Frequently Asked Questions

Our mission is to help people achieve more. Traditionally the disability sector was focused on maintenance as opposed to the medical model which is recovery-focused. Our mission is to help train and improve areas of functioning in people with disabilities, increase the capacity of their families and carers through training and education, and to see functional deficits as a challenge to be overcome. That’s why we call ourselves The Shrink Academy. We want to help you through a progressive journey of improvement, not just maintenance of the status-quo.

The Shrink Academy believes that relationships and people are not a one-size-fits-all matter. We have a range of packages available to suit your needs, these are individually tailored to the specific needs of the client. Our Clinicians take a multidisciplinary approach and have a vast range of experience in the Disability sector, Special Educational settings, home and community environments. The Shrink Academy staff use evidence-based practice that support NDIS standards. The staff insist on keeping abreast with new information by engaging in professional development and peer supervision. The Shrink Academy provide a wraparound support and take a collaborative approach by including various stake- holders in the individuals lives, ensuring better quality of life outcomes.

The Shrink Academy understand that are client’s needs are all unique and may therefore require various options of service delivery. These can include face-to-face in clinic sessions located in Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Robina, Palm Beach and Brisbane. We also offer private sessions in-home or nursing homes, visits to schools and delivery via virtual methods such as Telehealth.

All our Shrink Academy staff respect and encourage individuals participating in our services to maintain choice and control over their lives. Our clients and families are at the forefront of their programs and are treated with professionalism ensuring fair and equal partnerships between themselves and the staff. Decisions and beliefs of the individuals will be respected. Parent and child relationships are key in the success of positive outcomes in interventions. The Shrink Academy provide quality, up to date information to best support the individuals in improving quality of life and reaching life goals.

Our intake process will assist you to get to know your goals and needs and will find the clinician that will best support your needs. Our team offer a person-centred approach. The team have come with a wealth of experience, knowledge and training in the area of disability and behaviour. Following our intake process our team will identify how we can best service the client to meet their needs and support them to meet their desired outcomes.

Positive behaviour support is a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach. It is not a quick fix approach, however has been proven to sustain a positive change in behaviour over a longer period of time. This method of behaviour intervention looks at the system setting or skill deficit rather than focusing on the individual. The shift is taken away from focussing on the deficits and problem of concern and looking for opportunities to complement and support the client’s existing strengths. PBS looks for ways for the individual to be successful in identifying why behaviours are occurring and then teach a replacement behaviour that still gives the individual a chance to get their needs met.

Brain development is prevalent in early childhood and is a period of a child’s life that sees a rapid rate of learning and development and is at its highest in the preschool years. Some children have conditions identified at birth, have additional needs or delays in developments that would normally happen in the early years of life and are at risk of missing some of the important milestones. Early intervention needs to take place as early as possible in a child’s development to foster and improve skills, potentially reducing supports that may be required later in their life. In some cases, it can change the trajectory of the child’s developmental delays and capacity. The Shrink Academy will work collaboratively with families to provide the ability to prioritise and have choice in interventions that will best support the child to be successful in everyday situations.

The Shrink Academy’s Specialist Behaviour Support focuses on person-centred interventions that can address antecedents that may cause challenging or behaviours of concern. Behaviours of concern can place themselves or others in danger and also limit their ability to access all parts of the community. The Shrink Academy offer a variety of behaviour support packages that are flexible in order to best meets the client’s needs and level of funding. Our team are experienced in working with a range of complex behaviours and disabilities across multiple settings including mainstream and disability schools, clinical and home environments. Our team conduct functional behaviour assessments to develop a support plan with a person-centred approach that places an understanding of the individual as a person, identifying their strengths, how they learn best, identify underlying sensory issues and communication styles. A characteristics profile is developed which focuses on circumstances which may not be seen from a behaviour analysis alone. The plan itself is designed to have proactive and preventative environment adjustments, replacement behaviours, skill development and reinforcement.

Therapeutic support is an integral part of any overall intervention that can assist individuals to gain skills and develop independence to be capable of reaching their full potential. Everybody needs to feel valued, have a healthy self-esteem and feel like they belong. Clients who may not necessarily require Early Childhood Intervention Support or Specialist Behaviour Support can access Therapeutic Support. The Shrink Academy offers wrap around support options for individuals to improve skill deficits that may be impeding the ability to succeed.

Contrary to common perception, Therapeutic Supports within the context of disability is not the same as psychotherapy vis-à-vis psychological or psychiatric interventions. In many cases the traditional psychotherapeutic approach to disability-related deficits are not appropriate and can even frustrate both the participant and the clinician. Whilst psychotherapy can be incorporated into the approach, it is often complementary in nature as opposed to being the primary modality of Therapeutic Supports delivery. Here at The Shrink Academy our clinicians operate within a multi-disciplinary model to ensure skill and discipline-specific intervention is delivered to the appropriate person, rather than just applying traditional psychological therapy modalities.

Our team offer a person-centred approach that focuses on developing strengths and improving the quality of life for our clients. The team have experience, knowledge and training in the area of disability within clinical settings, education facilities, home and the community.

The experienced team at The Shrink Academy can tailor session delivery to meet the needs of our client and accommodate for sensory of physical needs. Our approach is to implement a variety of evidence-based interventions to support clients in developing skills, confidence and achieving goals.