Women's Mental Health

Cabrini has opened Australia’s first private, women’s-only mental health hospital at Cabrini Elsternwick.

Located in the new Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre in the heart of Elsternwick, the Cabrini Women’s Mental Health service focuses on treatment for mental ill health.

This modern hospital is the first of its kind in Australia and is a prototype for subsequent services for women. This service primarily focuses on treatment for mental health conditions including:

• Mood disorders (including depression, bipolar, premenstrual dysphoric disorder)
• Anxiety
• Complex trauma (including post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD)
• Addiction

As part of Cabrini Health, this 30-bed inpatient unit with psychosocial treatment programs is coupled with new, individualised treatment methods in a private, secure and empowering setting.

Take a virtual tour of the facility

Cabrini Women’s Mental Health service offers a short-stay mental health program supported with intensive day programs, telehealth and community support. We offer targeted treatments for improving women’s mental health. Women have access to an innovative, biopsychosocial package of care, which provides holistic treatments designed to optimise outcomes for women.

The Lisa Thurin Women's Health Centre offers:

• 30 inpatient beds
• Multidisciplinary specialist workforce
• Inpatient stay with a range of programs including therapies
• and lifestyle modification
• Homecare support, post inpatient care
• Tailored day/evening programs

To be admitted or referred to the Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre, a client will require a referral from their treating medical professional. To find out more about this process discuss with your GP or psychiatrist.

We operate under the principle that women experiencing acute phases of mental illness have a better response to treatment, better outcomes and better overall wellbeing when they receive treatment in a women’s-only facility with treatments and programs that are individualised to the specific needs of women and to the specific characteristics of the illness that are specific to women.

The following principles underpin everything we do:

• Client-centred
• Recovery-orientated
• Holistic
• Trauma-informed
• Bundled-care
• Consumer and carer informed
• Inclusive
• Research-driven and research-assessed

Inpatient programs

We offer a 30 bed boutique, women’s-only centre, with a range of programs. Inpatient clients will generally stay for up to 10 days and then be supported by Cabrini staff in their home setting, which is proven to help people more effectively deal with their illness in everyday life.

Women who stay at the hospital will have their own private room with ensuite, and have access to an integrated open plan living and dining area, and state-of-the-art group therapy, interview, and consulting rooms.

Individualised group therapy programs

During the client’s inpatient stay there are structured programs. We also offer a range of classes to support wellbeing, which are evidenced-based and tailored to suit each person’s treatment plan.

The inpatient therapy program operates seven days a week and is run by our qualified and highly trained, multidisciplinary mental healthcare team. Inpatient programs consist of general programs, which all women can attend, and illness specific specialised programs, which are tailored to women within each diagnostic illness.

Psychoeducation groups

During the inpatient stay there are weekly psychoeducation groups, which provide general principles about the understanding of mental ill health in women using a biopsychosocial framework will be delivered on mood disorders, cPTSD, SUD and others. These sessions, held in the evenings, permit attendance by family members and other nominated support people for inpatients. 

Day and evening programs

In addition to inpatient care, we offer day programs for clients who have completed an inpatient stay may attend these outpatient programs for continued support. Upon discharge as an inpatient, clients will be enrolled in an individualised outpatient therapy program, which is agreed upon by the individual and the multidisciplinary treating team.

Mental health home care (transition to home care)

Our mental health home care service assists a client to continue working on their recovery ‒ developing and utilising coping strategies to maintain mental wellbeing. A client will receive home visits and support from clinical staff as their care team works with the client and community care providers in ensuring goals of care continue to be prioritised. Other support may include an option to receive visits and support from volunteers for social activities.

Prior to discharge, our care team will discuss any worries and concerns in transitioning back to home life and will organise the visits and support needed.

Group therapy programs (inpatient and day/evening)

General therapy group sessions follow the same format and delivery model for inpatients and outpatients. Content repeats on a fortnightly cycle to cater to the average length of stay of 10 days. 

• Empowerment Feminist Therapy (EFT) 
• Balance, mindset and body awareness through yoga, pilates and exercise 
• Self-care and lifestyle 
• Nutrition and dietary considerations through cooking therapy 
• Sensory therapeutic engagement ‒ gardening in the sensory garden 
• Self-discovery and stress management utilising creative art therapy
• Sensory and communication empowerment utilising music therapy
• Cardiovascular and emotional health utilising pet therapy
• Seeking safety program
• SMART recovery program 
• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Mindfulness skills
• Transcranial Magnetic Simulation (TMS)

Individualised one-on-one therapy

• Psychoeducation
• Interpersonal psychotherapy 
• Brief dynamic psychotherapy
• Marital and family therapy

Cabrini Women’s Mental Health care team includes:

• Consultant psychiatrists
• Registered nurses
• Psychologists
• Occupational therapists
• Exercise physiologists
• Neuropsychologists
• Social workers
• Dietitians
• Art and music therapists

As a private hospital we have arrangements with most major private health insurers. Subject to a client's level of cover, some out of pocket costs may be incurred. A fund eligibility check can be performed by the hospital to advise the client of their coverage.

Clients with restricted benefit cover (not fully covered for the service) may elect to upgrade their cover should they require admission without serving a waiting period, to a status that provides full cover. The option to do this is arranged with the client's health fund, with the client being required to pay an upgraded cover amount. The option to upgrade cover is available to a client only once. Once exercised, if the new level of cover is not maintained, the client will incur out of pocket expenses in the event a future admission is required. The option to upgrade cover was introduced in 2018 as part of a suite of Private Health Insurance reforms by the Commonwealth Government and is not hospital or fund specific.

Clients who seek to self-fund their admission will be provided with an estimate of the cost of their program by contacting the Intake team on (03) 9508 5100.

Referring a client

A client will require a referral from their medical professional. Referrals can be submitted via the following methods:

• Online referral form
• Download the referral form and email to wmh@cabrini.com.au 

Please submit any accompanying documentation such as psychiatric/psychology assessments, letters, correspondence, previous hospital discharge summaries and any other relevant information.