Starting therapy can be daunting. Here’s an overview of what to expect when you enquire or book in with me.
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Intake call: We’ll schedule a brief call to talk about why you’re seeking therapy and to get a better idea of whether we’re a good fit for each other. If it feels right, we’ll book in an appointment and talk about first steps. Its also okay if you’d like to take some time to think things through. It can be helpful to brainstorm some questions you have for me ahead of the call, particularly if you’re feeling unsure.
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First appointment: The first appointment is typically an ‘assessment’ or ‘getting to know you session’. This means that I will be asking you lots of questions to get an understanding of your current challenges, your current situation, and your background (e.g. family dynamics, early childhood, education, mental health etc). I often use questionnaires to help build this picture. At the end of the session, we’ll discuss what approach might be a good fit for you and make a rough plan. You always have a choice about the approach that we decide to take. Sometimes, this process can take more than one session.
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Therapy: Although therapy will look different for everyone, my overall approach is highly experiential, meaning that rather than talking about a problem , I use a range of exercises, activities, and techniques to better connect with and understand what you are experiencing. These exercises aim to support you to feel present, connect with yourself, what you’re feeling, notice any parts that are activated, and potentially make links between current emotions and past events. We may seek to create a dialogue between parts that are coming up for you or process past experiences using EMDR or Schema Therapy techniques (e.g. imagery rescripting).
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Often clients tell me that they are able to logically understand and challenge the thoughts or emotions that they feel, but that despite ‘knowing’ that an unhelpful thought is not true it still ‘feels’ like it is. I like to work with the part that ‘feels’.
It is not necessary to talk about distressing events in order to benefit from therapy and in fact, discussing distressing experiences before you feel ready or adequately supported can sometimes feel overwhelming or unhelpful. I always encourage clients to let me know if they don’t want to answer a question for any reason. I will also encourage you to check in with yourself if you do find yourself sharing information you may not have planned to.
One of the benefits of EMDR therapy is that clients are not required to share every detail (or in some cases, any details) of an experience in order to engage in processing work. Of course there are times where some information can be helpful. And if you do feel that you want (and are able and ready) to talk about an event, I will be here to support you through that.
It is a good idea to think about the commitment you are wanting to make at the start of the process so that we can tailor our plan to suit. Of course, we can review this and make changes at any time.
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Some people find that a relatively brief course of therapy meets their needs (e.g. 6-10 sessions), while others choose to engage in longer-term work (spanning across a year or more). The number of sessions varies considerably depending upon individual circumstances and goals.
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If you’re eligible for Medicare rebates under a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you may be able to claim a rebate for up to ten sessions per calendar year. If you require more than ten sessions, you may wish to utilise private health insurance or pay the full fee yourself until the next year. Check out my fees page for further detail.
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If you have approved third-party funding (e.g TAC, Workcover, NDIS) you will have an individualised package which we will discuss together.
I recommend that clients attend weekly (if feasible) or fortnightly to begin. As the first session is focused on getting to know you, it can be helpful to have another session soon after to maintain momentum.
While some clients choose to and are able to continue attending weekly, many will then transition to fortnightly sessions as this ensures that we are seeing each other frequently enough to make progress. Clients who are engaged in EMDR therapy may wish to attend more frequently during the processing phase.
As we progress through therapy we will review the frequency together and determine whether it remains suitable or if we would like a change. As we near the end of engagement, it can be helpful to spread sessions out to support transition out of therapy.
Psychological therapy is a collaborative process. You are the expert in your own life and I am here to support you and walk alongside you. Therapy can be challenging at times, but it can also be fun and rewarding. Meaningful change often involves stepping outside of familiar patterns, while working within a pace that feels safe and manageable.
Therapy is typically only 50 minutes every week, fortnight, or month. The biggest change happens in the time between. In this time between sessions you might be:
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Taking note of emotionally activating situations (i.e. when you notice a strong emotion in response to something)
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Practicing skills/strategies that we’ve worked on in session
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Reflecting upon the session content to build further insight and understanding
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Implementing behavioural changes that we’ve discussed
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Actively prioritising rest and recovery
At the beginning of therapy, I will provide more guidance around the focus of the session and exercises we engage in. As therapy progresses, and you become more familiar with the structure and what you wish to achieve, you are encouraged to take on more of a leading role.
