If you or someone close to you is in distress or at risk of harm, call Triple Zero (000).
The St John of God Burwood Hospital Counselling and Therapy Centre (CTC) offers a range of outpatient day programs.
Our mental health day programs provide you with an option to attend the centre during the day to receive treatment for a variety of conditions and develop skills to support your recovery or improve your mental health.
To find out more about any of our mental health day programs please complete the form below.
Alcohol and other drugs skills and support
This group program focuses on gaining support and education to help you reduce the risk of relapse. It will help you develop insights and skills to manage and facilitate rehabilitation in the community.
This program is an open, ongoing group and is offered one day per week. You can join at any time. Day or evening as well as weekend group options are available.
Anxiety and depression skills and support
This group program provides support for people who have recently left hospital for treatment for depression and anxiety, during the period of transition to their home environment, or short-term outpatient care while waiting for the start of your referred CTC day program.
Our group program may help you:
develop a greater understanding of the nature and origin of your depression or anxiety
learn techniques to manage your symptoms
improve your sense of wellbeing by identifying and modifying certain beliefs about the self, world and future.
This program is an open, ongoing group and is offered one day per week. You can join at any time. Weekend group options are available.
Art therapy program
Our art therapy program provides an opportunity for anyone experiencing distress to acknowledge, communicate, and express their feelings using a variety of creative techniques.
The program encourages you to use art for the purpose of distraction, self-soothing, and socialisation with others. It allows patients to explore their emotions through image making in a safe environment.
Our art therapy program may be able to help you:
explore your imagination and creativity
develop healthy coping skills
develop self-understanding and acceptance
lessen anxiety.
This program is an open, ongoing group and is offered one day per week. You can join at any time.
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) skills
This program is for people who have difficulty coping with intense emotions and poor impulse control. It will teach you skills in dealing with crises, managing emotions more effectively, and improving interpersonal interactions.
Participants are required to have an existing individual therapist to support this program. Homework exercises and diary cards are included as part of the course. Orientation happens one week before your start date.
This program may help you:
learn practical coping skills in a group setting
learn to mindfully accept crisis moments with active use of skills
regulate your intense emotions
enhance your sense of self responsibility and self-respect
build a life worth living.
This is a year-long program, requiring attendance one day a week for 48 weeks. Intakes for the program are every 6 to 8 weeks with weekday and weekend options.
Living skills group program
This group program provides a comprehensive rehabilitation process for people suffering from severe and chronic mental illness.
The program uses therapy approaches drawn from cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), positive psychology and acceptance and commitment therapy, as well as coaching in social skills and independent living skills like cooking, budgeting and personal hygiene.
*NDIS funding may be applicable depending on your plan. Please consult with your case manager for confirmation.
This program may be able to help you:
improve social connection with others through group activities/outings
develop independent living skills (cooking, budgeting)
therapeutic activities such as horticulture therapy, mindfulness & art therapy
develop coping skills to manage mental health issues and promote independence.
This program is an open, ongoing group and is offered one day per week. You can join at any time.
Mindfulness support
Learn how to respond to life’s difficulties in a more adaptive way using mindfulness skills. You will also learn how to reduce the impact of stress on your physiological and psychological functioning.
Rather than judging or condemning yourself, open your heart to really listen and understand your own and other people’s experiences. Mindfulness may help you by:
using kind words to yourself to increase your self-likability; have a more peaceful and “kind” life.
staying in the present moment more and experience life in this moment, reducing stress.
This program is an open, ongoing group and is offered half day per week. You can join at any time.
Perinatal skills and support
This group program supports and educates mums experiencing perinatal mental health issues, with an emphasis on building effective coping skills to enhance your emotional wellbeing. We provide childcare for babies up to 12 months for a small fee.
This program may help you by:
reducing the risk of symptoms recurring by providing support and ongoing education following discharge from inpatient treatment
providing interim support and education until further perinatal specific treatment options are available.
This program is an open, ongoing group and is offered one day per week for half a day. You can join at any time.
Positive psychology program
This therapy program focuses on improving psychological wellbeing through emphasis on appraisal and behaviours which may have become neglected during depression or recovery from depression.
This program may help you by:
providing education on the components of wellbeing
teaching you practical coping skills, such as resilience for dealing with the more difficult times
teaching you ways to develop a more positive outlook and increase positive emotions
This program is an open, ongoing group and is offered one day per week. You can join at any time.
Schema therapy group program
This specialised group skills training program is available after completion of our anxiety, depression or DBT programs. It is based on Jeffrey Young’s schema therapy, designed to help you recover from chronic anxiety and depression by identifying and changing schemas and coping responses.
Our schema therapy group program may help you by teaching you how to:
understand the origins of maladaptive schemas (negative thinking) in prolonging anxiety and depression.
understand and apply mindfulness to a range of coping responses
apply cognitive strategies to help you understand the link between psychological and physiological stress and wellbeing.
This program requires attendance one day a week for 15 weeks.
Schema therapy support
This ongoing group support program is available for people who have completed the above schema therapy group program.
This program is an open, ongoing group and is offered one day per week. You can join at any time.
Skills training in affective and interpersonal regulation (STAIR)
This group program improves functioning and wellbeing and prepares you for more intensive treatments. STAIR can provide benefits for those struggling with emotion dysregulation, social isolation or interpersonal difficulties.
STAIR may help:
improve emotion awareness & regulation
improve distress tolerance
improve ability to access social support
improve assertiveness & closeness in relationships
improve functioning and well-being
prepare you for more intensive treatments if needed (e.g. DBT / SCHEMA /ATP).
This program requires attendance one day a week for 16 weeks.
Enquire about our mental health day programs
Please complete the form below and we will contact you during regular office hours (9 am to 5 pm).
