Who may benefit from therapy?

People from diverse backgrounds seek therapy for many reasons. Therapy may be useful if you:

• Have a persistent feeling of sadness or depression;

• Often feel stressed or anxious;

• Experiencing heightened agitation or anger;

• Have experienced trauma or are having difficulty coping after a distressing event;

• Would like to improve your relationship and/or communication with others;

• Lack self-confidence or assertiveness;

• Are struggling to balance work and family commitments;

• Are grieving the loss of someone or something;

• Have problems with addiction or engaging in negative patterns of behaviour; or

• Feel suicidal or have thoughts of harming yourself or others.

How can therapy help me?

Therapy can help people in many different ways. Psychologists are highly trained professionals who can offer an objective, non-judgmental perspective on a problem you may be experiencing, help you better understand yourself and the ways you interact with others, teach you specific and practical skills to help you manage your emotions and assist you to discover new, healthy ways of living.

Amy White Psychology offers a range of evidence based therapies to help you achieve your therapeutic goals. These include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a form of talking therapy which can be used to treat people with a wide range of mental health problems. CBT is based on the idea that how we think (cognition), feel (emotion) and act (behavior) are connected and by changing the way you think, you can change the way you feel. For further information on CBT, please visit https://beckinstitute.org/

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a therapy which combines mindfulness skills with the practice of self-acceptance. ACT focuses on accepting your thoughts and feelings and facing your problems head on rather than avoiding your stressors. For more information, please visit https://www.actmindfully.com.au/about-act/

• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) is a modified version of CBT that includes the development of skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness and interpersonal effectiveness and is often used in the treatment of Borderline Personality Disroder (BPD). For more information, please visit https://behavioraltech.org/resources/faqs/dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt/

• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy is a ‘doing’ therapy which helps people heal from trauma and psychological distress by tapping into the brains natural ability to process traumatic memories and reduce negative self beliefs. For more information, please visit https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/ or watch this insightful video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IPsBPH2M1U

Making changes in your life can take time and effort. In order to receive the maximum benefit from therapy, attending sessions regularly, practicing new skills and trying new approaches outside of sessions, will help you make progress.

What should I expect when I see a psychologist?

Before your therapy session begins, we may ask you to fill out administrative and assessment forms in order to establish a starting point from which our psychologists can work.  You may bring a support person to your initial session if this makes you feel more comfortable, however, generally therapy sessions will be conducted with you individually.

In the first session, your psychologist typically gathers information about you and your needs. This may include what brings you to therapy, your concerns, any symptoms you may experience and your goals for therapy. We do this in a safe, relaxed and confidential environment.  Your Psychologist may take notes during the session to assist them to develop a treatment plan specific to your needs. Your first session is also an opportunity to ask any questions about therapy you may have and get a feel for whether you and your Psychologist may be a good fit for each other.

How long does therapy take?

Each therapy session typically lasts between 50 minutes to an hour.

The number of sessions that you attend will depend on the type and complexity of the issue(s) that you wish to address. A few sessions may be sufficient for some people to see a positive change, however further sessions may be necessary to address a range of problems or complex mental health issues that may be deeply ingrained. The frequency and number of sessions that you attend can be discussed with your Psychologist.

Do I need a referral?

You do not need a referral to see a psychologist.  However, in order to access Medicare Rebates a General Practitioner or Psychiatrist referral is required.  If you are referred by a third party (e.g. WorkCover) referral information must be made available at the time of making the appointment. 

Am I eligible for a Medicare rebate?

As part of the federal government’s Better Access to Mental Health Care Initiative, eligible clients can receive a rebate from Medicare for psychological services. In order to obtain a rebate from Medicare, your General Practitioner or Psychiatrist must assess you as eligible to receive a Mental Health Care Plan following which you can be referred to a psychologist.  Once a Mental Health Care Plan has been completed by your doctor, you will be able to obtain a Medicare rebate for up to 10 sessions per calendar year.

What if I need an assessment or Psychological Report?

We conduct a variety of psychometric assessments including cognitive functioning and learning, adaptive and behavioural functioning, personality, anxiety, depression, coping, anger and prepare associated reports. We also prepare pre-sentence court reports for people who may have been charged with criminal offences.

If you require a particular assessment and/or report, please contact us to discuss your needs prior to your first appointment. Completion of psychological testing and report writing may require several sessions to complete and will be charged proportionate to the time that the report takes to write. Medicare does not offer any rebates for the costs associated with assessments or reports.