Finding Hope in Healing: Intimacy Healing Therapy & Consulting in the Heart of Malvern

In the leafy, established streets of Malvern, where Glenferrie Road hums with trams, independent shops and the steady rhythm of everyday Melbourne life, a discreet professional practice offers something quietly transformative. Intimacy Healing Therapy & Consulting, led by Clinical Psychotherapist Michael Rooney, specialises in the assessment and treatment of sex, love and pornography addiction. For those whose lives have become unmanageable under the weight of compulsive behaviours, shame or relational pain, it provides a clear, evidence-based path towards healthier relationships with themselves and others.

Michael’s message is direct and hopeful: if you have found his website, there is a good chance you are in despair and feel hopeless — yet there is a way forward. Many people move from the pain of addiction to leading more fulfilled lives.

 

Glenferrie Road in Malvern offers the kind of established, walkable neighbourhood that supports quiet, professional services tucked among local shops and cafes.

From Corporate Life to Specialised Psychotherapy

Originally from Ireland and now long established in Melbourne, Michael Rooney brings both lived experience of career transition and rigorous professional training to his work. After years in the corporate sector, he was drawn to psychotherapy by a deep interest in human behaviour and the possibility of lasting change. He now holds a Master’s in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the Australian College of Applied Psychology and is one of a relatively small number of Certified Sex Addiction Therapists (CSAT) and Supervisors in Australia trained through the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP) in the United States.

His additional qualifications include:

• Accredited Supervisor and Clinical Psychotherapist with PACFA
• Registered Supervisor and Counsellor with the ACA
• Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 1 trained
• Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP)
• Brainspotting Practitioner
• Advanced training in parent–child enmeshment with Dr Kenneth Adams
• Integration of Pia Mellody’s model of Developmental Immaturity

This combination allows him to address not only the surface behaviours of addiction but the underlying trauma, attachment wounds and “parts” of the self that often drive them.

A Specialised, Compassionate Approach

Intimacy Healing focuses on specialised assessment and treatment for sex addiction, pornography addiction, love addiction and the complex relational patterns that frequently accompany them. Michael works primarily with individuals (many of them men) who feel trapped in cycles of compulsive sexual behaviour, secrecy, infidelity or emotional enmeshment.

His core therapeutic approach is grounded in Internal Family Systems (IFS). Rather than pathologising symptoms, he meets different “parts” of a person with curiosity and respect, helping clients develop greater self-leadership and internal harmony. This is integrated with somatic methods — Somatic Experiencing and Brainspotting — that address trauma held in the body, alongside insights from developmental models that link early experiences to current relational difficulties.

The practice also offers:

• RECLAIM 1 Trauma Intensive programmes
• Men’s Intensive Therapy Groups
• CSAT supervision for other therapists
• Secure online video sessions available across Australia, New Zealand, the Asia-Pacific region, the UK and Ireland

Face-to-face sessions take place in a discreet office at Level 1, 135 Glenferrie Road, Malvern. The location is deliberately understated — professional yet private — supporting the confidentiality that is essential for this work.

The characterful shopfronts and streetscape of Glenferrie Road, Malvern, provide a discreet and accessible setting for professional consulting rooms.

What to Expect

Clients do not need a referral from a medical practitioner. The process typically begins with an initial conversation about what has brought the person to therapy, followed by confidential online assessments. The first few sessions (often three to five) focus on thorough assessment and the development of a clear treatment plan. Weekly sessions are recommended at the outset, with the first five sessions offered at a 10 per cent discount.

Many clients also benefit from the structured men’s groups Michael facilitates, including closed online programmes that address the “shadow” of addiction and help participants develop empathy and accountability in recovery.

Michael is clear that the work is collaborative and non-shaming. The goal is not simply the cessation of problematic behaviours but the development of healthier intimacy — with self and with others — and a life that feels more manageable and meaningful.

A Local Resource with Wider Reach

While the practice is rooted in Malvern and the broader Stonnington area, the availability of secure telehealth means support is accessible well beyond Melbourne. Private health insurance rebates may be available through a range of funds; clients are encouraged to check their individual policies.

In a city where conversations about mental health have become more open, specialised treatment for sex and love addiction remains a relatively quiet corner of the therapeutic landscape. Michael Rooney’s combination of international certification, trauma-informed methods and a straightforward message of hope fills an important gap.

A calm, professional consulting environment supports the confidential and focused work of psychotherapy.

Contact Details

Intimacy Healing Therapy & Consulting Michael Rooney Clinical Psychotherapist | Certified Sex Addiction Therapist & Supervisor (IITAP)

Address: Level 1, 135 Glenferrie Road, Malvern VIC 3144 Phone: +61 429 590 698 Email: michael@intimacyhealing.com Website: www.intimacyhealing.com

Book an appointment: https://clientportal.zandahealth.com/clientportal/intimacy-healing

Whether you are taking the first tentative step or seeking specialist support after other approaches have fallen short, Intimacy Healing offers a professional, discreet and hopeful space in the heart of Malvern. For many, that first conversation is the beginning of reclaiming a life that feels freer and more connected.