Low mood, stress & life transitions
Psychological support for low mood, stress and life transitions
Low mood does not always look like sadness. Often it looks like flatness, tiredness, irritability or losing interest in things that usually matter.
It can build slowly during a stressful period, or arrive alongside a significant change — a relationship ending, a bereavement, a career or study transition, becoming a parent, caring for someone, migrating, or an unexpected turn in health or finances.
Saturdays: In person in BlackburnWednesdays & Thursdays: Telehealth, including after hours
What this often looks like
- Feeling flat, numb or low most of the time
- Tiredness that rest does not fix
- Losing interest or pleasure in usual activities
- Withdrawing from people
- Irritability or a short fuse
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Harsh self-criticism
- Grief after a loss, or after a life change
- Feeling unsure who you are after things changed
- Going through the motions without knowing what you want next
How therapy can help
We start by understanding what is happening and what is keeping it going. With low mood, withdrawal and inactivity often provide short-term relief while gradually removing the things that lift mood, so we look closely at that cycle.
The work is usually practical to begin with: rebuilding routine, activity and connection in small, achievable steps, and working on the thinking patterns that make everything feel heavier than it needs to.
Where the change you are facing is genuinely difficult, therapy is not about reframing it as fine. It can help you grieve what has changed, get clearer on what matters to you now, and take steps that fit that.
What sessions are like
Sessions run for 50 minutes. The first one or two are mainly about understanding your situation, what you have already tried and what you would like to be different.
After that we agree on what we are working on and why. I ask questions, share what I am noticing and usually suggest something specific to try between sessions.
Therapy may draw on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Schema Therapy and mindfulness, depending on what is most useful for you.
When low mood sits alongside other difficulties
Low mood commonly occurs with anxiety, poor sleep, persistent pain, work stress or the effects of difficult past experiences. Where several things are happening at once, therapy can focus on how they interact and influence one another.
Luma Psychology is an outpatient private psychology service for adults aged 18 and over. It is not a crisis service. If you need urgent support, please call 000 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Young people aged 15–17 are also welcome to enquire; each request is considered individually. If you are aged 15–17, or enquiring on behalf of someone in this age group, please book a free 15-minute phone consultation with Della to discuss whether Luma Psychology is a suitable fit.
Common questions
- Do I need a diagnosis of depression?
- No. You do not need a diagnosis to see a psychologist. If you would like to claim a Medicare rebate, your GP will assess whether you meet the requirements for a Mental Health Treatment Plan.
- Is grief something psychology can help with?
- Yes. Grief is a normal response to loss. Therapy is not about treating it as a disorder or speeding it up. It can help when grief is affecting daily functioning, or when you are carrying it largely on your own.
- What if I am not sure what is wrong?
- That is a common starting point. Working out what is happening is part of the early sessions, not something you need to have sorted beforehand.
These answers are general information only and do not replace individual medical or psychological advice.
In person appointments are available in Blackburn on Saturdays, at 213 Canterbury Road, Blackburn VIC 3130. Telehealth is available on Wednesdays and Thursdays, including after hours.
Thinking about making an appointment?
You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Tell me a little about what you’re looking for and I’ll contact you about the next step.
Want to talk first? You are welcome to to ask a couple of questions.