A Guide to Finding The Best Psychologist Melbourne Counselling Therapist
Finding the best psychologist Melbourne therapist that one can find, has its challenges. Sifting through thousands of profiles, what style of therapy alone can make you want to see a therapist! Getting good Counselling in Melbourne doesn’t have to be that difficult. In this Ultimate Guide in finding the Best Psychologist in Melbourne, we’ll explore some strategies that can save you thousand of dollars, and time.
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Criteria for finding the Best Psychologist In Melbourne
When it comes to mental health, we all want the very best help we can get. No one wants to open up to a stranger about the intricacies of life, only to find, that their therapist, just isn’t quite the right fit. A therapist who is emotionally inept, can set you back, and make you never want to see a therapist again.
Here are the TOP reasons we’ve come across as to why we want the very best:
Make things worse - There is perhaps nothing worse than opening up to a therapist about something quite painful, only to be shamed, and not heard.
Waste time - No one wants to waste time. Especially when it comes to therapy.
To be understood - Essentially, we want to be understood. This alone can be curative, just to have your story heard.
To create change - At the end of the day, we need to see results.
This boils down to what is known as having a therapeutic alliance. This is actually what culminates in finding the best psychologist in Melbourne.
But how do you find who is right for you?
Finding a Top Therapist in a Pool of 7,000 Mental Health professionals Is Difficult
There are an estimated 7,000 psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors in Melbourne.
For some, it takes courage to make that first call, or send an email asking for help. Hopefully, this guide helps makes things a little easier.
And where do you possibly begin? A simple google of the phrase Melbourne therapist might be a start?
Or try and google psychologist in Melbourne.
Waaaay too many results to sift through.
It’s not so much about the technique that creates change, but more about synergy between you and the therapist.
It’s worth familiarising yourself a little bit about the different approaches that therapist use. You’ll usually find something on their website about the style they adopt.
Good Advice
Ask a friend for their recommendation of the best psychologist in Melbourne
Getting a good recommendation from someone you trust, can be one of the best way’s to find a great psychotherapist, counsellor, or a psychologist in Melbourne
Try Before You Buy
After realising how difficult it is indeed to find a good therapist in Melbourne without having to run through hoops, I realised there had to be a better way.
That’s why I now offer people a 20 minute free consultation. So you can see for yourself if we’re a good fit.
Staying Alive
Let’s tackle the most important counselling service first, staying alive. If you, or someone you know is in imminent danger, call triple zero (000) immediately.
If it’s not an emergency, but you are having thoughts of suicide, there are a number of helplines that can offer counselling services:
- Lifeline – 13 11 14 for this free, 24-hour Australia-wide crisis support and suicide prevention service.
- SuicideLine – 1300 651 251 support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week across Victoria.
- Suicide Call Back Service– 1300 659 467 free counselling service with suicidal thoughts or support for friends and family who have been affected by suicide.
What about Free services?
There are some other great Counselling services Melbourne has to offer that are free. If you’re struggling financially, these services are truly fantastic.
Contact your local community service centre, or council. Depending on your financial situation, some municipalities offer affordable therapy for those who can’t afford it.
Some of the therapists may be interns studying at placement. Don’t let their beginners status think they’re not capable. Their fresh eyes, may offer something else
- EDVOS– Support for women and children who experience violence. A fantastic organisation.
- DHHS – Another fantastic Counselling Melbourne Service, that isn’t limited to Melbourne, but Australia wide. Sexual abuse, battery, crisis accomodation, homelessness and domestic violence.
- Mental health and wellbeing support for LGBTI people (Better Health Channel)
- LGBTQIA Support: The LGBTI community are also frequently subject to discrimination and can have problems accessing healthcare that’s right for them.
- Mental health services (Better Health Channel) Victoria has a range of mental health support services that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These services can provide treatment, information, tools and advice on how to deal with a range of mental health issues.
- Parentline Victoria (Department of Education and Training, Victoria)
Parentline is a confidential and anonymous phone counselling service for parents and carers of children and teenagers in Victoria. We offer counselling, information and support around a range of parenting issues. - If you’ve lost a friend, a child, a loved one, the pain can be unbearable. There is a wonderful service called Compassionate Friends that I highly recommend.
Qualities to look out for in a Therapist
When trying to find the right counselling service, there are a few things to look out for.
Perhaps the most important attribute is that the therapist makes you feel completely accepted.
And it goes without saying that you need someone who empathic, and non judgemental.
J.P., A Therapist in Melbourne says “try and see if you can meet with them first. You’ll get a good sense if you’re a good fit.“
Three Kinds Of Therapists
Psychotherapist
A Psychotherapist is a trained professional who is specifically trained to help treat clients with emotional challenges, often called talk therapy.
It can be liberating, challenging, and sometimes painful, but the effects are long-lasting and creates fundamental changes to one’s core being.
Psychotherapists are trained in a number of theoretical orientations, such as CBT, ACT, Person Centred Therapy, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Focusing Emotional Therapy, Gestalt and so on.
Clinical Psychologist
Clinical psychologists are traditionally more research focused and are particularly skilled in diagnosing mental disorders.
Psychologists in Melbourne may focus on areas such as developmental psychology, education, and occupational psychology. Traditionally, psychologists are trained primarily in just CBT.
Psychiatrist
A Psychiatrist is a doctor who has specialised in psychiatry. This allows psychiatrists to assess, diagnose and may (not always) treat mental illness using prescribed medication.
Counsellor
A counsellor is an umbrella term for all three. It’s meaning in Australia in the mental health sphere is perhaps best seen as short-term focused solutions. Some clients begin with counselling and move to psychotherapy. Others begin with psychotherapy and may need a “top up” ever now and then. This is counselling.
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