What to Expect During Therapy With a Trained Online Psychologist?
Currently, facing some mental health issues that you need to talk about? Or is stress or anxiety getting in the way of your day-to-day activities? Thoughts invading your sleep? Or do you often find yourself typing “psychologist near me” into your search engine?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of the above questions and are considering starting therapy, here’s an insight into what a therapy session with a trained psychologist would look like.
Finding the right psychologist for you
Whatever part of Australia you might be located in right now,telehealth psychology services give you access to experienced psychologists all overAustralia, not bounding you to themental health professionals in your area. When you are researching different psychologists and trying to find the best fit for you, there are two things you should keep in mind:
- Are you looking for in-person therapy or telehealth therapy?
- Are you looking for a clinical psychologist or a registered psychologist?
In case you need to know the difference between both types of psychologists, click here.
Prior to Your Psychologist Appointment
If you’re nervous about your first therapy session here’s how you can prepare. A therapy session is similar to a doctor’s appointment, whether it be virtual counselling or in-person therapy. If it’s a face-to-facepsychologist service, you would be expected to sit in the waiting room till someone calls out your name, and if you’re attending online therapy you just have to log on to your device and get started with the virtual counselling.
Before your therapy session, either in person or in telehealth therapy, it is routine for you to fill out some paperwork to help the mental health psychologist understand your circumstances better. The mental health clinic may ask you for the following documents:
- Insurance information
- Medical history
- A questionnaire to help understand your symptoms better
- Therapist-patient services agreement
If you are unsure or uncomfortable sharing any of this information, you can contact the clinic or speak to the psychologist directly during the therapy session.
During the Therapy Session
Your first therapy session is going to look a lot different compared to your future appointments due to the fact that in the first session the psychologist is going to ask numerous questions in order to comprehend your symptoms and get a deeper level of understanding of what your situation means for you.
It is vital for you to understand that the journey to healing from mental health issues is gradual and you can’t expect to see results after your very first session. During your first psychologist appointment, the mental health professional is likely to ask you the following questions:
- What is the reason you decided to come to therapy?
- How would you describe your life right now?
- Some questions regarding your childhood, your career, your living situation, and your relationship with your loved ones.
Patient Confidentiality
It is common to feel uncomfortable sharing personal details of your life and struggles with your friends and colleagues in the fear that they might tell ‘other people’ however, whatever you discuss during a therapy session with your psychologist is kept confidential unless you permit them to share the information in any circumstance. This makes psychologist counselling a lot more comfortable for you to share and be honest with your views, thoughts and struggles.
An online psychologist counselling session is intended to help you with your personal struggles and to promote a more fulfilling life. Do not hesitate to contact us, Inner Psych to help you with your mental health journey. Click here to book an appointment with our professional psychologists.
