WILL PSYCHOTHERAPY/COUNSELLING WORK FOR ME?

If your life and your relationships are becoming too challenging, if painful feelings keep emerging that are difficult to manage, you may need help. It is really useful to turn to someone who can provide you with a genuine, professional relationship of support.

  • Recent compelling brain research has uncovered (scientific evidence that safe and non-judgemental relationships can foster those delicate circuits that shape us and contribute to our feelings of well-being.
  • Counseling and psychotherapy can help you understand yourself better and through a better connection to your body, mind and emotions, you can develop greater flexibility to make new choices and try new things in your life.
  • Most clients find they experience a great deal of relief from their presenting symptoms within a few sessions.

You will be respected and supported to creatively explore how to get the very best out of your life.

FAQs

Friends and family have their limitations.
We all use family and friends for support. However, there are times when you might feel uncomfortable or embarrassed to discuss certain issues with them, or you might feel like they see things differently from the way you do or they might be part of the problem that you are having.

Relationships need work, they are important to all of us.
We all seek to have happy fulfilling relationships with the people in our lives. At times you may  develop concerns about parts of your relationships and are worried about how things are going. Sometimes you just want to make things better and strengthen the ties you share with people.

From time to time we don’t feel like life is plain sailing.
We all experience the ups and downs of life. Addressing a difficult problem or a painful emotion can be hard work on your own.

Recurring issues or problems perplex us.
We have all said “why do I keep doing this?” Often important issues can stump us and they remain unresolved. We find ourselves repeating behaviours that make us unhappy.

We need to develop particular skills.
Life presents many challenges and we constantly have to adapt. This can be difficult to do on your own. Personal development ensures you have the skills to meet these challenges.

We can’t see the forest for the trees.
Sometimes the more and more we stare at something the less and less we see and understand; it all becomes blurred and confusing. When you struggle with it on your own, you rely solely on your own perspective and problem solving with all its associated blind spots. With counselling the therapist is there solely for you, it is your time and it is focused on your problems.

We need to understand ourselves better.
The expression “the tip of the iceberg” applies to large parts of ourselves that are often hidden and we can be unaware of the impact that they have on our lives. People make positive progress, as we understand ourselves better.

All consultations are confidential, and in accordance with the guidelines of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Association of Australia.
Some people think that one seeks help only when there is a crisis at hand. Even where there appears to be no obvious crisis, early and timely intervention can avoid unwelcome developments. As well there are always areas of our lives that can be better with a little professional help, which will enhance our enjoyment of life.

Medicare
There is no Medicare rebate available for this service.

Private Health Insurance
I have a Medibank Insurance provider number (1355441F). Please check with Medibank to determine if you can have some of my fees rebated. Medibank Private rebates for counselling are available to Medibank Private members with appropriate policies with the package bonus feature.

The following Medibank Private products include package bonuses that can be used for counselling:

  • PremierPlus, AdvantagePlus, Smartplus, HealthyPlus or their VIP corporate equivalents. These policies are no longer available for purchase but approximately 1.6 million existing policyholders still have these policies.
  • Family Essentials
  • Family Comprehensive

Members may need to check that they have not already used their package bonus for other services. You can do this by asking Medibank Private for a printout of your claim history.

Other people may find my fees tax deductible – please refer to your tax agent or the Australian Taxation Office.

One of my areas of specialisation, is working with couples.
Usually a couple would be seen together. Sometimes, however, one member of the couple may wish to have assistance individually with these issues and that too is beneficial to the relationship. The most important thing is that my ‘client’ is your relationship. The work is designed to help you to get a deeper understanding of yourself and your partner and what happens between you both when problems occur.

Counselling is a caring, non-judgmental process where you can discuss and explore issues that concern you. The pace of the process is tailored to suit you so that you are comfortable with it at all times.

The effectiveness of psychotherapy has been documented by many scientific studies, putting it among the most tested and validated of health interventions.

 A study of 15,000 clients treated with a range of psychotherapy methods showed treatments to be highly effective in helping individuals, couples and families resolve their various difficulties and achieve their treatment goals.

 Of significance, there is convincing evidence that effective therapy has a beneficial impact upon the immune system and even on the health of family members.

 Clients undertaking regular therapy can expect to begin feeling better fairly rapidly and to gain substantial relief from their symptoms.

References:
Howard, K & O’Mahoney, M. How much outpatient psychology is enough? Behavioural Healthcare Tomorrow. 1996, June.

Lebow, J. New Science for Psychotherapy, Networker, 1997, March/April

Lipsey, M & Wilson, D. The efficacy of psychological, educational and behavioural treatment, American Psychologist. 1993, 48:1181-1209.
Associated Counsellors & Psychologists Sydney.
“It is a privilege to work with you and create a safe environment for you to change and grow.”
Marg Ryan, 2016
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