Psychologists have studied human behavior and the brain (including how people think, feel, learn and behave) and have been trained to assist people who are having challenges coping with emotions, thoughts and actions. This can include those experiencing mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, addictive behaviours and childhood behaviour disorders. Psychologists use evidence-based approaches that are tailored to suit each client and circumstance and they assess, diagnose and treat a wide range of clients and areas of concern.
Psychologists provide counselling and therapy to clients, but not all counsellors or therapists are Clinical and Registered Psychologists. In Australia, practicing psychologists are legally required to be registered with the national registration board, the Psychology Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. The term ‘counsellor’ is not protected in Australia, so anyone can use this title.
Clinical and Registered Psychologists must have a minimum of six years of university training and supervised experience and take part in ongoing education to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. Seeing someone who is registered ensures you receive high quality ethical treatment from a competent practitioner who follows a strict Code of Conduct. All of Direction Psychology’s practitioners are Clinical and Registered Psychologists.
If you have a referral for a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP or Psychiatrist, you will be eligible to receive a Medicare rebate of $86.15 per session with a Registered Psychologist, or $126.50 per session with a Clinical Psychologist for up to 10 sessions of individual counselling per calendar year.
It’s very normal to feel anxious, nervous, or unsure about your first session of psychological counselling. Our psychologists will provide a private, comfortable, safe, respectful and non-judgmental place for you to discuss anything you need to.
In the first few sessions, the psychologist will typically ask you questions about yourself, your life, and any presenting problems you would like to work on. Together, you will create a plan of how therapy can assist you with these problems, how many sessions it may take, and how frequently you should meet. Prior to your first session it can be helpful for you to ask yourself what changes you would like to make in your life. The aim of therapy is for us to then work together to help you achieve those changes.
In the first session with your child, your psychologist will often invite you both into the session at the beginning, then ask to see the child by themselves. After this, your psychologist will discuss with you the most appropriate structure of future counselling sessions with your child.
In the case of adolescents, depending on the age of your teenager they may wish to see their psychologist without their parent present. However, it is recommended that a parent is always available to attend the sessions if needed, and parental consent is needed for under 16s to attend therapy.
In the first few sessions, the psychologist will typically ask you questions about yourself, your life, and any presenting problems you would like to work on. Together, you will create a plan of how therapy can assist you with these problems, how many sessions it may take, and how frequently you should meet. Prior to your first session it can be helpful for you to ask yourself what changes you would like to make in your life. The aim of therapy is for us to then work together to help you achieve those changes.
Each individual therapy session is 50 minutes in length. How many sessions you need depends on your situation and can be discussed with your psychologist. After the first 1-2 sessions, your psychologist will discuss what they think is an appropriate amount of sessions to help you address the presenting problem. This way you can set goals and work together on achieving them.
Many factors can influence the length of therapy including the issues you are seeking help with, the coping strategies you already use, your support network and previous counselling you may have had.
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