Clara Morchio

Clinical Psychologist

BA Psych (Hons), MClinPsy

• Accepting new clients
• In-person or telehealth available
• Available on: Tuesdays and Fridays

Make an Enquiry

Hi, I’m Clara. I value creating a therapeutic space where nothing is too sacred to discuss, so that the people I’m working with can feel safe to explore what is important to them and engage in therapy on their own terms. I work with adolescents (13+) and adults to help them build insight and learn the skills they need to build a life that they experience as worth living.

I endeavour to provide a supportive and affirming environment to members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people who practise polyamorous/non-monogamy, and sex workers.

I work with a variety of approaches when helping people overcome issues relating to anxiety, low mood, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and trauma, including:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), including Trauma Focused CBT and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Trauma (CPT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness-Based Therapies
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Narrative Therapy

I believe CBT can be a great therapy for offering people practical support and strategies to overcome the unhelpful thoughts and behaviour patterns that are holding them back in life. Other therapies like ACT and DBT can be helpful in teaching clients mindfulness strategies to better connect with their values, befriend their emotions, and engage in meaningful activities to enhance their lives. 

I use narrative therapy in my therapeutic practice as it is an approach that honours a person’s expertise in their own life. Narrative therapy supports people to unpack their problem stories and position them within a greater context in the world, in order to create rich stories about their lives, and help them unearth their values and align with them. 

“The problem is the problem, the person is not the problem.”

– Michael White & David Epston

Thoughtful Approaches to Eating Disorders

I am passionate about working with people facing eating disorders, and I enjoy working across the whole spectrum of body image concerns and eating issues. It is a privilege to accompany a person on their journey to recovery, and to help them reconnect the parts of themselves that were temporarily lost to the eating disorder. 

A Health At Every Size (HAES) approach is foundational to my treatment of eating disorders and body image issues, because people of all body sizes deserve compassionate and effective care, and weight-stigma has no place in the therapy room. HAES acknowledges the complex interplay of biological, psychological, cultural and social factors that impact how our bodies function. In my work I hope to encourage people to reconnect with their bodies and develop a healthier relationship with food and movement. 

Every body is different, and what health looks like for every body is different. 

To work effectively with eating disorders we must acknowledge that in many cases, eating disorders aren’t an individual problem, they are a societal problem. Our society is focused on promoting strict beauty ideals and policing the food people eat, and this can have significantly negative impacts on people’s wellbeing. 

I believe that it is possible for anyone, at any stage of their eating disorder, to recover and regain their life. If a person has the motivation and willingness to face their challenges, and they have the right tools and a good treatment team, then recovery is possible for them.

I use the following approaches when working with eating disorders:

• Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy Enhanced for Eating Disorders (CBT-E)
• Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa in Adults (MANTRA)
• Family Based Treatment (FBT)

I am able to provide therapy with an Eating Disorder Plan under Medicare, which gives people access to up to 40 sessions of subsidised treatment for eating disorders. 

I enjoy working with CBT-E for the treatment of eating disorders as it is a gold standard therapy for older adolescents and adults with eating disorders, and because it provides a clear roadmap for recovery, but also includes flexibility to meet the needs of each person’s unique needs. The structure of CBT can often feel very supportive for people who are feeling very stuck and distressed in their eating disorder. 

Feedback Informed Treatment

It can be hard to let your therapist know when things aren’t working, but it can be easier to do this in the form of a questionnaire. I use pre- and post-session questionnaires that get sent out automatically before and after each session. Though not obligatory by any means, I always value receiving feedback from clients regarding treatment progress and their therapy experience. The results are for my and my client’s eyes only, they’re just another form of communication to enhance therapy.