Psychologists are experts in human behaviour, having studied the brain, memory, learning, human development and the processes determining how people think, feel, behave and react. Psychologists apply their expertise using reliable and scientifically supported methods. Psychological therapies are widely used to treat individuals and families and can also be applied to groups and organisations Psychologists assist people with everyday problems such as stress and relationship difficulties, and some specialise in treating people with a mental illness. They help people to develop the skills needed to function better and to prevent ongoing problems.

Psychologists and psychiatrists both work in the area of mental health, and sometimes work together in managing more difficult mental health conditions. However, there are some significant differences between the two professions in the following areas:

Psychologists study human behaviour in their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees before undertaking supervised experience and gaining registration. They do not have a medical degree; however, many have postgraduate qualifications in various aspects of psychology, including mental illness.

Psychiatrists have a medical degree, which involves six years of studying general medicine, followed by further study to specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness and emotional problems. Psychiatrists are able to prescribe medications.

The title Counsellor is not a specific legal one and therefore people with a many different levels of training use this title to describe themselves. Training pathways to become a counsellor are varied, including university degrees and private courses. Unlike psychologists, you don’t need to be registered with any governing body in order to practice as a counsellor or psychotherapist, and there is no government legislation which governs the use of the title counsellor. If you are looking for a counsellor we recommend looking for someone who is registered with an organization such as the Counselling and Psychotherapy Association of Australia (CAPA).

Forensic psychologists are scientist-practitioners. They apply psychological knowledge, theory and skills to the understanding and functioning of legal and criminal justice systems. They often work in criminal, civil and family legal contexts and provide services for litigants, perpetrators, victims, and personnel of government and community organisations.

Forensic psychologists are employed in a variety of areas, including: Courts and other tribunals; Mental health (both general services and forensic mental health services); Correctional Institutions; Child protection; Family services (e.g., family violence counselling services, parent training programs); Alcohol and other drug services; Rehabilitation services (e.g., pain clinics, head injury services); Police; Academia, research and policy organisations; Private practice.

A Forensic Psychologist is a specialist in providing the following services in a legal or criminal justice context:

• Collecting and reporting (both in written reports and oral) evidence of a psychological nature for use in legal and quasi-legal proceedings.
• Psychological assessment and report writing.
• Psychological formulation and diagnosis.
• Psychological intervention (psychoeducation; individual, group and family psychotherapies; rehabilitation).
• Program evaluation.
• Forensic Interviewing.
• Research.

Anyone can benefit from speaking to a psychologist. As mentioned above, Psychologists are trained experts in human behaviour, and have an in depth understanding of the links between how someone thinks, feels, and behaves in response to a range of life’s challenges.

In the first session, your psychologist will undertake a thorough assessment, where you will be asked about past experiences and treatment to better understand the nature of the difficulties for which treatment is being sought. You will be given an opportunity to tell your psychologist anything you think is relevant to your issue. In the first session we will explain the basis of cognitive behaviour therapy and how it works, and explain what you can expect from therapy. We will also give you an idea of how long we think you will need to see us for treatment – the number of sessions varies with the type of difficulties being treated. You will also be given plenty of opportunity to ask questions, and clarify any concerns you may have about attending treatment.

By the end of the first or second session we will have developed a treatment plan with you that will include your treatment goals, and how we will monitor your treatment progress.

In subsequent sessions we will review what has happened since your last session. We will go over the aims of each session, we will monitor and inform you of how we think you are progressing, and we will spend time revising and/or building on the skills and strategies we are working on with you.

Between sessions, regardless of the issue you are working on, expect homework! Working on tasks in between sessions is a fundamental aspect of our approaches. It helps to bring the work you do in sessions into your day to day life, as well as consolidate the knowledge and skills you are going to develop around your issue, and ultimately, the more you work on in between sessions, the less time you will need to be attending treatment sessions.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a relatively short term, focused approach to the treatment of many types of emotional, behavioural and psychiatric problems. The application of CBT varies according to the problem being addressed, but is essentially a collaborative and individualised program that helps individuals to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviours and learn or relearn healthier skills and habits. CBT has been practised widely for more than 30 years. It has been researched extensively, and has demonstrated effectiveness with a variety of emotional psychological and psychiatric difficulties. It is also continually evolving, and third wave CBT therapies such as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy and others are increasingly being used for a variety of emotional, behavioural and psychiatric problems.

