About Primary Care Psychology

 

Primary Care Psychology is a clinical psychology service aimed at providing psychological assessments and therapy to patients under the care of General Practitioners in the Melbourne metropolitan region.

 

The company, Primary Care Psychology Pty Ltd, was founded in 2006 by clinical psychologist, Jonathon Walker. Not just another psychology private practice, Primary Care Psychology was created to fulfil the growing need for consumer access to psychology services, especially for those who have difficulty attending a medical clinical on a regular basis.

 

All psychologists working with Primary Care Psychology have completed a postgraduate clinical psychology degree, are registered members of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and have current registration as a psychologist in Victoria.

 

 

 

 

The Primary Care Psychology logo was designed to symbolize a collaboration between psychology and medicine.

 

In this representation we depict the twin serpents of the Caduceus (a widely known symbol for medicine) entwined around the Greek letter, psi, the symbol for psychology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jonathon Walker is a 36 year-old, clinical psychologist from Brighton, Victoria, with over 10 years experience administering psychological assessments and therapy. He is a full member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) and holds a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Melbourne, a (four year) Honours degree in Arts-Psychology, and a further (four year) Honours degree in Economics.

 

Apart from private practice, Jonathon has worked as a psychologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Royal Melbourne Rehabilitation hospital, the Oak House centre for eating disorders, and the Australian Council for Educational Research on their psychological assessment portfolio.

 

Jonathon's therapeutic focus is predominantly Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), but supplements his work with personally developed strategies to bring about lasting change. Over the years he has observed that success in therapy is achieved when it is goal oriented, and, moreover, when goals have been set collaboratively with the patient. Motivation should be recognised as a key issue in psychotherapy, together with maladaptive cognitive schemas and habitual behaviours that interfere with a patient's ability to recover independently.

 

In December 2006, Jonathon established the service, Primary Care Psychology, whose chief aim is to work closely with general practitioners and medical specialists to bring about better outcomes for patients via evidence-based, cognitive-behavioural therapy.

 

In recognition of those patients who cannot physically access or afford clinic-based therapy, Jonathon has been providing a home-visit, psychology service since June 2007.