Ensure you have a private space with good internet. It is important that you can speak freely and will not be interrupted. Laptops are preferred as they are better for sharing resources, although mobile phones are suitable.
Prepare a cup of tea or any other comfort items you might like (blanket, cushion, soft toy).
Let other people in your home know that you’ll be in a private appointment.
Log on 5-10 minutes early. This provides time to problem solve any technical problems but more importantly provides you with some time to settle into the therapeutic space.
I encourage clients to allow time following therapy to pause and reflect. This is particularly important for online sessions as it can be easy to shift quickly into other daily activities.
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Taking a walk is a great way to allow space to continue reflecting upon session content and can support transition back into daily life activities. If you attend in person, you may wish to park your car some distance away to promote this.
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It can be helpful to record your reflections in a notebook or on your phone. Taking note of particular insights gained and making sure to recall any out of session tasks discussed.
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If you’re attending via telehealth, let others in your home know that you will also be taking some time afterwards.
Closing the therapeutic relationship is an important step in the process. It is beneficial to have a final closure session to reflect upon therapeutic gains, the relationship, and identify goals for the future. If you feel ready to disengage from therapy, you are strongly encouraged to discuss this with me so that we can make time for a final session together.
My default is to act as if we don’t know each other and to politely walk past you as I would any other member of the public. I take this approach to protect your privacy. However, I will always follow your lead. If you say hello, I will say hello back. We can also make a plan together if it feels like there is a high chance we’ll run into each other or if you want to for any other reason.
Finding a therapist can be like dating and naturally some people click better than others. If you’re finding that my approach or our fit together doesn’t seem right, please speak to me about this. We may be able to identify what’s getting in the way or, if needed, I will support you to find a therapist you feel better suited to. I would much prefer you to let me know than to discontinue therapy altogether.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an approach that recognises the influence of past events on current difficulties. This could relate to a single incident event in your adult life (e.g. a car accident) or it may relate to experiences you had throughout your childhood, adolescence, and adulthood (e.g. bullying, conflict, challenges with caregivers etc). Bilateral stimulation is used to support the brain to reprocess these experiences so that their impact is reduced. Many clients report that memories change over time, becoming less vivid or distressing, and that their beliefs about themselves shift from negative to positive. It is important to recognise that EMDR is an entire therapeutic framework, so there is much that happens outside of the ‘processing’ sessions. Some people may be ready to process distressing events quite quickly, whilst others will require a longer preparation phase which includes building up skills and strategies to support self-regulation. EMDR can be quite tiring, so clients are encouraged to plan time for restoration afterwards. While there are no typical out of session tasks associated with EMDR, clients may benefit from practicing skills to support self-regulation.
You can find more information about EMDR at:
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https://www.emdria.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/2021_copyright-infographic-8-Phases-English.pdf
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EMDR Animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNN1lQ-AHoo
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What is EMDR therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLmlcLLdkoA
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How EMDR psychotherapy works in your brain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg842qP83yc
Schema Therapy recognises that the beliefs, feelings, and patterns (schemas) that we have about ourselves, the world, and others developed throughout our early childhood years and have been continuously strengthened across our lives. While these schemas always develop for an adaptive reason, often as we get older they are no longer adaptive and are actually causing us harm or distress.
In Schema Therapy we look to understand the link between current schemas and early childhood events, to understand where they came from and identify which of our needs were not met. We explore the coping mechanisms (‘modes’) that were developed and seek to build up our ‘Healthy Adult’ mode.
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Schema Therapy uses a range of experiential techniques such as chair work, visualisation, and imagery rescripting to better understand our modes, challenge patterns that are no longer helpful, and to seek corrective emotional experiences. Schema Therapy often involves reflecting on concepts discussed in session and practicing new ways of responding between appointments.
Contact me!
I'd love to schedule a time to have a chat about any questions that may be coming up for you. Please don't hesitate to get in touch.