Bloom Well-being

Ballarat

Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy in Ballarat

Creswick clinic, 15 minutes from Ballarat · Telehealth · Self-diagnosis welcome

Therapy with people who get it. We work from a neurodivergent-affirming model, which means we do not treat your brain as a problem to be fixed. We support ADHD, autism, AuDHD, dyslexia, twice-exceptional, and the late-diagnosed from our Creswick clinic 15 minutes from Ballarat, and via secure telehealth across Victoria.

Neurodivergent-Affirming

Your brain is not a behaviour problem

Neurodivergent-affirming therapy starts from a simple position: ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other neurotypes are differences, not deficits. The aim of therapy is not to make you act more neurotypical. It is to help you understand how your brain works, build a life that fits it, and unpick the years of masking, shame, and burnout that often come with growing up undiagnosed or misunderstood.

Many of our clients arrive after a late diagnosis or after years of suspecting. Often there is a sense of grief alongside the relief — for the support you did not get as a child, for the careers and relationships shaped around hiding. Therapy makes space for both.

We also work with people who are still figuring it out. Self-diagnosis is welcomed in our practice. You do not need a formal assessment to start therapy with us, and we will not push for one if it is not useful for you.

Our therapists draw on neurodivergent-affirming approaches, Internal Family Systems, ACT, EMDR for trauma overlay, and somatic work.

We work with

  • ADHD (formal or self-identified)
  • Autism (formal or self-identified)
  • AuDHD (autism plus ADHD)
  • Late-diagnosed adults
  • Twice-exceptional (gifted plus neurodivergent)
  • Autistic burnout
  • ADHD burnout and executive overload
  • Sensory overwhelm
  • Rejection-sensitive dysphoria
  • Masking, fawning, and identity recovery
  • Trauma layered on top of neurodivergence
  • Neurodivergent kids and teens

Our Approach

Working with the brain you have, not against it

Neurodivergent therapy is not a single technique. It is a stance, applied across whatever clinical work fits the person in front of us. The phases below describe the broad shape but every plan is individual.

1

Understanding the wiring

Whether you are newly diagnosed or have known for years, we start with the basics: how does your brain actually work, where are the strengths, where are the bottlenecks, what does executive function look like for you on a good day and a hard day. Practical psychoeducation, not pathology.

2

Building scaffolding that fits

Strategies and supports that work with your brain, not against it. Routines, environmental design, sensory regulation, medication conversations with your GP, communication tools for relationships and work. The aim is sustainability, not productivity at all costs.

3

Unmasking and trauma work

Many neurodivergent adults carry trauma from years of being misread, punished for stims, or pushed past their limits. As the practical scaffolding settles, deeper work using EMDR or parts-based approaches can help unwind shame, recover masked parts of yourself, and process attachment injuries.

Our Therapists

Neurodivergent-affirming therapists for Ballarat

Our Creswick clinical team welcomes clients from Ballarat and the surrounding region. Each therapist offers secure telehealth sessions if in-person travel is not right for you.

Jemma Mathers, Founder and Practice Director at Bloom Well-beingCreswickNot accepting new clients

Jemma Mathers

Founder and Practice Director

Not accepting new clientsGet to Know Jemma
Kelly Thomas, Psychologist at Bloom Well-beingCreswickClosed Waitlist

Kelly Thomas

Psychologist

Closed WaitlistGet to Know Kelly
Bicarra Gazanis, Clinical Social Worker at Bloom Well-beingCreswickWaitlist only

Bicarra Gazanis

Clinical Social Worker

Tash Oldaker, Provisional Psychologist at Bloom Well-beingCreswickAccepting new clients

Tash Oldaker

Provisional Psychologist

Accepting new clientsGet to Know Tash
Anna Daish, Counsellor at Bloom Well-beingCreswickAccepting new clients

Anna Daish

Counsellor

Accepting new clientsGet to Know Anna

Getting to Our Clinic

15 minutes from Ballarat

Address
97 Albert Street, Creswick VIC 3363

Travel from Ballarat
97 Albert Street, Creswick — approximately 15km from Ballarat CBD via the Western Freeway, usually 15 to 20 minutes door to door. Street parking directly outside. Quiet regional setting, sensory-aware practitioners.

Phone
0477 110 953

Email
admin@bloomwell-being.com.au

FAQ

Common questions

Do I need a formal diagnosis to start therapy here?

No. Self-diagnosis is welcomed in our practice. Many of our clients are still in the process of working out whether they are neurodivergent and we are happy to explore that with you. If you would like a formal assessment we can discuss your options, but it is not a prerequisite for therapy.

Can you provide ADHD or autism assessments?

We are a therapy practice, not an assessment service. We can discuss your assessment options at intake and refer you to trusted neurodivergent-affirming assessors in Victoria if you decide to pursue formal diagnosis. We can also support you through the assessment process itself.

Do you work with neurodivergent kids and teens?

Yes. Several of our therapists work with neurodivergent children and adolescents, including school refusal, autistic burnout in teens, identity development, and the impact of late diagnosis on family relationships. Parent involvement is often part of the work.

Can I claim a Medicare rebate?

Yes. With a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, eligible sessions with our registered therapists attract a Medicare rebate. The Mental Health Care Plan currently allows up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year with rebate.

Ready to Begin?

Start your therapy journey

You do not need to have everything figured out. Reach out and we will match you with the right therapist for your needs, whether that is in person at our Creswick clinic or via telehealth from home.