What to Expect from Therapy

Starting Therapy

1

Before engaging in psychological treatment, please consider if talk-therapy is the right approach for you right now (e.g., ask yourself if you feel able to open up about things that are very personal or hard to talk about? Is there anything else you need to get help with first such as housing/financial issues? You may be able to find support with those issues elsewhere). 

Psychotherapy is a collaborative treatment based on the relationship between an individual and the therapist. It is grounded in dialogue, and provides a supportive environment that allows you to talk openly with someone who’s objective, neutral, and non-judgmental. You and your therapist will work together to identify and change your thoughts, emotional intensity, and behavioural patterns that are ineffective for you.

2

Set goals and decide what you want to achieve from therapy; set behaviourally specific and achievable goals. Discuss these goals with the Psychologist so you can work towards reaching these shared goals. 

Tip, you could ask yourself the Miracle Question: If I wake up tomorrow and a miracle has occurred overnight, which made all my personal challenges disappear, what would I notice being different when waking up? (e.g., How would I act and feel differently? How would this effect my relationships and activities?)

3

The first appointment is often called an assessment or intake session and involves answering your questions, setting expectations, developing a shared understanding of the difficulties, and starting to build trust between you and the Psychologist. It is a chance to see if you are both a good fit for working together.

You do not have to continue with the Psychologist if you struggle to relate to them; and the Psychologist may refer you to another service if your unique challenges fall outside their area of expertise or you require more intensive support. 

To understand your unique circumstances better, the Psychologist might ask you questions about: Your current and past relationships; Your childhood and past experiences; Situations or events you find difficult; How you feel/ behave/think; as well as Issues that may have come up in previous sessions.

Remember, you do not have to talk about anything you are not ready to talk about, or do anything you do not want to do.

4

To get the most out of therapy, 1) think about your questions, concerns or significant challenges ahead of your session, 2) bring something to write on and take notes during or at the end of the session, 3) put into action any new skills you have learned, 4) attend sessions regularly, and 5) set an intention for each session.  

5

At the beginning of each session, set an agenda and decide what is most important for you to talk about. Therapy generally involves you thinking and talking openly about the way you feel, think and act. The Psychologist listens to you and helps you gain new understandings of yourself so you can make changes in your life.

6

After the session, it’s common to feel a range of emotions. For example, you might feel:

  • Relieved, if you’ve shared something important and felt heard and understood;
  • Energised, if you’ve started to understand something new about yourself or set yourself a new goal to work on;
  • Exhausted, if you’ve found the session challenging or hard work;
  • Frustrated, if you didn’t get what you wanted out of your session or haven’t felt heard or understood;
  • Upset or overwhelmed, if the session has brought up very painful or difficult memories or emotions.

Sometimes therapy sessions can bring up feelings that are difficult to cope with. You might feel nervous about going back, or like you want to quit. If this happens for you, make sure you let the Psychologist know.

7

Feedback: Tell your therapist what is working and what is not as they might be able to change the sessions so that it suits you better.

8

Progress towards your goals will be regularly reviewed in therapy and if no progress is made, sessions will be discontinued and alternative referrals (e.g., to community mental health services who can offer a more intensive interventions) may need to be made.

9

Supervision: Psychologists have to discuss their work regularly in supervision with another experienced Psychologist, who is required protect your confidentiality. It is unethical for a Psychologist to work without supervision. The Psychologist might ask for your permission to video record sessions to support their ongoing development and help you access the most effective intervention.

10

Confidentiality: As part of providing a psychological service, the Psychologist will need to collect and record personal information that is relevant to your current situation and care. All personal information gathered by the Psychologist during the provision of the psychological service will remain confidential and secure except when:

(a) it is subpoenaed by a court, or

(b) you or another person is at serious and/or imminent risk of harm; or

(c) your prior approval has been obtained to:

               i) Provide a written report to another professional or agency (e.g., GP); or

               ii) Discuss the material with another person (e.g., parent, partner, employer); or

               iii) If disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law. 

You do not have to provide all your personal information but please be aware that if you decide not to share certain information, this may impact on the effectiveness of treatment or some services may not be offered to you.

You have the right to refuse any treatment or withdraw your consent for a service at any time.