Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a doctor's referral?
No, you can come and see me completely on your own accord. However, if you want to get medicare or health fund rebates on your sessions, you will need a doctor to give you a ‘mental health care plan’ referral letter. To get this, book a double session with your GP. See more on my page regarding medicare.
What will happen in my first visit?
The first visit is a getting-to-know-you time. When we first meet I will ask a lot of questions to get an idea of who you are and what you want to achieve.
Does seeing a shrink or psychologist mean I am crazy?
Absolutely not. Some of the most successful people see therapists. In fact, I don’t think there is a person in this world that couldn’t do with a bit of therapy. Most of the people I see are far from crazy. In fact, I admire them and think they are pretty sane in their decision to come and sort their issues out with a professional rather than bury them, because buried issues eventually come back up.
Focusing on positive psychology is actually mind expanding, not shrinking.
Does just talking about your problems really change anything?
Yes, in fact it used to be called the ‘talking cure’ though we do a bit more than just talking. You will also be given strategies and tools to use to deal with things better now and in the future. Also, a lot of your shifts will come not from just talking but from being heard and understood, which is why therapy is also called ‘the relationship that heals’.
Neuroscience research has now revealed that there are structural changes in the brains of people who have undergone psychotherapy.
Will you analyse me?
I am not a psychoanalyst. The Freudian model of me sitting behind you while you lay back and talk about your mother is a very old-school stereotype of therapy.
The Gestalt approach is quite the opposite and even requires the therapist to be as real a person as is therapeutically useful. We don’t take an ‘expert’ position because personal growth is about becoming more authentic. You might even learn to analyse yourself by absorbing the skills I teach you.
Can you read my mind?
No, I am not a psychic mind-reader, but people do tell me I am pretty insightful. This is actually a good thing for you as it can help you to identify the real issues that might be hard for you to acknowledge or that are simply out of your awareness. I am always careful to check with you whether it feels right so that my sense of what's going on doesn’t override your truth.
How many sessions will I need?
Ah, the "how long" is a piece-of-string question. Here is the pattern I see in most of my clients: The first session is the biggest hurdle and can produce the most initial relief, but it's really just an introduction. By session 3, I usually see people starting to get better--how much depends on how bad they were in the first place and how much we have to work on. Significant progress should be made by the 6th visit if we are dealing with current life-event issues. If your problems stretch way back and have piled upon each other and affected you in many ways, then we might be looking at long-term work that could span months or more.
What if I am not getting better?
If you tell me all that I need to know to make an assessment in the early stages of therapy and I feel I can’t help you, I will refer you to someone who can. If I have taken your situation as something I can help you with and therapy is still not progressing, then we need to look at why.
The benefit of seeing me is that a side passion of mine is natural health and functional medicine. Your brain is affected by your physical state, and your mind is very much effected by your emotions and nervous system. So I also keep an eye out for indications of biochemical imbalances playing into your mood. If these are identified and addressed, then the therapy works more effectively but could still take time depending on how deeply your development has been affected.
Why should I visit you?
There are so many service providers out there, I can understand how hard it must be to know you are using your time and money wisely. It’s a difficult decision, and that is why I have created this huge website for you to look around and get a general idea of what I do.
All I can say is that I am a psychotherapist at the core, a psychologist on top and a bit of a would-be naturopath, neuroscientist and nutritionist in between. I love helping people get better, and I want to know as much as possible so I can be as effective as possible at doing this.
I can work with you on deep issues that affect who you are a person. I have done a load of personal development; I know what it takes to grow and be human. You might not have that many 'issues' but just a desire to live a more full life or even develop your essential self. I can help you with this as I know the way. I trained as a psychologist so you can receive rebates for psychological counselling.
I also enjoy teaching and coaching, and I have a special passion for helping parents.
I love what I do: it's more than a job, it's my path. People come in to see me in varying degrees of distress and pain and, over sessions, I see them change, become brighter, lighter and more present. It is a privilege to be part of that.
