The Team at SOUTH PERTH COUNSELLING & PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES are committed to delivering significant improvements to the human condition. Their techniques provide a specialist service whereby each client ‘owns’ their therapy & develops self awareness via psychotherapeutic strategies. Individual, Couple or Family group interventions are available at our residential offices in FREMANTLE, INGLEWOOD, NORTHBRIDGE & VICTORIA PARK. Home visits, onsite workplace critical incidents or remote video linkup sessions are also available for crisis intervention or those who are unable to attend our offices physically.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PSYCHOLOGIST & A PSYCHIATRIST?
A Psychologist undergoes a minimum 6 year University Course & Training in Psychology which studies the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour. General Psychologists diagnose general mental health illness, manage treatment and provide a range of therapies to patients dependent on their skills and additional training. Some Psychologists go on to complete a Phd or a Masters 2 year Post Graduate University Training Course to specialise in Clinical, Neuropsychology, Community, Counselling, Educational, Developmental, Forensic, Health, Organisational or Sport and exercise Psychological Practice. Our Clinicians are all Fully Registered Psychologists. Whilst Psychologists can diagnose and treat generalised Mental Health Disorders they generally focus on providing psychotherapy (talk therapy) to help patients. Specialist Psychologists such as Clinical or Neuro Psychologists generally diagnose and treat more complex mental health illnesses.
A psychiatrist receives 7+ years of training within the medical field which incorporates mental health education. Psychiatrists often prescribe medication whereas psychologists do not. Psychiatrists diagnose illness, manage treatment and provide a range of therapies and formalised programs for complex, co-morbid and serious mental illness patients.
Q. ARE SOUTH PERTH THERAPISTS QUALIFIED?
Yes. The team at SOUTH PERTH COUNSELLING SERVICES all have qualifications in psychology, counselling and psychotherapy. They are members of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) or The Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) and The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and all comply with the APS Australian Code of Ethics when engaging in psychotherapuetic treatment for all patients. Our therapists dedicate their working lives to undertaking research in order to collaborate our collective knowledge and practice. All professional staff at SOUTH PERTH COUNSELLING & PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES believe it is important to remain up to date with these new developments and as such undertake further personal and professional development on an ongoing basis.
Q. HOW DO MEDICARE REBATED SESSIONS UNDER A GP MENTAL HEALTH CARE PLAN REFERRAL WORK?
The following information assists clients who are considering accessing Medicare-funded Psychological Services under the Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative via a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) provided by their GP for up to 20 sessions annually (6+4+10).
A ‘Mental Health Disorder’ is a term used to describe a range of clinically diagnosable conditions that significantly impact on a person’s emotions, thoughts, social skills and decision-making. The Better Access initiative covers people with Mental Health Disorders arising from the following conditions:
• Alcohol use Disorder
• Adjustment Disorder
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Bereavement Disorder
• Chronic Fatigue
• Conduct Disorder
• Co-occurring Anxiety and Depression
• Depression
• Dissociative Disorder
• Eating Disorders
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder
• Mental disorder (not otherwise specified)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic Disorder
• Phobic Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Sexual Disorders
• Sleep Problems
• Unexplained Somatic Complaints or
• any Neurodiverse Presentation
If you are experiencing any of the above conditions, please see your GP for a ‘double consultation’ appointment to be assessed under a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) so that you can claim a ‘portion’ of the session cost back from Medicare (Rebate back is generally between $99 – $235 depending on your current Medicare Threshold. Contact Medicare if you are unsure). Should you be eligible, you will receive an initial MHCP for 6 Medicare Rebated Sessions from your GP. Following your 6 sessions, your Psychologist will provide your GP with a Progress Report should you require 4 further rebated sessions and following that same process, another 10 COVID rebated sessions should you qualify.
*For those concerned about MHCPs being placed on government record with the risk of this information being available to your employer or income protection insurer should you make an insurance claim at any point in the future, please speak to your GP or Psychologist about your concerns.
