You do not need a referral, a diagnosis, or certainty, just a willingness to make one call.
The worry that will not switch off. The sleep that does not come. The version of yourself you keep promising to get back to.
If you have been pushing through, trying apps, reading the self-help articles, telling yourself it will ease up, and it has not, that is not a discipline problem. Anxiety that keeps affecting your work, your relationships, or your ability to feel calm on an ordinary Tuesday is telling you something. It is worth listening to.
Nadine Dardaneliotis is a registered psychologist in Western Sydney with over 25 years of experience treating anxiety. This is what she does.
Book a free 15-minute phone consultation with Nadine, a registered psychologist in Western Sydney with over 25 years of experience treating anxiety.
No referral needed. No waitlist surprise. Just a straight conversation.
A registered psychologist does more than listen. The opening stage of anxiety treatment is a structured clinical assessment, identifying the type of anxiety you are experiencing, how severe it is, what is keeping it in place, and what has and has not worked before. A GP can screen for anxiety and write a referral. A counsellor can offer a supportive ear. Neither is trained nor regulated to conduct a formal psychological assessment or deliver evidence-based psychological treatment, and that distinction matters most when anxiety has been present for years or has not shifted despite other attempts.
Psychiatrists are medically trained; their focus is prescribing and managing medication, and they are typically involved when anxiety is part of a more complex or treatment-resistant presentation. The two roles are not competing. Some clients work with both simultaneously, a psychologist for structured treatment, a psychiatrist overseeing medication. If the right pathway is unclear, your GP can advise.
Treatment is structured and goal-directed. Progress is reviewed regularly, so the approach can be adjusted as you move forward; it does not continue indefinitely for its own sake. For questions about medication, your GP is the right starting point; that falls outside the scope of psychological treatment.
You do not need to be in crisis to see a psychologist. You need to be affected, and if anxiety is changing the way you work, sleep, or relate to the people around you, that qualifies.
Anxiety does not always arrive as a dramatic event. For many people, it is a background hum, low-level, constant, and exhausting.
For others, it shows up in specific moments: before a meeting, during a relationship conflict, or when something they have been quietly avoiding lands in front of them.
The following signs suggest that professional support from an anxiety therapist is worth pursuing:
Persistent worry that is difficult to control or switch off, even when you know it is disproportionate
Avoiding situations, people, or responsibilities because of fear or dread
Physical symptoms, racing heart, shallow breathing, muscle tension, or nausea, with no identified medical cause
Disrupted sleep, whether that is difficulty falling asleep, waking through the night, or starting the day already braced for something
Strained relationships or reduced performance at work that traces directly back to anxiety
Two or three of these showing up regularly is enough reason to seek an assessment. Waiting for things to get worse is not a requirement, and for most people, it makes the work harder.
For most people presenting with anxiety, a registered psychologist is the right first step. The confusion between the two roles is common, and it is worth settling before it becomes another reason to put off getting support.
A mental health psychologist is the appropriate choice when anxiety is the primary concern and structured, evidence-based talking treatment is what you are after. If your GP has not recommended medication, or if you want to address anxiety psychologically before considering other options, a registered psychologist is where to start.
Psychiatrists are medically trained; their focus is prescribing and managing medication, and they are typically involved when anxiety is part of a more complex or treatment-resistant presentation. The two roles are not competing. Some clients work with both simultaneously, a psychologist for structured treatment, a psychiatrist overseeing medication. If the right pathway is unclear, your GP can advise.
The roles are different. They are not competing.
NTD Psychology is based in Penrith and serves clients across the Western Sydney region. For anyone who has been delaying support partly because of logistics, the location removes that barrier,no CBD commute, no hour-long drive.
No referral is needed to enquire. To get started, call, email, or use the contact form on this page.
The first session is an assessment. Nadine asks structured questions to build a clear picture of what you are experiencing, how long it has been present, what has helped, and what has not.
There is no expectation that you arrive with a diagnosis or a tidy explanation. Pulling that picture together is her job.
If previous approaches have not produced lasting results, that history is useful clinical information. It is not a sign that treatment will not work; it is data that shapes a better approach.
Treatment is built with you, not handed to you. Based on the assessment, Nadine recommends an approach specific to your presentation, not a standard anxiety programme applied uniformly.
Many clients notice a meaningful difference within the first few sessions. Progress is tracked and the approach adjusted as you move forward.
Nadine holds registration with AHPRA and has been treating anxiety for over 25 years. She is also a board-approved supervisor, a designation that recognises psychologists operating at a high clinical standard, as assessed by their professional peers.
For people who have cycled through self-directed approaches without lasting relief, working with a registered psychologist at this level of experience is a different proposition.
A registered psychologist assesses the type and severity of your anxiety, identifies the patterns and triggers keeping it in place, and delivers structured treatment tailored to your presentation. That treatment may include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), or exposure-based approaches, determined by what the assessment indicates, not a default protocol.
A registered psychologist with specific experience in anxiety disorders and evidence-based treatment is the right fit for most presentations. Nadine Dardaneliotis has spent over 25 years working specifically with anxiety clients. It is the core of her practice, not one condition among many.
Persistent worry that is hard to control, avoidance of situations or responsibilities, physical symptoms such as a racing heart or shallow breathing, disrupted sleep, and difficulty concentrating or functioning at work or in relationships. Several of these showing up regularly in daily life are a clear signal that a clinical assessment with an anxiety treatment specialist is the next step.
Telehealth sessions follow the same Medicare pathway as in-person sessions, GP referral, Mental Health Treatment Plan, and then sessions with a registered psychologist. Rebates apply to telehealth under the current BeCognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most extensively researched treatment for anxiety disorders and the most widely recommended. The specific approach for any individual is determined after a thorough assessment. A registered psychologist will identify what is most appropriate for your presentation.
tter Access rules.
Anxiety that is affecting your work, your relationships, or your ability to get through the day is not something you have to keep managing alone. Nadine Dardaneliotis is a registered psychologist in Penrith with over 25 years of experience treating anxiety. She is taking new clients. The first step is a conversation.
