Seeing a counsellor for the first time can make some people feel a little nervous especially at a time when you may already be feeling vulnerable.  Kate’s aim is to make the process as comfortable and stress free as possible. There is some information below to give you an idea of what to expect. If you have any further questions feel free to call or email.

No. You can make an appointment at anytime without a referral.

No. Kate sees clients in her office in Albury. Kate is able to do on-site consultations for intensive sessions and for other consultations if required. She also offers counselling and counselling support via Zoom and telephone.

It does depend what your concerns are. If you have a genuine mental health issue you should see your GP and talk to them about the best course of action.

When you are referred to a psychologist on a mental health care plan the information you provide your psychologist becomes part of the public domain. That means interested parties, such as government departments and insurance agencies may access your records for information regarding your mental health.

With Kate your privacy is assured, your details do not get passed on to anyone, not your GP, no insurance companies and no government departments, not even Medicare.

Yes, there is plenty of street parking in both Guinea and Macauley Streets. If you can't find a parking space on the street there is also some parking around the back of the office in the carpark.

Kate is available until 5pm on Monday to Thursday. Saturday appointments may be available by request. Kate understands the demands of work, kids and life in general so if you can not make an appointment during business hours and you have a time you would like to request feel free to email her and she will do her best to accommodate you.

Sessions for couples and individuals are generally 50 minutes unless you request longer.

Yes. Payment for your session is due at the time of consultation. You can pay either with cash or by EFTPOS.

Please note Medicare rebates are not available for couples counselling or for psychotherapists or counsellors.

 

Medicare does not cover couples therapy. It does not matter if you see a counsellor or a psychologist there are no Medicare rebates available for couples counselling.

Individual therapy provided by a counsellor is not covered by Medicare and as such there are no reporting requirements and the details of your attendance are not passed on to Medicare or any other government departments or insurance companies. There are a small number of private health companies that offer rebates for counselling. You will need to check with your private health company to see what they cover and what they require of the counsellor you see.

Most people attend counselling weekly or fortnightly when they first commence. The frequency of sessions is dependent on your time and financial constraints however having said that it is important to understand that people who attend counselling regularly and create momentum in the progress towards change tend to have better outcomes in therapy than those that attend sporadically.

As for how long you will need to attend, that is up to you. If you feel you have achieved all you can from the sessions you are probably ready to stop regular sessions. That being said you always have the option for check-ins every now and again.

Everything discussed in session is confidential to the extent permitted within the boundaries of the Australian Counselling Association and the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia. This can be discussed further in the first session or if you have any concerns you can email Kate prior to the first session to ask about your particular concerns. As part of Kate's commitment to an effective and ethical practice she may discuss aspects of your case with her clinical supervisor however this is always done in a way that does not identify the client in any way.

Kate sees many different people with such a range of different issues. When some people arrive they are very clear about what their issue is and what they specifically want assistance with. However when other people see Kate all they know is they are unhappy and they want to talk to someone about changing that.

Relationships, loss and change are all Kate's areas of interest, as are anxiety, depression, stress and addiction. Regardless of what the issue is Kate will listen without judgement. If Kate feels she is not the best person to help you with your concerns she will definitely tell you and will where possible assist you in finding someone to help.

Kate will talk with you about your goals and what you hope to achieve from counselling. From here you can discuss your needs and the frequency of appointments. Usually when clients first start the process of therapy, regular, frequent appointments (weekly or fortnightly) will be scheduled and gradually this will be tapered off (monthly, quarterly). Attending scheduled appointments and maintaining the momentum will assist in your progress and prevent relapsing into old unhelpful behaviours.

Therapy is effective when you integrate what your learn during sessions into daily life. Some sessions will end with a "homework" assignment, actions or thoughts to focus on or new behaviours to try out. It is important that you work on these things between sessions so that you can start to change some of the behaviours that are making life difficult for you.

You may also want to supplement your learning and practice with readings, workbooks, and CDs. It is not necessary to do extra reading but if you are interested ask Kate and she will be able to recommend some great books, audiobooks or other resources for you to have a look at.

Therapy is most effective when you integrate what your learn during sessions into daily life. Kate will usually end sessions will end with a task for you to consider or focus on. She may suggest you look at some of your actions or thoughts or ask you to consider practicing some of the new behaviours you have discussed. It is important that you work on these things between sessions so that you can consolidate the changes.

It is not required to do any extra reading however if you are interested in a specific topic ask Kate and she will be able to recommend some great books, audiobooks or other resources for you to peruse.

 

Does that cover most of your questions?

We know that might only cover a few of the questions you have so feel free to email Kate or make an appointment and you can go over anything else that you are wondering about.

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