No. People come to therapy for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes they are struggling with depression, anxiety, panic attacks or another identifiable difficulty. Just as often, people come because something simply doesn't feel right.

You don't need a diagnosis to begin therapy, only a sense that something in your life deserves attention.

No. You don't need a referral to make an appointment.

If you do have a Mental Health Care Plan and referral from your GP, you are eligible for Medicare rebates.

The first one session is an opportunity for us to meet and start determining how we might work together. We'll explore what has brought you to therapy, but also the broader context of your life: your relationships, your experiences, what matters to you, and what has shaped you.

Usually, by the end of the first or second session we will devise a plan on how we can work together, or alternatively discuss other intervention options to explore.

In short, at the first session, we simply begin where you are.

I encourage people who meet a psychologist for the first time to trust their own sense of whether they feel heard and understood. It is perfectly reasonable to take the first one or two sessions to see whether the relationship feels like a good fit.

This can also be discussed in our first session, as needed.