Thomas Oppenheim
Get in touch

Family Therapy

Healing what matters
— within and between

Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to book a session.

Get in touch

How I Can Help?

Thomas is a Clinical Family Therapist, but also has experience in working with individual, couples and in larger groups.

1

Family Therapy

Here we can get larger groups together to help remove barriers that are preventing a more harmonious relationship. There is a focus on making sure everyone is feeling heard and understood. I also offer home visits to reduce the barriers for individuals who feel reluctant to attend in person.
2

Couples Therapy

I have experience working with couples who are were wanting support with their intimate relationships or finding ways to realign as parents. I am trained in Gottman and Schema therapy (for couples), though my main work is to focus on the couples dynamic, allowing space for whatever is brought into the room to be attended to directly.
3

Individual Therapy

I'm a family therapist who has lots of experience working with individuals. After establishing your goals, we'll work together to better understand the root causes of the unwanted feelings and behaviours. I believe in being trauma informed and use techniques from Internal Family Systems (IFS) and schema therapy to structure the therapeutic work.

Thomas Oppenhiem

Clinical Family Therapist

I’m a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Clinical Family Therapist with a Masters in Clinical Family Therapy from La Trobe University (Bouverie Centre). I’m a Registered Clinical member of Psychotherapy and Counselling Feneration of Australia (PACFA) and a member of the Australian Association of Family Therapy (AAFT). I am a trained in EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Schema therapy and Gottman therapy.

In session, I like to engage with warmth and authenticity to establish a space where safety is a priority.  Together I hope we can co-create new communication and behaviour patterns to strengthen relationships while also improving your well-being. Using curiosity and transparency we will explore and make sense of past experiences to foster a sense of hope for the future. I’m LGBTQIA+ friendly and welcomes individuals and families who identify in any way.

Frequently Asked
Questions

Absolutely.  I am available for individual therapeutic work whether it be in conjunction with other family work or separate.

I have experience using a number of therapeutic techniques to help clients move towards their goals including; EMDR, IFS and Schema therapy, though often there is a focus on past experiences and relationships as it give us a lot of information about how you arrived where you are today.

For group sessions, it’s recommended to allow 80mins for the initial session.

All subsequent sessions will be for 50mins.

I have experience working with all types of couples including, monogamous, polyamorous, friendships and more. 

I am LGBTQIA+ friendly and welcome all individuals, couples and families who identify in any way.

I provide in person in Carlton (and home visits) on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

I have more flexibility for phone and virtual sessions during the week. Please contact me to find out more.

Family therapy is very flexible in how it is delivered. It can occur with all family members present or individually.  My usual motto is that I work with whoever is in front of me.

The term family also isn’t isolated to immediate family members, this can extend out to whom ever you think is important to you. The question of who attends will be a discussion had between all relevant family members. 

Also, if attending the office is a barrier for everyone to attend, please contact me to see if a in home visit might be more appropriate.

I’ve been working in Private Practice for a few years now, with a variety of work with individuals, couples and families from all walks of life. I also have over a decades worth of experience working for NGO’s that was mainly working with young people and their families to better understand themselves and change their unhelpful behaviours that have included; substance use, depression, anxiety, aggression/violence, eating disorders, and criminal activities.  I really enjoy working with individuals to overcomes barriers in their lives that includes; low self esteem, trauma related symptoms, relationships boundaries and managing the challenges of day-to-day life.  I have also enjoy working wiht families and couples who are trying to overcome challenges that mainly revolve around; parenting issues, communication, trust, infidelity, and future planning.

Face-to-face sessions are in Carlton. The cost is $210 for a 50min session. Initial couple of group sessions it’s recommended to have an 80min session that costs $260.  

Outreach to homes (within North and East Melbourne) is $290 for 50mins .

I also provide virtual or phone sessions that cost $160 for 50mins.

Currently, no Medicare rebates can be offered, though being a PACFA member, I can offer some rebates for certain clients who hold Private Health Insurance with extras cover, where you are able to claim benefits for counselling and psychotherapy services. You will need to check your health fund, with current PACFA agreements with the below health funds: 

Medibank, AHM, Bupa, HCF, ARHG

It is believed that best outcomes are achieved when we are all present in the room together, though we need to make sure that everyone feels safe before we can do this. The sessions can be held entirely online, or some family member’s can be physically present while other’s are joining either virtually or by phone. It has sometimes been best to have individual sessions before bringing everyone together.

Research suggests that finding the right person for you is extremely important. So if you’d like, please feel free to call me first and have a chat to see if you think we’d be a good fit. I might not pick up straight away but I will call you back when I can. 

0402 310 964