Self-harm is often a way of coping with overwhelming emotional pain — not attention-seeking or manipulation. With the right support, people who self-harm can find safer ways to manage distress and build a life free from self-injury.
Our registered psychologists in Melbourne provide compassionate, evidence-based treatment for self-harm across four clinic locations and via Telehealth.
If you are in crisis right now, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24/7) or call 000 in an emergency.
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.
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) refers to deliberate, direct injury to one’s own body without suicidal intent — most commonly cutting, burning, hitting, or scratching. Self-harm typically functions as an emotional regulation strategy — providing temporary relief from intense emotional pain (Nock, 2010).
Self-harm is not the same as suicidal behaviour, though it is an important risk factor for suicide. It typically indicates that a person is in significant emotional pain and has not yet found effective ways to manage it — not that they want to die.
Professional support for self-harm is important when:
Approximately 8% of Australian adolescents and young adults engage in self-harm. Without treatment, self-harm tends to escalate and significantly impairs quality of life (Moran et al., 2012).
Self-harm is a powerful short-term emotional regulation strategy — it works, quickly and reliably, to reduce emotional pain. This is why it is so difficult to stop without developing effective alternatives. Effective treatment replaces self-harm with safer distress tolerance strategies while addressing the underlying emotional pain driving it (Linehan, 1993).
Effective treatment addresses:
DBT reduces self-harm significantly more than standard treatment for people who repeatedly self-harm (Linehan et al., 2015).
Our psychologists use approaches with the strongest evidence for self-harm:
The gold standard evidence-based treatment for self-harm (Linehan et al., 2015). DBT was specifically developed for people who self-harm. It builds distress tolerance, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness — replacing self-harm with safer alternatives and addressing the underlying emotional dysregulation.
For self-harm rooted in trauma — as is common in people with histories of abuse, neglect, or adverse childhood experiences — trauma processing is an essential part of treatment. EMDR and TF-CBT address the traumatic experiences driving self-harm.
Builds the capacity to experience intense emotions without acting on them — through defusion, acceptance, and values-based engagement with life as an alternative to self-harm. Particularly useful for self-harm driven by experiential avoidance and self-critical thoughts.
Identifies the thoughts, emotions, and situations triggering self-harm and builds effective cognitive and behavioural alternatives. Addresses the self-critical beliefs and negative self-appraisals that contribute to self-harm urges.
You do not have to stop self-harming before starting therapy — reducing and eventually stopping self-harm is often one of the key goals of treatment. You are welcome as you are.
Your first appointment is a safe, confidential space to share your experience. You will not be judged for self-harming.
We develop a personalised safety plan together — practical steps for when distress escalates — in the first or second session.
We work collaboratively with GPs and psychiatrists where appropriate to ensure coordinated, safe care.
We offer appointments in-clinic at our Mooroolbark, Wheelers Hill, Reservoir, and Melbourne CBD locations, as well as Telehealth sessions from anywhere in Australia.
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.
Will my psychologist report my self-harm to anyone?
Self-harm alone — without immediate suicidal intent or risk of serious harm — does not trigger mandatory reporting. Your sessions are confidential. Your psychologist will discuss confidentiality limits in detail in your first session.
Do I have to stop self-harming before I can start therapy?
No. DBT was specifically designed for people who are currently self-harming. Reducing and stopping self-harm is a treatment goal, not a prerequisite.
Can I access Medicare rebates?
Yes. Self-harm in the context of BPD, depression, anxiety, or trauma is within the scope of Medicare-rebated psychological therapy via a Mental Health Care Plan.
What if I’m in crisis right now?
Please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24 hours, 7 days) or call 000 if you are in immediate danger. For text-based support, contact Crisis Text Line via the Lifeline website.
Self-harm makes sense as a coping strategy — but there are safer ways to manage pain. Our team can help you find them.
AnxietyDepressionADHDPTSDAll Conditions
Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press.
Linehan, M. M., Korslund, K. E., Harned, M. S., Gallop, R. J., Lungu, A., Neacsiu, A. D., McDavid, J., Comtois, K. A., & Murray-Gregory, A. M. (2015). Dialectical behavior therapy for high suicide risk in individuals with borderline personality disorder. JAMA Psychiatry, 72(5), 475–482. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.3039
Moran, P., Coffey, C., Romaniuk, H., Olsson, C., Borschmann, R., Carlin, J. B., & Patton, G. C. (2012). The natural history of self-harm from adolescence to young adulthood: A population-based cohort study. The Lancet, 379(9812), 236–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61141-0
Nock, M. K. (2010). Self-injury. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 339–363. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131258
