Psychologist shopping isn’t only finding the technique you’re looking for. Logistics also play an important role: Who does the clinic accept? Can you attend appointments? Is the service right for what you want to work on?
Fortitude Wellbeing is a small boutique South Yarra adult psychology and counselling clinic. Its current core pages describe a personalised approach led by registered psychologist Melissa Bell, with face-to-face appointments and telehealth for suitable clients.
The best reason to choose Fortitude Wellbeing? Its tailored, one-on-one service for adults who need psychological counselling or an adult ADHD assessment.
Fortitude Wellbeing
4.5 / 5
| Review category | Assessment |
| Verdict | Fortitude Wellbeing will suit adults who appreciate individualised psychological care, flexible appointment options and access to several established therapeutic approaches from one small practice in South Yarra. |
| Service fit | 4.6 / 5 |
| Personalisation | 4.6 / 5 |
| Access flexibility | 4.5 / 5 |
| Service transparency | 4.4 / 5 |
Scores are based on an editorial rating of current documentation, publicly available information about the provider apart from customer reviews and how clearly the service model is posted. Patient outcomes or customer-review scores were not factored into these ratings.
In This Review
- Who Fortitude Wellbeing is for
- How the counselling approach works
- Adult ADHD assessments
- In-person and telehealth access
- Pros and cons
- Fees and practical fit
- Final verdict
Who Fortitude Wellbeing Is For
Fortitude Wellbeing’s existing homepage and About page frames the clinic as offering personalised mental health care for adults (18+). Issues mentioned include anxiety, depression, stress, trauma & grief, relationships, work issues, life changes and adult ADHD.
Melissa Bell heads the practice. According to Fortitude Wellbeing, Melissa Bell is an AHPRA registered psychologist with over 18 years experience in private practice, schools, mental health agencies and government departments. An independent Psychology Today professional profile shows Fortitude Wellbeing as a provider of general psychology services in South Yarra and being able to see clients both face-to-face and online.
The Australian Government’s AHPRA register of practitioners is the official public register you can use to check if a health practitioner is currently registered.
This is a more focused proposition than a large multidisciplinary service.
Someone seeking private individual counselling or assessment services may appreciate a boutique practice. However, people looking for services outside the clinic’s published scope will have to find care elsewhere.
How The Counselling Approach Works
Fortitude Wellbeing defines therapy as being individualised around the client’s needs, wants and objectives instead of adhering to one specific approach. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, person-centred therapy, psychoeducation and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing are among the methods listed on its current About Us pages.
The introductory consult is said to be an opportunity to talk about history, worries, likes/dislikes and objectives. They state that they use this info to develop a personalized treatment strategy.
One practical benefit is having access to multiple modalities within one therapeutic alliance. This is not to say that every modality will be beneficial for each individual.
APS have produced an evidence based psychological interventions list which includes established psychological interventions including CBT and EMDR where applicable. So this supports defining them as known approaches however it doesn’t define a set outcome for a Fortitude Wellbeing client.
Melissa Bell’s clinic bio mentions that she is trained in EMDR. This review does not consider that training, or any modality offered, as a guarantee of improvement.
Adult ADHD Assessments
Adult ADHD assessment is one of the clinic’s clearly defined services.
Fortitude Wellbeing claims that its assessment takes into account development history, family history, physical health and education and social factors. The published assessment process involves interviews, specialised assessments, standardised scales and psychometric tests, and information is collated against DSM-5 criteria over multiple consultations. The website also includes a disclaimer that assessment does not ensure that you will receive your desired outcome.
It’s important to keep that in mind.
An assessment is intended to evaluate the available information rather than promise a particular diagnostic result.
The clinic information page details ADHD treatment can include psychological support and medication. Fortitude Wellbeing provides the reviewed service of psychological assessment and support, not prescribing medication.
Adult ADHD assessment: For those adults who just want to know more about ADHD assessment, this article from the published process provides helpful information about what to expect.
In-Person And Telehealth Access
Face-to-face appointments are available at a South Yarra clinic, along with telehealth appointments for appropriate clients. The business website now claims Fortitude Wellbeing lists the clinic at Suite 5/35 Toorak Road, South Yarra.
The website says “Availability is usually immediate for new clients,” based on current availability. Since appointment openings are fluid, this review makes no guarantees of immediacy.
Telehealth might be appropriate for people who prefer remote appointments, or who find it difficult to travel conveniently to South Yarra. Of course, this will depend on the individual circumstances of the person and the type of service they require.
Pros And Cons
What works
- Personalised care: The published process starts with the person’s concerns, preferences and goals.
- Multiple treatment modalities: CBT, ACT, EMDR, and person-centered therapy are just a few of the modalities covered on its core pages.
- Flexible attendance: In-person and telehealth appointments are available for suitable clients.
- Clear adult ADHD pathway: The clinic provided useful detail about what may be involved in their assessment process.
What doesn’t
- Adults only with the clinic’s current core-page positioning. Its home and About page list adults 18 and over. If you are looking for someone to help with a child or younger adult, please verify that its current scope will meet your needs.
- No family therapy available within client-approved scope of service: Website advertises relationship therapy separately. This review differentiates between relationship therapy and family therapy as services.
- Doesn’t bulk bill: Per client-approved info provided for this review, the clinic does not bulk bill. Relevant to those who base their decision primarily on whether or not there is a private fee.
Fees And Practical Fit
Fortitude Wellbeing is a private psychology service. Per the client approved info provided for this review, they do not bulk bill. Fees should be confirmed prior to booking.
According to the clinic’s website, Medicare and/or private health rebates may be available depending on your circumstances. Eligibility should be checked rather than assumed.
From a consumer comparison perspective its all about if your need fits the clinic profile. Fortitude Wellbeing’s main focus is on psychological support for adults, adult ADHD testing, flexible appointments and tailoring your combination of therapies.
Final Verdict
Fortitude Wellbeing proposition: boutique south yarra psychology practice specialising in adults who want tailored psychological care. Individual psychology appointments and adult ADHD assessments are available in person or online via telehealth. Visit in person or online via telehealth.
Its current main pages have helpful specifics on how care is personalized and what to expect from an ADHD assessment. The operational limits apply too: the homepage now and About page target the service toward clients 18 and up, family therapy is outside the client-agreed scope of services, and the clinic does not bulk bill according to the supplied client-approved information.
No therapy sessions were used for this review and there were no adequately robust public customer- review corpus available to substantiate patient-experience or treatment-outcome claims.
If you’re an adult who falls within this scope of care, Fortitude Wellbeing provides a specialised and individualised service to help you navigate through your options when it comes to psychological care in South Yarra.