Sue Lawrence

About

Personal Best Psychology is a well established practice situated in Mornington and is run by registered psychologist, Sue Lawrence, who has been in private practice since 1994.

I work with clients presenting with a variety of emotional, psychological and cognitive issues, in particular those who are Neuro-divergent and have a history of trauma, PTSD and CPTSD (in particular first responders), survivors of childhood abuse, and those with attachment disorders.

I offer comprehensive assessments for ADHD and Autism for adolescents and adults over 16 years. I use many evidence based techniques and therapies including: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Rational Emotive therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, EMDR and parts work, and Person-Centred Counselling.

During my early years in Private Practice I worked in a multi-disciplinary setting at Langwarrin Sports Medicine Centre. This gave me a great insight into the BioPsychoSocial Model, as well as a more wholistic approach to working with clients. During that time I was a founding member of the first Pain Management Programme to run on the Peninsula, mostly catering to TAC and WorkCover clients. We ran the groups out of the then Peninsula Private hospital with significant success.

These early years fostered an interest in Pain and Trauma, which I in turn then studied and worked with further in the ensuing years. Working in a Sports Medicine practice, many of my clients were athletes who came to enhance their performance by addressing issues such as performance anxiety, focus of attention and concentration difficulties, goal setting, travelling from home to compete, and learning mindfulness and relaxation techniques. The Victorian Institute of Sport sponsored golfers whom I saw for Sports Psychology work, and I spent some time at the AIS honing my skills.

I have adopted a vegan, low waste lifestyle, and am passionate about caring for our fellow animals and environment. I understand the importance of finding like-minded people to help you if you are vegan and seeking a Psychologist.

I have two auto immune diseases, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ulcerative Colitis. This means that my exercise and diet are important in helping me manage the symptoms and keeping the inflammation down. Having these conditions helps me to better understand the lives of some of my clients, whether it be physical pain, emotional pain or both. I have personal experience in dealing with this day to day.

More recently I have trained in assessments and diagnosis for ADHD and Autism. As a late diagnosed level 1 Autistic person, I understand first hand the struggle Neuro-divergent people can face.

I feel very privileged to have worked with individuals, couples and groups for over 32 years. This has given me the opportunity to develop a unique and effective approach to facilitating change. I see you, the client, as a whole, yet still focus on the specific place where you may be stuck emotionally, psychologically and cognitively, and see connection as the key. I tailor the therapeutic approach to suit you and what you bring on the day, recognising and understanding that your tool box doesn’t always have a full set of tools in it.

My time as a teacher and then as a Lecturer in Psychology has given me the skills to work with people of all ages and backgrounds. I also have many years of experience in studying and working with the human body, so our work together can be approached from a more holistic perspective.

I aim to treat each and every client with respect and care, and as an individual with unique and genuine concerns and challenges. The clinic is conveniently located at 17 Yuilles Rd, Mornington VIC 3931 with plenty of parking, a welcoming wait area and cosy consulting rooms.