... if you’re the right therapist for me?
When choosing a therapist, it’s important to find someone properly qualified and whose personality and counselling style you click with. My style is pretty informal and I like to use a range of counselling methods and techniques.
Sometimes it can take a few goes to find the right-for-you therapist. To help with this I offer a free, no-obligation15 minute phone call to chat about your needs and how I can help you.
... does an appointment cost?
My full fee is $190 for a 50 minute session. If you have a GP referral, Medicare pays a rebate of $85.20 for up to 10 sessions per year, leaving an out-of-pocket expense of $105. You do not need a GP referral to see me unless you want to claim the Medicare rebate.
Unfortunately I cannot afford to bulk-bill appointments due to the Medicare rebate being so low.
... Private Health Insurance?
Yes you can if your health fund and policy covers psychological treatment with an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker. It’s not possible to claim a Medicare rebate and use your private health insurance for the same appointment.
... between an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Registered Counsellor and a Registered Psychologist?
To use an analogy, think of each of these professions as varieties of bread. Each bread type has its own distinct qualities that differentiate it from the others, but they are all bread. Which one suits you best will come down to your specific needs and preferences.
Counsellors, Mental Health Social Workers and Psychologists are all mental health professionals, who are trained in evidence based counselling techniques and modalities and qualified to provide talk therapy.
A key difference between counsellors, mental health social workers and psychologists is the focus of their specific trainings and how this shapes their approach to treatment.
Psychologists are aligned with a medical model of treatment. They are trained in diagnosing mental, physical or behavioural health issues. Mental health problems are attributed to individual pathology and treatment focuses on fixing the person.
Accredited Mental Health Social Workers and counsellors follow a more holistic approach to treatment. Mental health problems are understood within the context of the historical, environmental, social, cultural and systemic factors shaping a person’s mental health. Treatment focuses on the internal and external factors affecting wellbeing.
Accredited Mental Health Social Workers and Psychologists are recognised by Medicare as having specialist mental health expertise and can offer a Medicare rebate with a referral from your GP.
You can read more here if you like (this link will take you to the Australian Government’s Health Direct Site).
... appointments will I need?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question because everyone’s situation is different due to a range of factors.
The issues bringing you to counselling:
If you need support changing some unhelpful negative thoughts or behaviours, 6-8 sessions may be enough. More severe and complex issues such as childhood trauma or mental health conditions benefit from longer term counselling.
Your counselling goals:
Lasting change happens incrementally and over time. If you are wanting help with a single goal that doesn’t involve significant change, you may only need a few sessions. If you have multiple goals or want to make bigger life changes this will take more time.
Your commitment to counselling:
Counselling is a collaborative process. The more open you are exploring your issues and doing things differently, the more progress you’ll notice. You will also get the most out of therapy when you use the time between appointments to practice applying what was covered in counselling to your daily life.
The frequency of sessions:
People who attend counselling regularly tend to have better outcomes in therapy than those that attend sporadically. Particularly at the start of counselling, I recommend weekly or fortnightly appointments to keep up momentum. However, I’ve also had clients who preferred less frequent appointments and still found counselling helpful.
... expect in my first session?
The first session is an introductory session to get to know each other. It’s an opportunity for you to get a feel for whether I’m someone you feel comfortable with and safe talking to, and for me to deepen my understanding of your situation.
We’ll chat about your reasons for coming to counselling, your life in general and what you’d like to be different. At all times you are in charge of what we discuss and I will follow your lead regarding what you feel comfortable talking about and how much you wish to disclose.
... counselling by email, telephone on online?
I offer online and telephone counselling as well as face-to-face counselling in Glebe. I don’t provide counselling via email. For online/phone sessions you need a quiet place that’s free of distractions and you can speak openly.
