How do I make an appointment?
You can call or email me direct, and we will arrange a time that suits us both.
Do I need a referral?
No, you don’t need a referral to attend as a private client. If you are wanting to access the Medicare rebate, then you will need a referral and a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP.
How long does as appointment go for?
A session goes for 50 minutes.
What can I expect from the first appointment?
The first session (and sometimes the first few sessions) is really about building trust in the relationship and getting to know you and what you are coming to therapy for. Often you do a lot of the talking, while I get an understanding of you and your circumstances.
How long will it take to feel better?
This is really variable depending on your circumstances. Some people start to feel better immediately at the relief of finally talking about their troubles and taking that first step to change things. Others, if they have been engaging in a lot of avoidance may feel a little worse at first as they pay attention to what they have been pushing away. In regard to actual healing and change, I find most people will require at least 10 sessions, however many people continue attending for a year or more.
How frequently should I attend?
This also depends on your circumstances, and we will discuss this at the end of the first session, however people typically attended weekly or fortnightly at the beginning and tend to stretch that out as things begin to improve and they feel more skilled in managing what is going on.
I feel really nervous about making an appointment. Is that normal?
Absolutely! This is how most people feel when they first attend therapy, as the relationship and trust builds between us, this feeling will lessen.
What happens if I don’t like you?
Effective therapy is dependent on the relationship, so if you don’t feel like you like me, or how we are working together, I encourage you to let me know. Once I know, we can discuss what we could do differently to make it work, or if you just don’t like me (which is perfectly acceptable, we can’t all like everyone) I can help refer you to another practitioner who might be more your style.
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.