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

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

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

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. 

Customer Testimonials: Feedback from My Clients

Review author ★★★★★ Ronnie has been fantastic to work with. His friendly approach puts you at ease from your first session, I had never heard of Somatic therapy before and thought it was worth a shot, we have been working together for several months now and the results have been subtle, yet when I look back now we have worked on and resolved some seriously big issues, I had not put time into resolving. Thanks Ronnie for all your help.Review author ★★★★★ My sessions with Ronnie have made an impact on my life that cannot be understated. I’ve found a profoundly positive and persistent shift in my relationship with myself since taking the time to talk with him. I would definitely recommend Ronnie to anyone seeking guidance on the path toward self care.Review author ★★★★★ Ronnie has such a beautiful open and caring heart and has been there for me with me through some really sticky times giving me a safe place to honestly and openly express and be held in such a nurturing and caring way. An absolute gem of a counselor ! Truly recommend !Review author ★★★★★ Ronnie's somatic therapy approach helped me unlock the deep-rooted emotions stored in my body, leading to profound emotional release and a sense of renewal.Review author ★★★★★ Working with Ronnie had been transformational. His somatic based therapy has helped me to make unconscious patterns conscious and helped to release them from the body so that new ways of being and healing are possible. I highly recommend working with Ronnie. He is a true gem.Nicola L.Review author ★★★★★ Professional and friendly counselling! Have recommended to friends.Review author ★★★★★ Ronnie is a very good counsellor. Really enjoy his technique and most of all getting great results with each session. Very relaxed and comfortable sessions. Highly recommend.Review author ★★★★★ I extremely appreciate Ronnie's equally personal and professional approach to therapy, I feel a calm confidence with how each session is guided with compassion, understanding, gentleness, respect, positive optimism, honesty and purpose. The way these things appear to seamlessly weave together to create a truly transformative space is a pleasure to be apart of and shows a level of passion, dedication and knowledge that for me really is very valuable. In summary, have nothing negative to say about my experience here and highly recommend it.Review author ★★★★★ Ronnie is a great counsellor and I liked his techniques. Felt the results were good. I saw him online which worked way better than I expected.Review author ★★★★★ I’ve been working with Ronnie for a while now. He’s been really helpful, encouraging and aided in my journey to finding the answers that I sought about myself. He’s a great guy, would highly recommend for those seeking a great psychotherapist. =)js_loader

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