Q. HOW DO PRIVATE HEALTH FUND REBATED SESSIONS WORK?
You may be eligible for Private Health Fund Rebated Sessions should you be covered for ‘Registered Psychologists’. This will likely cover a portion of the session fee and will depend on your specific cover. Contact your Private Health Fund Provider for eligibility and confirmation prior to booking an appointment at our clinic.
*For those concerned about Private Health Fund personal information being placed on government record with the risk of this information being available to your employer or income protection insurer should you make an insurance claim at any point in the future, please speak to your Psychologist about your concerns.
Q. HOW DO EMPLOYEE ASSISTANT PROVIDER (EAP) FUNDED SESSIONS WORK?
Most large employers (in current times) provide their staff and family members up to 6 free sessions annually for confidential counselling should they be experiencing a personal or workplace issue affecting their job. If your employer does not offer these as part of your contract, you work for a smaller company who does not provide these or would prefer to speak to an independent external counsellor separate to your workplace, speak to your HR to see if they will partially or fully fund your annual counselling and support sessions at our clinic. If so, please email us confirmation of this ie: Workplace name, ABN, and amount of sessions funded by your employer. Full confidentiality is applied to all EAP sessions unless there is an intent reported to risk harm to yourself or others.
Q. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY?
Counselling is considered a ‘focused, short to medium term solution-oriented process’ when clients may have experienced an intermittent interpersonal life crisis such as following the illness or death of a loved one, a pet, an intimate relationship/family member or friendship breakdown, a workplace challenge, job loss, being bullied at school or at work, have faced a psychological/physical threat or trauma, have been diagnosed with a physical health condition, terminal illness or medical threat, experienced a parenting crisis or a blended family issue or experienced a financial challenge as a result of their current circumstances which may require grief and supportive counselling for that specific period or many over the course of their lifetime. Most people will experience at least a few or multiple life crises at certain periods in their lives and as a result, the level of their counselling and support requirements will depend entirely on their support network, social relationships, gender, sexual identity, cultural factors and resources. Generally, clients seek out counselling during these periods so they can effectively move through these life cycle phases or circumstances with the required assistance, resources, information and support from a range of health professionals. Some may require additional specialised support networks from a range of community services to assist them to move through the process effectively. They may be suffering from shame, guilt, sadness, powerlessness, frustration and/or confusion as a result of their experience or current circumstances which requires a sounding board to process these feelings or regain their power to move forward toward a more ideal situation in their life. Many clients report a considerable improvement in their circumstances as a result of seeking out counselling during these times of interpersonal crisis.
Psychotherapy and Psychological Intervention however is usually a longer-term therapeutic process and allows for the deeper exploration of the origins of the difficulty, patterns of behaviour, core beliefs, relational style, personality traits and situational factors which may be impacting and negatively affecting client’s lives. Psychotherapy aims to increase an individual’s sense of their own well-being and may uncover patterns of historical anxiety, persistent depressive symptomology or chronic mental health issues which require longer term treatment, support, interpersonal processing and external mental health programs and services to assist them to fast track their recovery, daily functioning and goal achievement. It also assists clients to understand the human behaviour of those around them which may have negatively impacted their lives and/or subsequently has resulted in an adverse trauma experience for them, affected their interpersonal development or overall life journey. Our psychotherapists and psychologist employs a range of techniques based on experiential relationship and skills building, dialogue, communication and cognitive behavioral techniques that are designed to improve the mental health of a client or to improve group relationships (such as in a family or intimate partnership).
Q. HOW LONG WILL THERAPY TAKE?
An initial assessment relating to the nature of the problem will take place during your first session. The length of time each client spends with a therapist on an ongoing basis depends entirely on each individual’s personal need & choice. Some recommendations may be offered to assist the process (when appropriate) or where requested by the client such as EFT, EMDR, CBT or other valuable techniques to shift distress, anxiety or trauma.
Q. HOW LONG WILL EMDR TAKE IF I AM SEEKING THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT OR THIS IS RECOMMENDED TO ME BY MY THERAPIST?
