Feel confident and look forward to getting your child back
When they suspect their child or teenager may have an eating disorder, many parents feel confused and fearful of making things worse.
We can help you find the right path, support you and start your child’s eating disorder recovery journey.
Courage
Starting your recovery journey takes courage. Whether you are navigating an eating disorder or another mental health challenge, we provide steady, compassionate guidance as you take the first steps toward recovery.
Confidence
Strengthen confidence with personalised care that supports both emotional wellbeing and nutritional health, creating greater stability, self-trust and resilience.
Balance
Restore balance across mood, thoughts, appetite and daily activities. Our integrated approach creates space for clarity, focus and sustainable wellbeing.
Help is at hand
When parents discover their child may have an eating disorder all they want is to feel confident they’re doing the right things to help and get their child well again.
But finding the right type of help can be challenging. You don’t know where to turn and are worried over how serious this might be.
We’ve worked with hundreds of families across Australia. And we’ve heard most of the questions you’ll be thinking about. That’s why we work closely with children and their families to give them the expert support they need to navigate this new journey.
So you can see your child thrive and feel confident you’re doing what’s needed for your child to achieve recovery.
A team approach for supporting parents and children with eating disorders
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
- Binge Eating Disorder
- Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
- Orthorexia
- Body image
You want to understand what’s going on with your child so you can support them better. We also want to support you as parents. You are your child’s best resource for recovery. We will work together, with a strategy, to return your child back to their healthy, thriving self.
Jodie Sheraton, Founder, Myrtle Oak Clinic
Feel confident you’re doing all you can to help your child
Seeking help for your child can feel overwhelming. Many parents find themselves questioning what to do next, how serious things are, or whether they are making the right decisions.
Our role is to guide you through this process with clarity and support, so you can feel confident that you are taking the right steps for your child’s recovery.
At Myrtle Oak Clinic, your child will be supported by a team of Psychologists and Dietitians who are Credentialled Eating Disorder Clinicians, with specialised training and experience in working with young people and families navigating eating disorders and related challenges.
We understand that recovery involves the whole family. That’s why we work closely with you, alongside your GP, paediatrician, psychiatrist and other supports, to create a clear, coordinated treatment plan tailored to your child and your family.
Evidence-Based Treatment for Young People
We offer access to leading evidence-based approaches, including Family-Based Treatment (FBT).
FBT is a structured treatment approach for children, adolescents and some young adults experiencing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and other specified feeding or eating disorders. It actively involves parents and carers as a central part of the recovery process, with guidance from trained clinicians.
While FBT may not be the right fit for every family, research shows it can be highly effective and often supports earlier progress compared to other approaches. For this reason, it is commonly recommended as a first-line treatment for young people with eating disorders.
What Your Role as a Parent Might Look Like
As a parent or carer, you play an important role in your child’s recovery.
Depending on your child’s needs and the treatment approach, this may involve:
- Attending sessions alongside your child
- Supporting regular meals and daily routines at home
- Gaining a better understanding of eating disorders and how they impact behaviour
- Learning practical strategies to respond to challenges with confidence
- Working closely with your child’s care team to support consistency and progress
You won’t be expected to have all the answers. Our role is to guide and support you, helping you feel more confident in how to respond and care for your child throughout the recovery process.
Eating disorder support for you and your child
Personalised Support
Your child’s treatment plan is personalised to their lived experience, situation and needs.
Team Support
Our team works alongside the child and family in providing coordinated psychology and nutrition support to help your child feel understood, supported and guided every step of the way.
Real Life, Sustainable Help
We focus on practical, sustainable changes that fit into real life, helping your child build a more consistent and supportive relationship with food, their body and mental wellbeing over time.
Coming to see us at Myrtle Oak Eating Disorder Clinic
What to Expect When You First Reach Out
We understand that reaching out can feel like a big step, so we aim to make the process as supportive and clear as possible from the very beginning.
Your journey usually starts with a phone call or referral. Our friendly client care team will take the time to listen, understand your concerns and guide you through what support might look like. We’ll ask a few questions during this initial intake discussion so we can thoughtfully match you with the most suitable clinician — either a Psychologist or Dietitian — based on your needs, preferences and situation.
From there, we’ll offer appointment options and confirm a time that works for you.
Your First Appointment
Your first session is typically 60 minutes and can be attended in person or via telehealth. You’ll meet with the clinician you’ve been carefully paired with, and this session is focused on getting to know you and your child, understanding what’s been happening, and exploring the best next steps.
We’ll begin building a clear and personalised plan together, so you leave with a sense of direction, support and understanding.
Ongoing Support
In the early stages, appointments are usually weekly or fortnightly. This level of support helps build momentum and create meaningful change. Over time, as progress continues, sessions are spaced out to support long-term recovery.
Where appropriate, we work collaboratively with your GP and broader care team to ensure coordinated and consistent support throughout the process.
Our Locations
We offer appointments at our clinic locations in Tuggerah and Broadmeadow, as well as via telehealth.
Fees & Payment Information
Our fees range are from $245-$300 per session, depending on the clinician and length of session you require.
If you have a referral from a GP, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate from $60.35 to $141.85. If you are referred on a care plan, the Medicare benefit provided by the care plan does not cover the full cost of your appointment. An out of pocket expense will apply.
Private Health Funds may also allow for rebates depending on your level of cover.
