Groups and Programs

Anxiety and Depression Clinic

The Anxiety and Depression Clinic (ADC) is housed at the Cairnmillar Institute's Hawthorn East Clinic, and is directed by Prof. Peter Norton.

The ADC opened in 2021, and serves three primary purposes:

  1. Providing low-cost state-of-the-art Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for the treatment of anxiety, depression, and related emotional disorders.
  2. Conducting research to better understand anxiety, depression, and related emotional disorders, as well as improve treatment options and outcomes.
  3. Training postgraduate students to deliver the most powerful treatments for anxiety, depression, and related emotional disorders.

Parenting groups

If you care for a child or children, you no doubt would love nothing more than for them to thrive and have harmonious positive interactions with their siblings, friends, yourself and other significant carers.  Children face many challenges and it can be difficult to know how to navigate their behaviour, emotions and concerns.  When  caring for a child/children it can be challenging to know which options to use to set boundaries, maintain good communication and engagement and help to develop a child who can thrive. It can also feel quite lonely trying your best to work this out and navigate your own feelings and behaviour.

At Cairnmillar we currently offer two parenting programs suitable to all carers of a child/children, or those who are about to become parents;

  • Circle of Security
  • Bringing Up Great Kids

Both programs have been evaluated as effective in assisting with a range of challenges in parenting children.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, or DBT, has been widely used to help clients manage issues around emotional dysregulation. DBT utilises validation strategies and dialectical thinking, which can help autistic adults navigate the challenges of living in a neurotypical world and maintain their sense of identity. This program is unique because it utilises a neurodiversity-affirming approach in implementing the DBT modules of Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness.

Crisis Numbers

Emergency Services 000 24 hours/7 days a week. Call this number in emergency situations when immediate police, fire or ambulance assistance is required.
Lifeline 13 11 14 Lifeline is available 24 hours a day to listen, without judgement to any person in Australia who is feeling overwhelmed, experiencing crisis or longs to be heard.
SuicideLine Victoria 1300 651 251 SuicideLine Victoria is a 24/7 telehealth provider that offers free professional phone and online counselling for people living in Victoria.
MensLine Australia 1300 789 978 24 hours/7 days a week. MensLine Australia is a telephone and online counselling service offering support for Australian men anywhere, anytime..
Sexual Assault Crisis Line 1800 806 292 5 pm–9 am/7 days. Victims/survivors of past and recent sexual assault.
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800 24/7 Telephone counselling service for people aged between 5 and 25.
BeyondBlue 1300 224 636 24 hours/7 days a week. Call, online chat and online forums.
Safe Steps 1800 015 188 Safe Steps is Victoria’s 24/7 family violence response centre. Providing specialist support services for anyone in Victoria who is experiencing or afraid of family violence.

Aboriginal flagTorres Strait Islanders flag

Acknowledgement of Country

The Cairnmillar Institute acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we are meeting. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, and the Aboriginal Elders of other communities who may be here today.

Aboriginal artwork