Psychology Newcastle: What To Expect At Your First Psychologist Appointment
Your first experience accessing mental health care may cause some anxiety or nervousness. Even if you’ve previously undertaken psychological therapy, visiting a new clinician may cause you some worry. That’s why at ELD Psychology Newcastle we ensure you have the information you need to prepare for your consultation.
How do I make an appointment?
The first step in preparing for your consultation is to make an appointment with us. We recommend you start by reading our previous blog, Providing Better Access to clinical psychology therapy services in Newcastle, which explains our fees, the Medicare rebate available for some patients, private health insurance options, and our COVID-19 measures. When you are ready to make an appointment you can call, email or fill out our contact form. Both face-to-face and telehealth consultations are available through our practice.
Visit our Fees page for more information about what you can expect to pay.
Who are the psychologists on your team, and who is best for my mental health concern?
We currently have four clinical psychologists on our team. Our Newcastle-based clinical psychologists have experience in delivering a range of evidence-based mental health treatment techniques, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), schema therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and compassion-focused therapy.
All our clinicians use a collaborative approach with their clients, founded on trust and understanding. One important element of this trust and understanding is to ensure your therapist’s approach and experience is compatible with your psychological concerns. This is why we will take time to understand your needs when you make your first appointment, in order to match you with the member of our team we think will best support your mental health.
Visit our Team page for more information about clinical psychologists.
What kind of information will my therapist want to know?
Your first session will be about trying to understand what is happening in your life right now that has motivated you to make an appointment. You, your GP or your psychiatrist may have already identified a specific psychological concern, such as anxiety, sleep difficulties or other health issues; however, this is not essential.
As an objective third party, your therapist will be informed by what you share, but will not dismiss or interrupt you; they also won’t tell you what to do – instead, they will guide you to find solutions to your challenges. You should feel comfortable to share as much as you would like with your psychologist – the more information you give them, the more opportunities they will have to help you manage and overcome your difficulties.
Visit our Services page for more information about the psychological concerns our clinicians can assist with.
How is the session structured?
During your first session – whether at our practice or via telehealth – your clinician will conduct an initial assessment to gain an understanding of your difficulties or mental health concerns, and to develop a shared understanding of your goals and expectations. They will do this through some establishing questions, and guiding your conversation. They may also ask you to fill out a short questionnaire to survey your recent experiences, moods and emotions.
All conversations with your psychologist are strictly confidential. Your psychologist will explain confidentiality during your first session, including their responsibilities under the law. One of these responsibilities includes the legal obligation to break confidentiality in certain circumstances – such as, if they believe you or other people are unsafe. If they are required to break confidentiality, they will do their best to discuss this with you first.
Your clinician will pace the session at a level that will work for you. They will welcome your participation, so do ask them any questions you have about the process.
At the conclusion of the initial session, your clinician may discuss treatment options with you, including therapeutic approach and frequency of ongoing sessions.
Visit our What to expect page for more information about accessing our service.
Our area of service and how to contact us
We provide clinical psychology services to people over the age of 18 in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter area. Our office is located in Newcastle West.
Visit our Contact us page for more information about how to get in touch.