We require a 50% deposit to reserve your initial appointment with either a dietitian or psychologist, due at time of booking. All session fees are payable at the time of consultation. Our aim is to provide prompt access to high-quality specialised services to all of our clients. In order to do so, we have implemented a 50% cancellation fee if less than 2 clear business days notice is provided.
We accept cash, EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard.
Find the path to support. Take the next step with Myrtle Oak Eating Disorder Clinic
Let’s talk
Call the clinic and talk with our staff who will ask some screening questions to help match you with the right professional.
Let’s create a plan
At your first appointment with the Dietitian or Psychologist, you’ll meet, discuss options and create a plan to move forward.
Let’s start your journey
Through ongoing support and guidance, we help you work through challenges, build confidence, develop new strategies and feel more supported as things begin to shift.
Inclusive Support
Welcome to Myrtle Oak Clinic, where your child’s health and wellbeing is our top priority. Our team of clinicians is dedicated to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for all children, including those who identify as LGBTQI+ and those with neurodiversity or disability. We believe in inclusive care and work passionately to ensure that every child receives the attention and support they need.
Our team of dietitians is proud to be allies and has received focused training in LGBTQI+ areas of dietetics, including gender reassignment, wound care, body image concerns, eating disorders, hormones, chronic disease management, weight changes, mental health, trauma, and fertility. We are experienced in working with children and adolescents with neurodiversity, and we understand how disordered eating can co-exist with other conditions. As a parent, you can trust us to provide personalised and appropriate treatment to support your child’s recovery from disordered eating.
At Myrtle Oak Clinic, we empower our clients and their families to take control of their health and wellbeing. Our goal is to help every child recover from disordered eating and lead a happy, healthy life.
FAQ about helping you and your child with an eating disorder
There are two ways to make an appointment:
Self-referral: Call (02) 43 623 443 to make an appointment. Please note you will not be able to claim any rebate through Medicare if you access the services through self-referral. You may access Private Health Fund rebates depending on your level of cover, so it’s best to speak with your fund about this.
GP referral: Visit your GP or psychiatrist and discuss whether you are eligible for a Mental Health Care Plan or Eating Disorder Plan. Your doctor can write a referral to Myrtle Oak Clinic so you can claim some Medicare rebates on sessions with a psychologist and dietitian. If you need assistance with this process, please call us on 43623443.
All referrals should be addressed to:
Psychologist, Dietitian at Myrtle Oak Clinic
Central Coast Clinic
17/19 Reliance Drive
TUGGERAH, NSW, 2259
OR
Newcastle Clinic
1/116 Nelson Street
WALLSEND, NSW, 2287
Fax your referral to: (02) 4362 2998
Medicare may cover some costs related to different types of eating disorder treatments.
It is important to keep in mind that there are low-cost treatment options available for eating disorder treatments although access to them can be limited. For further information speak to our administration officer or clinician about the costs involved in treatment before you commence treatment.
Who you and your child will see really depends on why you are coming to us. We will offer you an assessment appointment with one of our Psychologists or Dietitians. We can then together work out who you may most benefit from having treatment with, or it may be a mix of treatment providers over the course of your journey with us
Yes, we encourage you to attend the initial assessment appointment, you and your child will have valuable information to help us determine how we will best support you and your child through treatment. The level of involvement and support you can give to your child will depend on a few factors which will be discussed at the initial appointment. Generally speaking we encourage parents to be involved in their child’s recovery as much as possible.
We encourage you to make regular appointments for your child with their GP. The GP is able to medically manage your health, while our team supports you in managing your child’s mental and nutritional health. When we all collaborate together we are able to monitor and adjust your child’s treatment as needed. If your child experiences any dizziness, fainting or heart palpitations please seek emergency treatment immediately by calling 000 or presenting to your nearest emergency department.
Treatment is a very individualised experience. We’ve outlined some of the best eating disorder treatment information here.
Myrtle Oak Clinic is a high demand service and as a result we have created a cancellation and rescheduling policy to protect the large blocks of valuable time allowed for each client session and the preparation time your clinician undertakes prior to your appointment. We also wish to be fair for those patients on our waiting list needing an earlier appointment.
A cancellation fee (plus transaction fee) will be charged for appointments cancelled/rescheduled within 48 hours of the appointment time. Like other businesses, we have implemented this cancellation policy to reflect the clinical time set aside for you. The cancellation fee is lower than the 100% cancellation fee recommended by the Australian Psychological Society. In order to be respectful of the needs of other clients and allow clients waiting for an appointment to potentially access your cancelled spot, please be courteous and call Myrtle Oak Clinic promptly if you are unable to attend an appointment.
Appointments are to be cancelled 48 hours in advance of your appointment. This can be done via the following methods:
Phoning our office on 02 43 623 443 and leaving a voice message
Sending a text to 0499 008 451 (or replying “no” to any texts you receive reminding you of the appointment.)
Emailing us at admin@myrtleoakclinic.com.au.
We reserve the right to charge your credit card a cancellation fee of 50% of the appointment fee (plus transaction fee) if your appointments are not cancelled or rescheduled with 48 hours advanced notice.
If we are able to fill the cancelled/rescheduled appointment spot, any cancellation fee charged will be refunded.
We will not be able to schedule another appointment until the cancellation fee has been paid.
In reference to the current COVID environment, and our cancellation policy, we encourage you to consider changing to a telehealth session should you become unwell within 48 hours of your appointment. You can do this by phoning our clinic prior to your appointment.