Ready to see a psychologist? Here's what you can expect.
By Dr Valerie Lieu, Clinical Psychologist and founder of Head in the Clouds
So, you’ve decided you want to see a psychologist, but now what? Here's our step-by-step guide to everything you might want to know.
Taking the leap to seek professional help for your mental health is a significant step towards well-being. It’s normal to feel a mix of emotions—relief, excitement, and perhaps a bit of uncertainty. If you're completely new to seeking help for your mental health, it's been a while since you've seen a psychologist, or you're thinking about trying someone new, it can be helpful to have clear and practical information to help you navigate your journey. Let’s break it down.
Contents (Click to jump to section)
Do I need a referral to see a psychologist?
You do not need a referral to see a psychologist, you can book in and pay privately.
For those who are eligible, Medicare may subsidise the cost of up to 10 psychology or clinical psychology sessions per calendar year. You will need to see your GP, who will determine if you are eligible, and if so, create a Mental Health Care Plan referral for you. This referral can initially allocate up to 6 sessions, and then following another review with your GP, a possible further 4 sessions.
On our team page you can find the total session fee and gap after the Mental Health Care Plan rebate is applied. Note that the session needs to be paid in full first, then we can process the rebate for you which will be sent to the bank account you have linked with Medicare (which may not always be the same account you pay us with).
If you have private health insurance, you can check if they cover any amount towards psychology sessions. If this is the case, we will bill you privately, then you can submit this invoice to your private health insurance company.
Finding a psychologist that's right for you.
Your GP may give you referral options. I have found that increasingly GPs might suggest you choose a psychologist you would like to see.
If you’re here, you can start by looking at our team page to see if anyone at Head in the Clouds looks like they might be a suitable match.
You can also do a google search in the area, or search on more specific search engines, such as: HotDoc, the ‘Find a psychologist’ pages on organisations such as ACPA, AAPi, APS, Shapes and Sounds Asian Australian Mental Health Practitioner List, EMDR Association of Australia Find an EMDR Therapist. Helplink is a website where you can provide a short description of what you are seeking help for, then psychologists can express interest and you receive a list of collated names.
The next step would be to look through the bios of psychologists.
Ask yourself:
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Do their areas of interest match the issues I want help with?
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What kind of therapy style do I like? (e.g. conversational and exploratory, structured or unstructured, level of directness, do you want resources and readings between sessions, etc.)
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What personal characteristics would I like in a therapist?
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Are there particular therapy modalities (e.g. CBT, ACT, schema therapy, EMDR) that I’m interested in (you may not have a preference and that’s ok too)
It’s best to come up with a shortlist, as you will then need to reach out to the practice (if the information is not already on the website) to find out some practical information that will influence your choice, such as if your availabilities match up, how soon they can see you, and fees.
To help gauge fit, you can ask the practice if you can schedule a brief 10-minute phone call with the psychologist. Not all clinicians may be able to accommodate this, but most are happy to. The team at Head in the Clouds always try our best to enable this!
Before your first session.
At Head in the Clouds, prior to your initial appointment you will receive a few forms to complete, including an intake form, information and consent form, and the DASS-21 (a brief measure of psychological symptoms). If you have a Mental Health Care Plan referral, please send this to reception before your appointment so we can add it to your file and your clinician can have a chance to read it.
It can be helpful to think about the following going into your session:
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What are your main goals? What changes would you like to see in your life if the sessions are helpful?
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If you have done therapy before, what have you found helpful? What have you found unhelpful? Communicating this to the new psychologist allows them to tailor therapy to your needs so you get the most out of your sessions.
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Do you have any questions for your psychologist? e.g. what they think would help you, what to expect in future sessions, a rough idea of the frequency and length of sessions needed to achieve your goals, etc.
Feel free to take notes before your session and bring them in if that helps you remember.
What to expect in your first session.
It can be understandably nerve-wracking to attend your first appointment with a new psychologist! Not only are you meeting them for the first time, but you’re also expected to talk about things that are often painful and vulnerable. Your psychologist is aware of this and will do their best to put you at ease.
The first session is mainly your psychologist asking a LOT of questions. They need a broad understanding of what is happening for you right now, your history, and other relevant information that will guide the treatment plan, i.e. what approach and direction will help you achieve your goals for therapy. This often means that you may not be able to go into everything in a lot of detail, this will be explored in future sessions. During the session if you start feeling overwhelmed or there are questions you are not ready to answer or topics you are not ready to talk about, that is completely ok – just let your psychologist know.
Towards the end of the session your psychologist will generally give you some feedback on their initial thoughts and propose a plan that they think will be helpful. In some cases, they will want to have another session to continue assessment if there is a lot to go through. You will be given an opportunity to ask questions.
After the first session.
If you’re happy with the plan your psychologist has proposed, you can then book in further appointments. You are also free to take some time to think about it first, in which case let either your psychologist or reception know this is the case.
It normally takes 2-3 sessions at least to figure out if a new psychologist feels like the right fit. If there are specific things that you would like your psychologist to do differently after a session, let them know at the start of the next session. Most psychologists are very happy to receive feedback and can then adjust their approach to best suit you. If you feel heard and understood and you see that they make the changes you ask for, this is a good sign. If not, then it might not be the best fit and it is worth giving them this feedback (or letting the practice reception know) and you can ask them for recommendations for other psychologists who might be a better fit, or you could try someone else from your initial shortlist.
Ready to start your journey?
I hope you've found the above helpful! If you think Head in the Clouds might be a great place for you to start your journey to better mental health, I encourage you to explore our team of psychologists or get in touch.
Ready to book? Great! Click on the button below to get started.