Frequently asked questions…
1. How much do sessions cost and are they covered by Medicare?
Fees work on a sliding scale with the standard rate of $150 for a 60 minute session. Medicare will cover $ 79.05 of this fee for up to 10 sessions per calendar year with a referral from your GP.
2. What is a mental health accredited social worker?
Mental Health Accreditation is awarded to social workers with specific skills, training and experience in the area of mental health. An accredited social worker is a qualified mental health professional and their services are Medicare funded.
3. What is the difference between a social worker and a psychologist?
Both accredited social workers and psychologists are mental health professionals and both are qualified to provide counselling and psycho-therapeutic treatment to people with a mental illness. Social work as a discipline tends to take into account more of the social, structural and contextual factors which impact on a person’s mental health; whereas Psychology may have a more individual or intra-personal focus. Some Psychologists (i.e.: Clinical Psychologists) are also able to diagnose mental disorders however, neither psychologists nor social workers can prescribe medications.
4. What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?
The terms counselling and therapy or psychotherapy are sometimes used interchangeably however, there is a difference. Counselling generally refers to shorter term work with a specific issue or problem area of focus. For example, learning to better manage stress or how to deal with a problem with a co-worker. Psychotherapy by contrast, is longer term and has a broader focus. Psychotherapy works to uncover a person’s enduring patterns of thinking, feeling and relating in order to better understand oneself and make different healthier choices. This will take into account a person’s history and will usually involve exploration of issues from family of origin.
5. What actually happens in therapy?
Therapy will focus on what you want it to and go at a pace you feel comfortable with. Sessions may focus on the here and now to explore current issues you are facing, how they are impacting you and to help you cope. Sessions may also explore your past experiences to help identify lasting patterns which have developed over time and are impacting on your life now in ways that are holding you back. A safe, trusting and respectful relationship with the therapist is the vehicle through which this exploration happens.
6. What is Relational Gestalt therapy?
Gestalt is a form of psychotherapy developed since the 1950’s and grew out of the humanistic tradition. This form of therapy takes a holistic approach to wellbeing that encompasses the full context of a person’s life. Gestalt therapy privileges developing greater awareness of oneself - of the way we perceive ourselves and our experiences, as well as the way we understand others and our world. Developing this kind of awareness enables greater choices and freedom in the way we respond to our experiences and to others in real time, as it happens in the moment. The ‘Relational’ gestalt approach means that the relationship with the therapist is a central component to the therapy and is used to help foster this self-awareness.
