Frequently Asked Questions
If you’ve never been to a psychologist before, we’re sure you have plenty of questions. And even if you have had counselling before and are simply looking for a new psychologist, you may want to know if our practice operates differently. That’s why we have our frequently asked questions page right here!
If you would like to know key appointment information like session length, referrals, and more, you can check our appointment information page. Otherwise, read through our FAQs below. If there’s something that’s not addressed, please feel free to get in touch.
Most people will bring a referral with them from their GP at their first appointment however it is not essential to have a referral.
With a referral from your GP called a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) you are entitled to a rebate of $88.25 from each session. We can action this for you at the time of your appointment to save you the hassle. Rebates from your health fund are also available if you are eligible under your cover.
Sessions typically last for 50 minutes.
This depends on if you have referral from an applicable source. Common referrals are listed on our appointments page.
It’s normal to feel nervous about your first session, many people don’t know what to expect when they see a Psychologist for the first time.
The first session is an opportunity for Alison to get to know you and better understand what brings you to her practice. Through this “getting to know you” part, we also want to make sure you’re comfortable and understand the process going forward.
This very much depends on what your goals are and what issues you’re presenting with. People also progress at different rates.
This is something we can discuss in your first session.
It’s common to see a Psychologist weekly or fortnightly during the initial phase of therapy, however this is also dependent on your availability. This is something we can discuss in the initial session to determine what is suitable for you.
This is not unusual.
In order for therapy to be successful there needs to be a good match between client and therapist. We’ll be the first to admit that that match doesn’t always happen!
What’s important is that you find the right psychologist for you.
With this in mind we encourage you to get in touch to discuss your concerns. From there you can get a better idea to see if we’re the right fit for you.