Evidence-Based Therapy
Humanistic therapy sees you as more than a diagnosis — a whole person with the capacity to grow. It is a warm, respectful family of evidence-based approaches centred on your experience, your values, and your potential.
WorkCover, NDIS or TAC approved? YOU PAY NOTHING.
If your claim has been approved, we bill your funder directly. Zero out-of-pocket cost — no gap, no upfront payment, nothing.
Humanistic psychology is one of the major traditions in modern therapy — often called the ‘third force’, alongside the psychodynamic and behavioural traditions. It emerged in the mid-twentieth century through psychologists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, and rests on a hopeful, deeply human idea: that people are not simply the sum of their symptoms, but whole individuals with an innate drive toward growth, meaning, and becoming more fully themselves.
Rather than focusing only on what is wrong, humanistic therapy focuses on you as a person — your feelings, values, choices, and potential. It places great importance on the therapeutic relationship: a genuine, warm, non-judgemental connection in which you feel truly understood. That relationship is itself one of the most consistent predictors of good outcomes across every form of therapy.
Humanistic psychology is an umbrella for several evidence-based therapies, including person-centred, emotion-focused, gestalt, and existential therapy. They share a deep respect for your experience and autonomy and a belief in your capacity to change — while each offers its own distinct way of working.
That people are fundamentally trustworthy and growth-oriented; that the therapeutic relationship — genuineness, empathy, and acceptance — is central to change; and that you are the expert on your own life. Therapy is a partnership, not a set of instructions.
Humanistic approaches suit people who want to be understood as a whole person and take an active part in their own growth. They can help with:
‘Humanistic therapy’ is an umbrella, not a single method. Your psychologist draws on the approach — or blend of approaches — that best fits you. At The Talk Shop these include:
Carl Rogers’ foundational approach: warmth, empathy, and unconditional positive regard create a safe space to understand yourself and grow at your own pace.
Developed by Leslie Greenberg, EFT treats emotions as adaptive guides and helps you access, understand, and transform difficult feelings — with strong evidence for depression.
A present-focused, experiential approach that builds here-and-now awareness through creative experiments, helping you notice patterns and try new ways of being.
A meaning-focused approach for facing life’s bigger questions — purpose, freedom, connection, and change — with honesty and clarity.
Many of our psychologists are integrative, blending these with each other or with approaches like Compassion-Focused Therapy and ACT. Your first sessions help work out what suits you best.
We believe cost should never be a barrier to quality mental health care. There are several ways to fund your sessions at The Talk Shop:
Medicare Mental Health Care Plan — up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year with a GP referral. Bulk billing may be available.
WorkCover & TAC — no out-of-pocket cost with an approved claim; we bill your funder directly.
NDIS — supported for plan-managed and self-managed participants.
Private Health & self-funded — extras may apply; affordable rates from $50, no referral needed.
Not sure what you are eligible for? Call 1300 224 665 and our team will help you work out your options before your first session.
We offer humanistic psychology in-person at all four Melbourne clinics and via secure Telehealth Australia-wide:
It is a warm, respectful style of therapy that treats you as a whole person rather than a set of symptoms. It focuses on your feelings, values, and potential, and on a genuine, non-judgemental relationship in which you feel understood.
Yes. Humanistic approaches have research support, and the quality of the therapeutic relationship they pioneered is one of the most consistent predictors of good outcomes across all forms of therapy. Some, such as emotion-focused therapy, have particularly strong evidence for depression.
You don’t need to decide in advance. Your psychologist will get to know you and recommend the approach — person-centred, emotion-focused, gestalt, or existential — or the blend that best fits your goals and the way you like to work.
CBT is structured and focuses on changing specific thoughts and behaviours. Humanistic therapy is more open and relationship-centred, focusing on your experience, self-understanding, and growth as a whole person. Many people benefit from elements of both.
Yes. The warmth and connection at the heart of humanistic therapy come through well over secure video, and many people find online sessions comfortable and effective.
No referral is needed to book. A Mental Health Care Plan from your GP lets you access Medicare rebates for your sessions.
Elliott, R., Watson, J. C., Timulak, L., & Sharbanee, J. (2021). Research on humanistic-experiential psychotherapies: Updated review. In Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change (7th ed., pp. 421–467). Wiley.
Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21(2), 95–103. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045357
Angus, L., Watson, J. C., Elliott, R., Schneider, K., & Timulak, L. (2015). Humanistic psychotherapy research 1990–2015: From methodological innovation to evidence-supported treatment outcomes and beyond. Psychotherapy Research, 25(3), 330–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2014.989290
Our Melbourne psychologists offer warm, humanistic therapy tailored to you. Book online or call — no referral needed to start.