No, you can come and see me completely on your own accord. However, if you want to get medicare or health fund rebates on your sessions, you will need a doctor to give you a ‘mental health care plan’ referral letter. To get this, book a double session with your GP. See more on my page regarding medicare.
What will happen in my first visit?
The first visit is a getting-to-know-you time. When we first meet I will ask a lot of questions to get an idea of who you are and what you want to achieve.
Does seeing a shrink or psychologist mean I am crazy?
Absolutely not. Some of the most successful people see therapists. In fact, I don’t think there is a person in this world that couldn’t do with a bit of therapy. Most of the people I see are far from crazy. In fact, I admire them and think they are pretty sane in their decision to come and sort their issues out with a professional rather than bury them, because buried issues eventually come back up.
Focusing on positive psychology is actually mind expanding, not shrinking.
Does just talking about your problems really change anything?
Yes, in fact it used to be called the ‘talking cure’ though we do a bit more than just talking. You will also be given strategies and tools to use to deal with things better now and in the future. Also, a lot of your shifts will come not from just talking but from being heard and understood, which is why therapy is also called ‘the relationship that heals’.
Neuroscience research has now revealed that there are structural changes in the brains of people who have undergone psychotherapy.
Will you analyse me?
I am not a psychoanalyst. The Freudian model of me sitting behind you while you lay back and talk about your mother is a very old-school stereotype of therapy.
The Gestalt approach is quite the opposite and even requires the therapist to be as real a person as is therapeutically useful. We don’t take an ‘expert’ position because personal growth is about becoming more authentic. You might even learn to analyse yourself by absorbing the skills I teach you.
Can you read my mind?
No, I am not a psychic mind-reader, but people do tell me I am pretty insightful. This is actually a good thing for you as it can help you to identify the real issues that might be hard for you to acknowledge or that are simply out of your awareness. I am always careful to check with you whether it feels right so that my sense of what's going on doesn’t override your truth.
How many sessions will I need?
Ah, the "how long" is a piece-of-string question. Here is the pattern I see in most of my clients: The first session is the biggest hurdle and can produce the most initial relief, but it's really just an introduction. By session 3, I usually see people starting to get better--how much depends on how bad they were in the first place and how much we have to work on. Significant progress should be made by the 6th visit if we are dealing with current life-event issues. If your problems stretch way back and have piled upon each other and affected you in many ways, then we might be looking at long-term work that could span months or more.
What if I am not getting better?
If you tell me all that I need to know to make an assessment in the early stages of therapy and I feel I can’t help you, I will refer you to someone who can. If I have taken your situation as something I can help you with and therapy is still not progressing, then we need to look at why.
The benefit of seeing me is that a side passion of mine is natural health and functional medicine. Your brain is affected by your physical state, and your mind is very much effected by your emotions and nervous system. So I also keep an eye out for indications of biochemical imbalances playing into your mood. If these are identified and addressed, then the therapy works more effectively but could still take time depending on how deeply your development has been affected.
Why should I visit you?
There are so many service providers out there, I can understand how hard it must be to know you are using your time and money wisely. It’s a difficult decision, and that is why I have created this huge website for you to look around and get a general idea of what I do.
All I can say is that I am a psychotherapist at the core, a psychologist on top and a bit of a would-be naturopath, neuroscientist and nutritionist in between. I love helping people get better, and I want to know as much as possible so I can be as effective as possible at doing this.
I can work with you on deep issues that affect who you are a person. I have done a load of personal development; I know what it takes to grow and be human. You might not have that many 'issues' but just a desire to live a more full life or even develop your essential self. I can help you with this as I know the way. I trained as a psychologist so you can receive rebates for psychological counselling.
I also enjoy teaching and coaching, and I have a special passion for helping parents.
I love what I do: it's more than a job, it's my path. People come in to see me in varying degrees of distress and pain and, over sessions, I see them change, become brighter, lighter and more present. It is a privilege to be part of that.