EMDR is generally used for those clients presenting with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, PTSD, OCD or any other debilitating condition. An initial 50 minute session will take place to gather history of the target issue and any relevant information. Several psychotherapuetic sessions will be required in order to reduce distress and improve functioning. Following this and when instructed, please book a two (2) hour EMDR session as there are 8 phases to get through in order to reduce or eliminate the distressing incident. A third session will be required to ‘check in’ with progress and any residual distress that may arise. Please note, EMDR treatment will take much longer for those patients presenting with Complex or Developmental Trauma from Childhood.
Q. HOW WILL I GO ABOUT CHOOSING A THERAPIST TO SUIT MY INDIVIDUAL NEEDS?
SOUTH PERTH COUNSELLING & PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES have a range of highly skilled therapists to suit each individual client & personal need. Female counsellors are also available, each with a wide range of multi-disciplinary therapeutic approaches. Recommendations will be made on first contact depending on the specified challenges each client is facing at the time.
Apart from ensuring that your therapist has the appropriate qualifications, we recommend that you find a counsellor you feel comfortable with. An essential part of ‘successful therapy’ is a strong alliance between client and therapist. As such it is important you feel a positive connection with your counsellor. This can be discussed further during your first session with your therapist.
Q. ARE THE SESSIONS CONFIDENTIAL?
Each therapist at SOUTH PERTH COUNSELLING & PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES are ethically bound to provide confidentiality & privacy during counselling sessions. It is also a vital part of enhancing the therapeutic relationship. Should ‘you’ feel there is a need to provide information gathered during a session to an external party then this will require your written request and authorised permission. As a duty of care there are limits to confidentiality which each therapist is ethically bound to (ie: Significant safety concerns to yourself or others or if your clinical notes have been subpoenaed by a legal agency).
Q. WHAT ARE THE LIMITS TO CONFIDENTIALITY?
In rare cases a client may reveal that they wish to harm themselves or someone else. Each therapist establishes whether the client has ‘clear intent’ or whether they are just expressing ‘an emotional reaction to a stressful situation’. Should intent be established, the therapist is bound ethically and legally by law to discuss this with a colleague, supervisor or relevant authority in order to keep you and the public safe. Whilst permission is required by each client however – this is not always possible. This will be discussed at the initial session with your counsellor and as noted in your signed contract and the conditions surrounding the therapy undertaking.
Q. WILL ANY FAMILY MEMBERS OR PARTNERS BE ABLE TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT MY VISITS?
No. On rare occasions family members or partners have contacted our Therapists seeking information. Should this situation occur no identifying information will be offered (unless this is your child). Generally, family members, partners or spouses will only be contacted where clients request this directly from their therapist & provide written permission for this to occur. Clients who are over the age of 14 years (considered a young adult) requesting confidentiality be kept from their parent or carer by their therapist will be adhered to if no risks to safety are reported by the adolescent client or they are not experiencing any physical or developmental condition which requires their carer to know this information. If clients report an immediate risk to themselves or to others, and your therapist is highly concerned however, then confidentiality contracts ‘will not apply’ under these circumstances in order to get you the care you require at the time. As a result, your therapist may be required by law to contact your emergency person provided, carer or any relevant authorities (hospital, police or emergency services) to ensure your safety or that of another person. Your therapist will establish however if this is ‘purely emotional expression’ or ‘intent to harm’. On extremely rare occasions where client information is legally subpoenaed by the courts, each therapist is under oath by law to provide this information should it be sought by legal authorities (if legally relevant), however clients will be always be consulted initially should this information be requested.
Q. DOES PSYCHOTHERAPY WORK?
Yes it does. Although each problem is unique and requires a specific approach, the level of effectiveness will be dependent on your input and amount of growth you wish to undertake at any given time. There are some issues where psychotherapy is not appropriate and you will be informed if this is the case. If your therapist is unable to deal with your particular issue or additional agencies required, then resources will be given or a referral will be made to an alternate service agency.
Q. WHY CONSIDER A VISIT?
If you feel overwhelmed or have the need to address an issue, then a therapist from SOUTH PERTH COUNSELLING SERVICES can assist you in finding options to effectively deal with your concerns. Book online 24/7 via our homepage.
