Psychology · Manly
Psychology in Manly
What’s involved
Talking therapy with a registered psychologist, structured around an individual formulation rather than a fixed program.
- Schema, ACT, EMDR, CBT-E and DBT
- Sessions of 50 or 120 minutes
- In clinic or by telehealth
Our approach
A partnership, not a protocol
Alana works from a case formulation built with you, then chooses the approach that fits it. Sessions are relaxed and conversational while staying purposeful and structured.
Enquire now
An individual formulation first
Personal history, temperament, neurodevelopmental characteristics, schemas, coping patterns and current circumstances, considered together before anything is chosen.
You are in the decisions
Goals are identified together, and you are involved in choosing the strategies. Alana places importance on collaboration and transparency about what is being done and why.
Often people who seem fine
Alana often works with people who appear to be functioning well on the surface while feeling overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted or hard to understand.
Where Alana focuses
Areas of clinical interest
Eight years of clinical experience, six of them working extensively in complex presentations. These are the areas she has chosen to focus on:
Your visit
What to expect
Here is how the first sessions usually run.
- New clients start with a booking request. Alana reviews each enquiry herself before an initial appointment is offered.
- A 50-minute initial session covering your history, circumstances and what you want to work towards.
- A formulation you talk through together, then agreed goals and the approach that fits them.
- Ongoing 50-minute sessions, in clinic or by telehealth. EMDR processing runs longer, at 120 minutes.
- Sessions are one-to-one and confidential. What that covers is explained at the first appointment.
Ways of working
The approaches Alana draws on
Which one is used depends on the formulation, not on a preferred method.
Works with long-standing patterns formed early in life and the coping styles built around them. Alana trained with the International Society of Schema Therapy and has further training in schema work for eating disorders.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, a structured approach to distressing memories. Processing sessions run 120 minutes and are for existing clients, once the groundwork is in place.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, alongside Radically Open DBT. Alana has completed training to Level 2 in RO-DBT and skills training with Marsha Linehan.
Alana is a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician with the Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders, and trained in CBT-E with Christopher Fairburn.
Sessions can be held by secure video at the same fee as in clinic. Say which you would prefer when you make your booking request.
Your psychologist
Meet Alana
Alana Dulgaro
Registered Psychologist
AHPRA PSY0002044918 · ANZAED credentialed · AAPi member
Bachelor of Psychology, Western Sydney University. Eight years of clinical experience, six of them in complex trauma, eating disorders and body image. Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician with ANZAED.
Fri 10am–3pm
Fees
Sessions
Psychology with Alana Dulgaro
| Session | Length | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology Screening / Booking Request To establish whether Alana’s practice is the right fit for what you are looking for. Not a treatment session — no diagnosis is made and no treatment plan is given. One per person. | 50 min | No cost |
| Initial consultation new clients, following the screening | 50 min | $280 |
| Treatment session existing clients | 50 min | $280 |
| Treatment session by telehealth existing clients | 50 min | $280 |
| EMDR processing session existing clients | 120 min | $600 |
Medicare rebates
Alana bills under the Medicare Better Access initiative. From 1 July 2026 the rebate is $101.55 per eligible session with a registered psychologist, which on a $280 session leaves around $178 to pay yourself. Medicare sets the rebate and changes it each year, so check the current figure with Medicare rather than relying on this page.
To claim it you need a Mental Health Treatment Plan and a referral from your usual GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician — Medicare generally requires the plan and referral to come from the practice where you are registered or usually seen. Better Access covers up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year. You are welcome to book privately without a referral.
Telehealth sessions are charged at the same fee as in clinic, and attract the same rebate. Fees are current at the time of publication and may change — the fee confirmed at booking applies.
Also at the clinic
Christian Wellness Ministry
A separate, non-clinical pastoral service offered by Marianne Edwards, our naturopath, for people who would like a faith-based framework alongside their care.
This is not a psychological service and is not part of Alana’s practice
The Ministry offers spiritual support and lifestyle encouragement only. It does not provide psychological counselling, mental health therapy or medical diagnosis. For those needs, Marianne will always refer you to your GP or an appropriately registered health practitioner.
- A dedicated space for prayer, scripture reflection and faith-based lifestyle encouragement.
- Ministry session, 90 minutes, no fee. A gold coin donation towards administration is entirely optional.
- Guided Christian meditation and reflection, 90 minutes, optional gold coin donation.
- You are welcome whether or not you are Christian, and the service is always optional.
- Not covered by health funds or Medicare, because it is not a clinical service.
- Ministry notes are kept confidential and stored separately from any clinical health record.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
New clients start with a booking request rather than booking straight in. Alana reviews each enquiry herself so she can say whether she is the right fit before you commit to an appointment. Reception will walk you through it on 02 7228 5363.
Psychologist is a protected title in Australia, held only by practitioners registered with the Psychology Board through AHPRA. Counsellor is not a registered title. Alana is a registered psychologist. Akasha does not currently have a counsellor.
Yes, through Medicare. Alana bills under the Better Access initiative, which rebates $101.55 per eligible session as at 1 July 2026 — leaving around $178 to pay yourself on a $280 session. You need a Mental Health Treatment Plan and a referral from your usual GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician first, and it covers up to 10 individual sessions a year. Medicare sets the rebate and reviews it annually, so confirm the current amount with Medicare. Private health funds work differently and generally cannot be used for the same appointment as a Medicare rebate — check with your own fund. You are also welcome to book privately without a referral.
Sessions are one-to-one, in a private room or by secure video. Alana explains at your first appointment how your information is handled, including the limited situations in which a psychologist is required to share it.
No. The Ministry is a non-clinical pastoral service run by Marianne, our naturopath. It offers prayer, scripture reflection and lifestyle encouragement, and provides no psychological therapy or diagnosis. The two are entirely separate, including the records kept.
Yes, by secure video, at the same fee as in clinic. If you would rather come in, the clinic is at 7 West Promenade in Manly.
Make a booking request
In clinic at Manly or by secure video, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
- 02 7228 5363
- reception@akashahealth.com.au
- 7 West Promenade, Manly NSW 2095
Akasha is not a crisis service and cannot respond to urgent contact outside clinic hours. If you need help right now, call 000, or Lifeline on 13 11 14, available 24 hours. For eating disorders or body image concerns, the Butterfly National Helpline is on 1800 33 4673, 8am to midnight seven days — it is a support line rather than a crisis line.
The information on this website is for educational and general informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment from a registered medical practitioner. Always seek the advice of your GP or another qualified healthcare provider about any medical or mental health condition.