Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Seeing a Psychologist.

Accessing help for our mental health is still something people find hard to do. The uncertainty often freaks us all out, especially when we’re young and doing something unknown for the first time. So, to help out, we’ve put together a list of the most questions we’ve heard with some really honest answers.

What if it’s awkward and I don’t know what to say? How am I going to fill an hour?!

It might be. It probably will be, for like a minute or so. But then it gets easier.

The first questions we always ask are about things you definitely know the answer too. Things like who’s in your family or what you do for work. These questions are very casual, designed to relax you into talking and for us to get to know you a bit. Most of the time we don’t even ask about the hard stuff until later on.  

It’s true that everyone’s comfort levels are very different when it comes to therapy. Sometimes people are nervous and silent, and other times people can’t get the words out quick enough. Sometimes people cry and a lot of the time people giggle nervously.

I’ve been upset by things, but what if I get into the appointment and my psychologist thinks my problems are silly?

Distress is relative. My housemate thinks it’s a big deal when I leave the dishes in the sink, I think she shouldn’t use the dryer so much. Everyone sees things differently and experiences the world from their point of view. In therapy your perspective is the most important and we work from there.

Also, psychologists don’t have a big list of things that are appropriate to be sad or scared about, and then things that aren’t. Everyone’s problems are problems if they say so.

What if I don’t get a good vibe from the psychologist and I don’t want to go back?

If this happens, we’re sorry!

But it is also fine. Every practitioner is different and not everyone will click. For every ten people that we help well, there will always be one person/family that we just aren’t the right person for. This is okay because it’s part of the work, it happens. And because most psychologists know that one of the most important ingredients in good therapy is the “fit” between client and psychologist, they will simply just suggest connecting with another clinician who night be a better fit.

Why do I have to pay? It costs a lot of money…

Yes, most of the time you have to pay for sessions. A psychologist isn’t your weird uncle/neighbour/family friend giving unsolicited life advice, they’re a professional trained in therapy. Just like when you see any other specialist, you pay in exchange for their knowledge and experience in the area. 

But luckily our government thinks mental health is super important too, so they give everyone access to a mental health treatment plan under Medicare. Basically, this means the government covers a portion of the cost of a session. You get ten of these subsidised sessions every year for your entire life. The amount the government pays for each session depends on your personal circumstances and the qualifications of the clinician you see.

To get a mental health treatment plan, all you have to do is visit a GP (doctor) and ask for a referral to a psychologist. They will ask some basic screening questions about your mental health, and then get you to fill out some paperwork. To note: GPs will ask everyone about suicidal thoughts/behaviours because it is an important conversation to start. If this doesn’t apply to you, they will just move on. They will also write a diagnosis on your paperwork like "adjustment disorder” or “depression” or “anxiety.” Don’t be thrown, they’re just classifications of symptoms to give the psychologist a bit of a head start in terms of what you’re struggling with.

To note - bulk-billing mental health services do exist, but they are rare and there is a lot of demand. If you really need a bulk-billing option, we’d suggest reaching out to your local headspace. www.headspace.com.au

I’m not ready for people to know I’m seeing someone. Does anyone have to know?

We won’t tell anyone, if you don’t. That’s the whole point of confidentiality. Generally, psychologists need one emergency contact to keep on file (must be a parent/guardian if you’re under 18) and your GPs details (see they can bill Medicare), that’s all. The emergency contact is only contacted in emergencies (funny that).

Hopefully this post has helped to settled your anxiety. If you’re still feeling uncertain about it, that’s pretty normal. Sometimes we just have to get through the first one and then *breathe a sigh of relief* You can do hard things. I have 100% faith in you.

Until next time,

Courtney.