There are no set ‘rules’ for how often you would see your psychologist, and this will be very much individualised based on your circumstances. Initially most clients will attend weekly or fortnightly for the first few sessions to enable you and your psychologist to get an understanding of your situation and implement some strategies for you to work on. Once you and your psychologist think you are making progress, sessions will often drop down to monthly intervals for a period of time, and then intermittent follow up sessions (if required) as you feel you need them. Once you have an understanding of your presenting problem, and have developed skills and strategies, you will know how often you would like to attend.

There is no straightforward answer to this question. At Psychwest our aim is to equip you with the knowledge and skills required to understand and manage your issues independently without the need for long term intervention. How long this takes depends on the issues you are bringing to treatment, and what benefit you feel you are gaining from the sessions. Individuals should expect to attend for approximately 6 sessions, as it often can take this many sessions to achieve results. However, you may, for example, have a particular issue that you want help resolving, you might find that you only need 1 or 2 sessions to come to a resolution. Sometimes clients find that they get ongoing benefits from the sessions, and they might attend for a longer period. It is not uncommon for clients to find they want to come to treatment for extended periods of time, finding support and containment in their treatment sessions. Generally speaking, people continue to attend treatment whilst they feel they are gaining benefit from it. There is no minimum or maximum number of sessions required, and you are free to book from session to session.

Absolutely not. This is a bit of a cliché or stereotype associated with Psychology or Psychotherapy where you lie on a lounge and delve back into your ‘deep dark past‘. At Psychwest we will offer you a comfortable chair in a relaxing treatment/consultation room, but we will not be asking you to lie on a couch.

No! If you’re getting psychological treatment, it just means you are getting professional advice and assistance with managing a problem or situation that you have not been able to resolve yourself. Psychological treatment just provides you with independent, objective advice and assistance from a person who is trained to understand your situation and provide you with skills and strategies to overcome the problem you’re dealing with.

You do not need a referral to make an appointment at Psychwest, and you have the option of receiving psychological treatment as a private client. Alternatively you can be referred by a General Practitioner in which case you will be entitled to Medicare rebates for your treatment.

If you would like to get a referral so you can claim Medicare rebates for your treatment, make an appointment with your GP to discuss the issues or problem you have been dealing with and let them know you would like to see a psychologist for help with your situation.

Your GP will make an assessment of your situation and will then raise a Mental Health Care Plan. Bring a copy of your referral letter and/or mental health care plan with you to your first appointment so you can receive the rebate after your first session. Please note that you can choose the psychologist that you want to treat you, and it is acceptable to advise your GP if you have a preferred Psychologist to provide your treatment.

Once have paid for your treatment session/s, we will provide you with a receipt, with all of the information required for you to take to Medicare to claim your rebate. Currently the rebate for seeing a Psychwest psychologist is $84.50 for a standard 1 hour consultation session. If you have a Mental Health Care Plan, you will be eligible to claim a rebate for up to 6 sessions initially, and a further 4 sessions (if required) per calendar year.

If you are a member of a private health fund, you may be eligible for a rebate for psychological services. The amount of the rebate you are entitled to will vary depending on your health fund, and your level of cover. Please contact your health fund to find out what your entitlements are for psychological treatment.

Unfortunately we do not currently provide a bulk billing service. However, in some circumstances we may review our fees if you are currently unemployed (and receiving unemployment benefits), if you are a pension card holder or other concession card holder. If this applies to you please advise us and we can discuss your individual circumstances and appropriate consultation fees to reduce the gap.

We are open for appointments from 8.30am – 5.30 pm on weekdays. We can also offer after hours appointments on some evenings during the week and Saturdays on request.

The information discussed in your treatment sessions are entirely confidential and will not be released to anyone except with your express permission. The only time a psychologist may release information to authorities is if they feel your life or someone else’s life is in immediate danger, if they are mandated to report the abuse of a child under 16yrs, or the records fall under legal subpoena from a court of law. At Psychwest we appreciate that you put a lot of trust in our psychologists in disclosing at times sensitive and personal information, which is why we will treat this information with utmost confidence and respect. When you come to Psychwest we aim to provide a safe and respectful environment.