Gidget House
Gidget Foundation Australia provides support for perinatal depression and anxiety through Gidget House.
Gidget House provides free individual psychological counselling services delivered face-to face from 16 locations in three states. Gidget Houses are accessible and provide compassionate holistic care for expectant and new parents and their families. A safe haven for parents, where mothers and fathers are respected, and the needs of each unique family are paramount.
Locations include:
NSW: North Sydney, Manly at Royal Far West, Merrylands at Stockland, Randwick at Karitane, Gidget House Shellharbour at Stockland, North Sydney at the Mater Hospital, St Leonards at North Shore Private Hospital, Westmead Private Hospital and in Tresillian Family Care Centres at Dubbo, Coffs Harbour, Queanbeyan, Taree, Wagga Wagga
QLD: Toowoomba at St Vincent’s Hospital
VIC: Clayton at Jean Hailes and Frances Perry House
Payment for services provided by Gidget House is covered by Medicare bulk billing. A referral and a mental health care plan from a GP are required in order to access this funding.
Please click here to download a Gidget House brochure.
Parents referred to Gidget House will receive:
- Initial Assessment – meeting with the client to explore needs, concerns and solutions.
- Individual therapy – one-to-one therapies or counselling for perinatal mental health issues.
- Psychiatric support – where necessary – providing treatment for mental health disorders or referral to a psychiatrist.
We welcome all parents who need access to specialised perinatal mental health care. You can reach us during office hours on 02 9460 1550 or 1300 851 758 or via email: contact@gidgethouse.org.au.
If your GP has sent a referral directly through to Gidget House, please contact us on 1300 851 758 or via email: contact@gidgethouse.org.au so that we can book in your first appointment.
Gidget House does not provide crisis support. If you are in need of urgent help please call your local hospital or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Are You a GP Wanting to Refer a Patient to Gidget House?
Are you a GP who has a patient experiencing perinatal depression and/or anxiety?
Download our NSW Gidget House GP Information Sheet
Download our QLD Gidget House GP Information Sheet
Download our VIC Gidget House GP Information Sheet
Cancellation Policy
We understand that unexpected events may occur from time to time, however, we ask that you provide at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. The clinician will receive no remuneration if you do not attend a booked appointment. We currently have a significant waiting list for Gidget Foundation services. If you miss your appointment or do not cancel with at least 48 hours’ notice, other clients will miss the opportunity to have an appointment. If more than one appointment is missed or cancelled with less than 48 hours notice you will be charged a Cancellation Fee of $150. If you do not attend a booked appointment and do not notify us to cancel beforehand, you will be charged a No Show fee of $150.
Gidget House Clayton at Jean Hailes
Gidget House Clayton
Jean Hailes for Women’s Health Medical Centre
173 Carinish Road,
Clayton VIC 3168
Gidget House Coffs Harbour at Tresillian Family Care Centre
Tresillian Family Care Centre
27 Park Ave
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
Gidget House Dubbo at Tresillian Family Care Centre
Tresillian Family Care Centre
214 Darling Street
Dubbo NSW 2830
Gidget House at Frances Perry House
Frances Perry House Maternity Care Centre
Chelsea House
Level 2, Suite 214, 55 Flemington Road,
North Melbourne VIC 3051
Gidget House Manly at Royal Far West
19-21 South Steyne
Manly NSW 2095
Gidget House Merrylands at Stockland
Stockland – Community Room
1 McFarlane St,
Merrylands NSW 2160
Gidget House North Sydney
34 McLaren Street,
North Sydney NSW 2060
Gidget House North Sydney at the Mater Hospital
Level 3, Mater Hospital
25 Rocklands Road,
North Sydney NSW 2060
Gidget House St Leonards at North Shore Private Hospital
North Shore Private Hospital
Maternity, Level 2
1 Westbourne Street
St Leonards NSW 2065
Gidget House Randwick at Karitane
Karitane
146 Avoca Street
Randwick NSW 2031
Gidget House Queanbeyan at Tresillian Family Care Centre
Tresillian Family Care Centre
12 Southbar Road
Karabar NSW 2620
Gidget House Shellharbour at Stockland
Stockland Shellharbour
Community Room (Level 1)
211 Lake Entrance Rd
Shellharbour NSW 2529
Gidget House Taree at Tresillian Family Care Centre
Tresillian in Manning Family Care Centre
78 Albert St
Taree NSW 2430
Gidget House Toowoomba at St Vincent’s Hospital
Entrance 1
St Vincent’s Private Hospital
22-36 Scott Street
Toowoomba QLD 4350
Gidget House Wagga Wagga at Tresillian Family Care Centre
Tresillian Family Care Centre
54 Yentoo Drive
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
Gidget House Westmead Private Hospital
Westmead Private Hospital
Maternity Unit, Level 1
Corner Mons and Darcy Roads
Westmead NSW 2145
My psychologist from Gidget House was my life saviour through this hard time. She was there for myself and for my family and I will always have a special place in my heart for her. The assistance Gidget House offers to families that are struggling is priceless.”
Expanding the Gidget Foundation Australia footprint across the greater community is incredibly important, it’s the ability to reach more perinatal, expectant, and new parents that may be struggling and often do so in silence. Bringing the incredible staff and services of Gidget House to the community of the Northern Beaches allows even more families access to compassionate, holistic care in a safe space.
Last year, my 2nd little darling was born in November, coincidently the day Gidget House was opened in Dubbo. After some seriously hard months juggling my two kids, a visit to the GP had me diagnosed with postnatal depression.
I felt a huge sense of relief just being diagnosed, and she promptly referred me to Gidget Foundation Australia.
I only ended up having one face to face session with the lovely, kind, and talented Clinician at Gidget House Dubbo. Then COVID life hit and we had some more telehealth sessions over video from her house to mine.
She was fantastic to talk to and my life and my whole family’s life is richer because of this critical help.
“Last year I saw a Mum of two young children as a patient.
She had a toddler and a newborn and in her words “everything had unravelled”.
She was feeling overwhelmed, anxious, cranky, frustrated, depressed, that she wasn’t coping well, feeling that she “couldn’t remember when she last felt happy” and that she was having “no good days”.
I was very concerned about her – to the point where, (with her permission), I rang her mother to engage a team to support her.
I called Gidget House and was very fortunate to be able to get a cancellation appointment for her the next day.
With wonderful supportive counselling, advice and strategies from her psychologist at Gidget House, regular follow up with myself, a period of medication and great family support she made a rapid improvement and I was delighted to hear her report her improvement – she felt she was coping better, her low mood and anxiety had greatly improved, she was less harsh on herself, she was getting out of the house more to exercise, see friends and go to play group, she felt more connected to the baby and was enjoying motherhood and her kids much more.
I was very grateful to Gidget House for their brilliant and very supportive care of her.”
