Psychology clinic in Tasmania opens to address growing mental health crisis

In response to Tasmania’s growing mental health crisis, a new purpose-built, multi-disciplinary mental health clinic is now open in Kingston, Hobart. 

Psychology South & Wellbeing Services, part of Clarity Health Care, is Tasmania’s largest psychology clinic. The new site features 25 architecturally designed consulting rooms, two group rooms, and four dedicated child and family rooms to better support larger families, children, and play-based therapy.  

“Mental illness continues to be one of the largest burdens of disease in Tasmania,” says Garrett Huston, a psychologist at Psychology South & Wellbeing Services. “Tasmania has some of the highest rates of mental health and suicide in Australia, with demand for services outpacing supply with nearly one in five adults (19.8%), affected by a mental health or behavioural condition within the past 12 months^{1 2}.  

“Compounding the problem is the fact that Tasmania has a shortage of qualified psychiatrists, with only four full-time psychiatrists per 100,000 in outer regional Tasmania and none in remote and very remote areas³,” says Huston. 

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists revealed that as of November 2025 its Tasmanian membership included only 111 qualified psychiatrists and 45 members in training. In 2024 there was a 32.5% shortfall, which is expected to increase to 44.7% by 2033³.  

There’s also a shortage of psychologists in Tasmania. In 2025, the state faced a shortfall of 266.1 FTE psychologists, growing to a shortfall of 299.2 FTE psychologists by 2038⁴.  

Huston states he believes their new Hobart practice is well placed to help fill these gaps. 

“Our team is comprised of psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical psychiatrists, and mental health social workers, and we recently expanded to include a speech therapist and dietitian. We also have a paediatric occupational therapist who is co-located. This means our clients benefit from a coordinated care plan in one location, ensuring seamless communication between our team of experts,” he says. 

“We provide support for all ages - from children and adolescents, to adults, couples and families through a variety of modalities including tailored face-to-face, telephone and online therapy and assessments. We understand that every client’s mental health journey is unique. That’s why our approach centres on personalised, evidence-based care that brings together the support a client needs under one care plan and one roof. By taking the time to understand the full picture, we can support every aspect of their wellbeing - rather than just managing symptoms or treating a diagnosis,” he says. 

The new site will allow the clinic to offer no-waitlist services to support the people of Hobart and surrounding areas. And for GPs, existing clinicians, referral pathways, and communication processes remain unchanged, ensuring a seamless transition for them and their patients. 

The new Psychology South & Wellbeing Services clinic is located at Shop 11, Channel Court, 29 Channel Highway, Kingston, Hobart and is open Monday to Saturday.  

References

1. https://mhct.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/MHCT-Budget-Priority-Submission-2026-27.pdf
2. https://assets.primaryhealthtas.com.au/uploads/2024/12/Primary-Health-Tasmania-needs-assessment-2025-28.pdf
3. https://www.ranzcp.org/getcontentasset/691e457c-6f2b-49f6-8d03-2202caeb1691/dfc3d011-8f63-43f6-9ed8-4b444333a1d0/ranzcp-tasmania-branch-2026-27-pre-budget-submission.pdf?language=en-AU#:~:text=The%20RANZCP%20has%20over%209%2C036%20members%2C%20including,and%2045%20members%20training%20to%20be%20psychiatrists
4. https://hwd.health.gov.au/resources/primary/psychology-compendium-report-april-2026.pdf