The role of psychologists in supporting clients who want to stop or reduce antidepressants 

What is the collaboration about? 

The APS has been collaborating with researchers from the Deakin Lifespan Institute within the School of Psychology at Deakin University, and Reconnexion, the only service in Australia specialising in treatment and support for individuals wanting to stop their sleeping pills and antianxiety medications.

Together, we've been working on research and professional development opportunities about the role of psychologists in supporting clients who are wanting to reduce or stop taking antidepressants. 

Why is the topic important?  

Nearly four million Australians now take antidepressants, and long-term use has risen steadily over the past decade.

Psychologists working with clients on antidepressants will find that they were often started for a short-term episode but never had a clear off-ramp.

This raises two distinct clinical challenges:

1. First, how to come off safely, when withdrawal symptoms are commonly under-recognised and easily mistaken for relapse and can lock clients into unnecessarily long-term use.
2. Second, and less discussed, how to do effective therapy while a client remains medicated, when blunted affect, altered emotional reactivity, or a client's own uncertainty about "which parts are me and which parts are the drug" can complicate the therapeutic work itself. 

How can psychologists get involved? 

• You can have your say about the role of psychologists in antidepressant use and discontinuation and share your experiences and views by completing our online survey. This will help us obtain Australian data and support the professional development we offer. 

• You can take part in our free webinar, presented by Anders Sørensen, Danish clinical psychologist, researcher and author of Crossing Zero, about why this topic matters for psychologists, with a focus on the latest evidence and practical strategies to support clients. Download the flyer about the event.

What’s next? 

We have been applying for funding to continue our research in this area, including how to further support psychologists and the development of training opportunities for psychologists.

The December webinar is also a first look at the ideas Anders Sørensen will explore in-depth face-to-face in Australia for the first time.

In April–May 2027, he's running a strictly limited, one-off workshop series in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane: an intensive, practical program built to upskill psychologists in supporting clients through medication reduction and withdrawal.

Places will be capped in each city, and this is the only Australian tour currently planned.