About
Get the support you need.
David Marishel is a clinical psychologist specialising in helping people to manage emotional and behavioural difficulties and stressful life circumstances.
He has extensive experience working with both adults and adolescents on a range of issues including depression, anxiety, recovery following trauma, addictions, relationship difficulties, anger, grief, shyness, and work-related stress.
With a focus on improving his patients’ quality of life, David has a special interest in assisting people to better manage health conditions including chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune conditions, cancer, fatigue conditions, and gastro-intestinal complaints.
David’s practice is conveniently located at Edgecliff in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Read more about David’s education, extensive experience & special interests in the field of clinical psychology.
Services
Treatment tailored to your needs.
Depression & Anxiety
Approximately 1 million Australians experience depression each year. The two main symptoms of depression are low mood and difficulty in finding satisfaction in normally pleasurable activities. Other symptoms of depression include disturbed sleep, low energy and fatigue, low motivation, difficulty with memory or concentration, feelings of guilt, worthlessness or hopelessness, changes in appetite and weight, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Clinical Psychology for depression can assist with:
- being able to understand patterns and changes in mood.
- identifying unhelpful thoughts and beliefs that impact on mood.
- learning and applying psychological strategies to lessen the impact of symptoms of depression.
- managing thoughts of hopelessness, suicide, or patterns of self-harm.
- clarifying what is important and finding ways to build meaning and purpose in life.
Anxiety
is the most common mental health condition, with one in every four Australians experiencing anxiety at some stage in their life. The term ‘anxiety’ is used to describe a range of conditions, including persistent worry (generalised anxiety), difficulty in social situations (social anxiety), panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and specific phobias.
Clinical Psychology for treatment of anxiety can assist with:
- getting unstuck from persistent worry.
- building confidence in approaching feared situations.
- managing intrusive thoughts or experiences.
- reducing the impact of anxiety on social connections and relationships.
- learning tools to manage panic attacks and physical symptoms of anxiety.
- helping you to struggle less with anxiety.
Chronic Illness
The experience of chronic illness often goes further than what is happening in the body, and can impact on aspects of a person’s life, relationships, and psychological health. It is estimated that over 40% of Australians who suffer a mental health condition also have a chronic physical illness. Physical symptoms such as pain, nausea and fatigue may be invisible or hard to detect by others and people often feel isolated and that other people don’t understand their distress.
Clinical psychology for chronic health conditions can assist with:
- identifying and adjusting to challenges of living with a health condition.
- learning skills to improve management of physical symptoms.
- developing confidence in building a dynamic relationship with your doctors and other health care providers.
- making decisions regarding your health care.
- developing clear goals and sparking motivation to make positive health changes where you can.
Sleep & Fatigue Problems
Sleep is a dynamic bodily process that is essential for maintenance of our physical and mental health. In fact, during certain stages of sleep (REM) some parts of the brain are as active as they are when we are awake. There are several different reasons why people experience sleep problems ranging from biological to psychological causes. The most common sleep condition is insomnia, with up to one third of Australians reporting difficulty getting to sleep, staying asleep, or not having restful sleep. Research studies have demonstrated that when it comes to improving sleep, psychological treatment is at least as effective, and in some cases more effective, than sleep medications. Unlike medications however, psychological treatment is free of unwanted side-effects and benefits are usually maintained after therapy has completed.
Clinical psychology for sleep conditions can assist with:
- improving sleep behaviours and habits.
- learning psychological strategies to give you a better chance at falling asleep and staying asleep.
- learning different methods of relaxation.
- identifying causes of sleep problems (this sometimes involves working with your doctor or sleep specialists).
- managing psychological conditions that may impact on sleep, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Grief & Loss
The loss of someone close to us can bring about intense grief and can have a devastating and widespread impact on our lives. The process of coping with bereavement is a highly individual process and takes time – often longer than expected. Bereavement can bring about changes in behaviour and psychological health, including symptoms of depression and anxiety, numbness, withdrawing from social situations and activities, intrusive thoughts, and memories of past loss. People who have experienced loss may benefit from a variety of supports in order to cope with the painful task of adjusting to a new life situation.
Clinical Psychology for bereavement can assist with:
- meeting the many challenges associated with bereavement, including the need to process thoughts and emotions associated with your loss.
- making sure your needs are taken care of and you stay healthy.
- working out a way of coping with grief and loss that is best for you.
- the challenge of maintaining relationships, or talking to others and answering questions about the loss.
Relationship Counselling
Every relationship brings a unique set of challenges and often the same patterns of conflict and dissatisfaction are repeated. For many people, meeting challenges and maintaining a healthy relationship is one of life’s greatest demands. Couples in distress are often discouraged from seeking support as it may feel as though they have failed, or they may think that their relationship problems are beyond help. However, just as we are accustomed to seeking support in other areas of our lives, relationship counselling can be a rewarding and empowering experience for couples.
Relationship counselling can assist with:
- getting to know each other’s communication and coping styles and how they interact during conflict.
- building on strengths and finding new ways to resolve conflict.
- recovering from trauma within the relationship.
- addressing issues relating to respect, trust, and jealousy.
- parenting support.
- managing conflict within and outside the family.
- restoring intimacy and affection.
Stress Management
Stress is a normal part of our lives. However sometimes the demands we face are greater than the resources we have to cope and we can end up feeling overwhelmed, tired, and burnt out. Excessive stress can also take us off course, away from the things in life that really matter. Most people have a range of strategies to manage stress – sometimes these strategies are helpful and adaptive, and other times the way that we respond to stress may ultimately cause us more problems.
Clinical Psychology for stress management can assist with:
- identifying sources of stress and demand in your life.
- understanding the different ways that you cope with stress.
- learning psychological strategies to enhance coping and regulation of your emotions.
- getting off ‘autopilot’ and making changes to better manage stress.
- building motivation to do things to improve your health.
Take a positive step forward – Call 02 9555 9555
We’re only human
Thoughtful perspectives, tools & resources from a practising psychologist
Want to read more? Visit David’s blog – We’re Only Human
Contact
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Location & hours
Appointments can be made:
Monday – Friday
9am – 5pm
Appointment times are flexible.
Edgecliff
Ph: 0403 965 301
Suite 9B, Edgecliff Mews
201 New South Head Road
EDGECLIFF, 2027
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