The initial session is an opportunity for you to get to know your therapist and talk about what brings you to therapy, any goals you may have, or how you think therapy could help you. Your clinician will use this time to inform you of the processes and to conduct an initial assessment. Throughout this process, your clinician will explore your situation, identify your strengths and resources and any other support systems that you may need. At the end of the session they will offer some recommendations and with you develop a plan for future sessions.

Many people who attend therapy wonder how long it might take. The response is often uniquely individual as it depends on many factors including why you have attended therapy, the strengths and resources you already have in your life including the significant relational supports available to you.

However, as a rule of thumb, if you are attending for a specific issue or relatively recent situation counselling or short term-psychotherapy may be sufficient for some people. However, if you wish to work through a current or past-trauma, understand the unconscious material and how it manifests in your life, work through repetitive relational or behavioural patterns including addiction, longer-term psychotherapy may be better suited.

It’s important to note, most people stay in long-term therapy because they experience it as working for them with ongoing and immediate benefits. Others engage in longer terms therapies as they experience the rich and rewarding process of self-development it offers, including becoming more authentic in their relationships with themselves and others.

Whatever your reasons for short-term counselling or longer-term psychotherapy, your therapist will regularly offer recommendations and guidance. Together with you, they will evaluate how therapy is going for you and will work towards ending once you have reached your therapeutic goals.

No referral is necessary for psychotherapy or counselling.

However, for those referred by a GP or under a Mental Health Care Plan, please contact the Counselling Clinic to discuss what can be offered.

If you would like to make a referral, please contact the Counselling Clinic to facilitate this on 02 6294 8013 or via email.