FAQs

What is a Psychologist?

A Psychologist is a university educated mental health professional whose training focuses on the human mind and behaviour. It includes the study of normal development as well as difficulties in mental health, making them well positioned to understand the full range of human experience. Psychologists complete a minimum of four years of university training and a highly regulated two-year program of postgraduate study and workplace-based training. Clinical Psychologists have at least six years of university training and membership of the Clinical College of the APS requires an additional year of further training or study. Many Psychologists complete extensive postgraduate training in psychotherapy in addition to their university qualifications in psychology.

Who should see a Psychologist?

You can benefit from seeing a Psychologist if you are experiencing a current problem with your emotional well- being. This could include depression, anxiety, anger, difficulty in relationships with others, parenting, loneliness and many other issues. Some people come to see a Psychologist when they have experienced a past event such as abuse or a period of depression. Psychologists can help with recovery from such experiences and can help people with relapse prevention to reduce the impact of those difficulties in the future. In addition, psychologists can help with problems such as weight loss, adjustment to major life transitions, life direction and stress management.

How many sessions will I need?

This depends on the nature of your difficulties and what you would like to achieve. You will be given a guideline for the number of sessions that you are likely to need following the initial assessment. The aim is always to achieve change as quickly as possible. Your rate of progress will also depend on how much time you spend on working towards your therapeutic goals between sessions. You may be given ideas for specific exercises that can be used to increase your rate of progress between sessions.

Do I need a referral from a GP?

If you would think you might me covered by the Medicare subsidy scheme, then a GP assessment is necessary. A GP assessment of your general health can also be useful to rule out any physical causes of your difficulties. Otherwise, a GP referral is not necessary before making an appointment.

I may have difficulties with food or substances but am not sure that I am ready to change. I am concerned that a Psychologist will expect me to be motivated to change.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy is useful for people who would like more information about their difficulty with food or substances and help to think about the impact it is having on them. It does not require a readiness to change to benefit from this type of therapy.

How do I know what type of therapy is right for me?

Part of the assessment process is to get a better understanding of you and your difficulties and to provide you with information about the types of therapy that might be useful for you. Only therapies that have been shown to have proven benefit by research are offered. Please see our page detailing the types of therapy that we offer for more information.

How do I know which psychologist I should see?

When you make an enquiry at our practice, we will ask for a brief outline of the area that you would like to work on and we will discuss which psychologist will be a good fit for your needs. 

What kind of support is offered for people with eating disorders?

There are some additional things to consider when planning effective treatment for people with eating disorders. The right type of treatment at the right time is crucial and having individual appointments once a week when you need something more intense can keep you stuck or even be harmful for you. The first appointment with one of our psychologists will involve a more detailed assessment to ensure that our service is right for your treatment needs. For your ethical and effective treatment, we may also require that you see a dietician, preferably one that specialises in eating disorders and have regular monitoring of your physical health with a GP. For some people, it can also be useful to see a psychiatrist. We work closely with a number of dieticians and have included some more information below from Elizabeth Stathakis of Lifestyle Consultations about the various roles of different professionals in providing treatment for eating disorders.