
Meltdowns, shutdowns, burnout: Exploring your own experiences and triggers, reducing their frequency and improving wellbeing.
Other people: Advocating for your needs and setting respectful boundaries.
Chronic illness: Understanding your rights and managing your “spoons”
Stimming: Understanding, accommodating, and embracing self-soothing strategies.
Special Interests: Embracing your passions.

I offer:

I work with:

I can see:

More about Sylvia

Home state: VIC

My eye sparkles and SpIns (special interests) include:

Reading - fantasy, non-fiction, and romance (did I really just admit that?!).
Listening to podcasts.
Gaming in nearly every way. I met my husband in World of Warcraft (don't do the math!).
I play D&D, various PC games, board games, card games, puzzles, etc.
Learning more about neurodivergent folk, how we operate, and how we can be best supported

Here are 3 things I believe with all of my heart to be true:

It takes a great deal of courage to seek support, greater self understanding, and strive to be the best version of yourself.
Navigating a world that seems indifferent to our unique needs and identity requires immense strength and effort. The act of persevering, in the face of such challenges, holds just as much value and significance as those days when we effortlessly tick off every item on our to-do lists.
If I can't wear leggings, I'm not going.

Fees

The standard consultation fee for a 50-minute appointment with Sylvia is $220. This applies to all clients, including privately paying clients, clients using Medicare or private health insurance and NDIS clients who are self-managed.
Fees for NDIS plan-managed clients are as per the NDIS price guide in your state for psychologists.
If you have a valid referral, Medicare rebates are available for appointments with Sylvia. A rebate means you pay the full fee first and then receive a portion of the fee back from Medicare.
Private health insurance rebates are available, depending on your fund and level of cover.
You can read more on our Fees and Rebates page.

Appointments

Sylvia's therapy waitlist is estimated to be around 2-4 months. This is only a rough estimate; our waitlists can be fluid, and sometimes there is movement, which means we might have unexpected appointments that pop up earlier than this.
While you are waiting, we encourage you to ask us to put you on Sylvia's 'cancellation list' so we can contact you if there are any cancelled appointments we need to fill. This can help us get you into the earliest possible appointment.
By booking and attending an appointment with Very Helpful Chats, you agree to our Business Terms and Conditions that can be found on this page of our website.

Join our waitlist!

Please click here to complete our waitlist and matching form. Our waitlist and matching form is designed to gather basic information about your needs to make sure we can offer you the service you need. This form also helps us match you with a clinician with the skills and experience to meet your needs.

Once we can offer you an appointment, we will send you a second intake form. This second intake form includes our full consent form, and we also request your credit card, debit card, or PayPal details. Rest assured that we take card security seriously, and your details are stored securely on our client management system, Halaxy. This security measure helps us prevent theft and fraud. No one at Very Helpful Chats will have access to your card details. If you have any concerns or questions regarding the security of your card details, we encourage you to read more about Halaxy's card security here: Halaxy Card Security FAQs