If you want to claim a Medicare rebate you will need a Mental Health Care Plan and a referral letter from your General Practitioner before attending your first appointment. (For more information please see the fees section).
No referral letter is needed if you intend to pay privately or via your private health insurance.
To make an initial appointment just contact Sarah by email or phone.
She will provide some brief information about the service and will be able to book you in for a time that suits you.
When you arrive for your session please take a seat in the waiting room. Please note there is no receptionist on duty, so Sarah will come and greet you and take you to the consulting room.
For an initial consultation please arrive 10 minutes early as there might be some forms to complete before the session starts.
The initial session is used to explore what current difficulties you are experiencing, the history of those difficulties, some of your personal and family history, and your goals and expectations of therapy. You will be able to ask any questions you have during this session.
Towards the end of the session Sarah will discuss with you potential treatment options and what to expect moving forward in therapy. Should it become apparent that your difficulties are outside the scope of Sarah’s expertise she will be able to provide details of alternative specialist services.
Yes! I offer online sessions via Zoom. All you need is a computer with an internet connection, a private space so that your session remains confidential and you are not disrupted, and a Zoom username (this is free).
Should you wish to do online sessions please contact Sarah and she can provide more information.
This depends on your current situation and the difficulties you are experiencing. Clients are often able to achieve a significant amount of change within six to 12 sessions.
For Couples Therapy the average number of sessions is between 12 and 20, however this might be more if there is a background of trauma.
If difficulties are long standing and are having a significant impact on your functioning, therapy might be a long term commitment. This will be discussed with you in your initial appointment.
It is important to make a personal commitment to the therapy process. Clients who attend on a regular basis (either weekly or fortnightly) are able to make the best gains.
Clients are encouraged to do work between sessions - this might range from observing their own patterns of thought or behaviour, to practising skills learnt in session or trying out new things.
The therapeutic relationship and the alliance formed between the client and the therapist has proven to be a key factor in the success of therapy. Sarah works hard to understand the individual needs of each of her clients.