Tips & FAQs
Choosing your therapist
If you have decided to pursue psychotherapy, your journey will involve the task of choosing a psychologist. Ample research shows that the therapeutic relationship is an important contributor of patient outcomes (essentially, how much the patient improves with therapy). This is a key reason why a good fit with you therapist is vital. There are a number of platforms that can help you find a psychologist such as APS Find a Psychologist Tool or simply using Google.
Length of Therapy
The length of your therapy is influenced by a number of factors such as your finances capabilities, whether you've experienced a once-off incident, or a lifetime of difficulties.
In the latter situation, I understand the amount of therapy as being more or less related to the length of time you've been experiencing your difficulties. That's not to say that if you're 50, it will take 50 years of therapy. But it is to say that if you've been experiencing deeper seated issues throughout your life and you're 50 now, it will likely take a number of years in therapy to work through your longstanding patterns of relating to yourself and others, and internalise alternative ways of being in our therapeutic relationship.
Affording therapy
Psychological care, although a necessity, can attract a hefty fee. The Australian Psychological Society recommends that the standard fee for a 50-60 minute sessions is $267. I strive to make quality psychotherapy affordable. I encourage you to have a conversation about your goals, how much time you wish to spend in therapy, and what you can realistically afford. There is often a reasonable middle ground that can be negotiated, and if/ when circumstances change, this can naturally be revisited.
The First Session
In therapy, the first 2-3 sessions will be an "assessment period", where I hear your story and formulate my understanding of it. At the end of this period, I will share my understanding of it with you. From there, we can discuss the length of therapy, our therapeutic fit, and our plan to approach what you're experiencing.
Rupture in Therapy
All relationships can get rocky, including your therapeutic relationship. It's important that you're able to speak with your psychologist about your concerns. Psychodynamic therapists are trained to be attuned to these types of process issues, and help nurture your ability to have these open, honest discussions, which can be helpful in relationships outside the therapy room too.
This is not an exhaustive list of queries. Feel welcome to email, message or call me to discuss your journey.