As a holistic wellness clinic, we make sure that we are able to provide care to all aspects of your human self – this includes your brain too! Sometimes those pesky things can be hurtful, or keep us stuck in repetitive patterns that stop us from actualising what we really want from our lives.
We have an incredible collection of clinical psychologists who help their clients through this process every week. They’re SO amazing that they’re almost always not able to take new clients because they’re fully booked, arrgh!
BUT, if you’ve been wanting to get a start on your journey, never fear! Our practice is home to some highly experienced psychotherapists and counsellors with whom you can work. They are skilled in many therapies such as IFS and EMDR.
Sometimes people are a bit hesitant to see a psychotherapist or counsellor instead of a psychologist. Almost every time this comes down to a lack of understanding about the differences between the two. Let us help you with that…
Cost of Treatment
Psychotherapists cannot provide you with a Medicare rebate through your Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) referral from your GP. However, Psychologists’ fees are higher than what the Medicare rebate can provide, meaning that you will be paying out-of-pocket for each session. For most psychologists, this out-of-pocket fee will range from $100 to $140.
Moreover, the MHCP will provide you with up to 10 rebated sessions per 12 months. If you’re really committed to taking charge of your mental health, 10 sessions in 12 months really isn’t enough! This means that once you’ve used up all your sessions, you’ll have to pay the full fee upfront every time following, or simply wait until you can get a new referral – which your mental health may not love.
The great thing about our psychotherapists is that their fees are always set at $130 per hour. This means that even if you need more than 10 sessions in a year, which most people do, then you won’t get slammed in the face by a hefty invoice you weren’t prepared for.
Qualifications
Like psychologists, all psychotherapists attend tertiary education and receive a degree to become psychotherapists – they’re not just people who think they’re good at giving advice. Psychotherapy is a specialisation for working in depth with people who are grappling with a range of personal and well-being issues including diagnosed mental health conditions.
Psychotherapists focus on assisting their clients to explore and understand aspects of themselves and their experience. They assist their clients to understand how past experiences influence and shape their current responses to life events. The focus is on the here and now response, the past simply provides the platform for understanding. This allows psychotherapists to work intuitively with what their clients need, rather than boxing themselves into a therapeutic specialisation.
Relationship: The Cornerstone of Psychotherapy Practice
Because psychologists work within the Medicare system, they almost have to see anyone sent their way. This might mean that you both connect very well, or that it feels like a forced relationship that you can’t quite get out of.
As psychotherapists don’t work within the Medicare system, they are able to be more selective about which clients they choose to work with. This is of particular importance for psychotherapists. Psychotherapists hold the therapeutic relationship as one of the biggest influences on the outcome of your therapy. Beginning with a comfortable fit is, therefore, something our psychotherapists care deeply about. The therapeutic relationship is always a core factor within psychotherapy sessions – making sure that you feel safe, protected, and ready to share – rather than ticking off boxes to meet specific criteria so that your GP feels that you’re making progress on paper.
If you have a good connection and there’s harmony between you and your psychotherapist, you can make great progress quickly. This also means that your psychotherapist can tailor each session to you and your needs, which again, is vital to progress.
What Should You Do?
You don’t need to be in a pit of despair to finally reach out to seeing a psychotherapist. If you’re moving through a transitional period, such as into a new job, home, or life stage, or you’re feeling like you’re just cruising along without much direction, a psychotherapist can really help you develop your Self and move into the best version of who you are. Also, we’re in a pandemic! Life is weird right now, and it can be really helpful to talk about some fears or how we’re feeling with someone.
If you’re feeling the calling to get started on your mental wellbeing journey, or perhaps you’ve been trying to find the right person with no success, contact us to book in with a psychotherapist who’s best suited to you.