Q. IS TELEPHONE OR INTERNET VIDEO COUNSELLING AVAILABLE?
Yes. Often clients reside in remote locations or are not physically or mentally capable of attending in person. Some reside over east. As such our Psychologist and Counsellors are available for sessions via Telephone or Internet using Whats App or Facetime Video Link up. Medicare Rebates (under a Mental Health Care Plan GP Referral) are now available for up to 10 rebated sessions annually or or Private Health Rebates if you are covered under your Private Health Fund for Registered Psychologists. Fees are charged at the same rate as face to face sessions. Online banking payments are required immediately prior to this service being utilised for all new patients or for current patients – following your session.
Q. WHY CONSIDER GROUP THERAPY?
Following individual therapy, you may consider undergoing Group Therapy at an alternative agency. Group Therapy is ideal for those wanting to FAST TRACK therapy or are managing a team of staff and wish to engage in a personal growth path. These personal development groups incorporate self awareness training & intensive psychotherapeutic techniques over lengthy period. These include regular weekly sessions.
Q. IS MY THERAPIST A GOOD FIT FOR ME?
At South Perth Counselling Services, we pride ourselves on providing highly qualified therapists to manage a multitude of issues and conditions who are able to assist the majority of our presenting clients, however on rare occasions, the therapeutic relationship may not be a ‘good fit’ for a client or the therapist may be compromised by the high needs of an underlying client condition which they may not be qualified to provide therapy or treatment for (generally psychiatric conditions). Research suggests that a strong relationship between a client and psychologist (known as the therapeutic alliance) is still one of the most important factors in determining the success of therapy.
We encourage you to assess the following during the sessions with your new therapist:
• Do you like and respect them, and are you feeling comfortable and understood?
• Are they asking adequate questions?
• Have you set clear goals and aims for when the therapy is over?
• Are you receiving feedback that makes you feel like you’re on the right track?
• Have they outlined a treatment plan at some point to address your issues?
After the sessions:
• Have you gained resources which apply to your specific situation?
• Are you feeling hopeful about the future?
• Are you feeling relieved that you have spoken to a mental health professional?
• Do you feel empowered?
We generally encourage ‘trying out several therapists’ from different agencies to find the right fit for you or speak to your GP about other alternative agencies if you do not feel there is a limit or compromise to the therapeutic alliance between your therapist and yourself.
Q. WHAT IF I AM DISSATISFIED WITH MY THERAPIST FOLLOWING A RECENT SESSION?
If you are concerned about something your therapist said to you in a previous session that may have triggered a ‘strong emotional reaction’ (ie: personal, cultural or religious values, specific sensitivities to a topic of discussion or from a past experience etc) and this has given you a sense of uneasiness, we ‘strongly encourage you’ to ‘discuss this with your therapist at your next session’ and together attempt to resolve any issues that may be concerning you or needs that your require. This method not only encourages and teaches assertiveness practice but will promote a feeling of empowerment and resolution over the long term in regards to addressing and individualising your specific personal needs. All our therapists encourage this practice for their clients mental health and well being. If that conversation with your psychologist is not productive however, then we would encourage the initial instigation of a mediation service (shared cost) to address any concerns or complaints. Please note whilst South Perth Counselling Therapists do their best to accommodate clients needs and undergo ongoing professional development to update their skills and training on a regular basis, they may not always be the ‘best fit’ as a practitioner to ‘address your specific case presentation’ and you may require an alternative therapist or mental health agency to fully and effectively address your condition should it be outside the skills or scope of your therapist at our clinic. Under the APS Code of Ethics, our therapists are obliged to continue therapy until an alternative agency is in place as a duty of care to all our clients.
Please note that whilst we Strongly Encourage Assertive Communication by all our clients, WE DO NOT Tolerate Aggressive, Abusive, Threatening or Violent Behaviour directed toward our Administration Staff or Therapists. As such, mediation or continued therapy would be compromised by these Outbursts or Behaviour.
We encourage all complaints to be managed by clients in this manner. We discourage clients from making negative clinic or therapist comments via social media, via online forums or formal complaints to authorities as this can be particularly stressful, long term and ongoing for the client and therapist and may entail legal proceedings (if relevant in some cases) made against you which can be particularly costly (mentally and financially) to both parties.
Thank you for your consideration in advance.