Your First Visit
What To Expect On Your First Visit
Your first appointment is an opportunity for you to discuss your concerns or difficulties, which you may have had for a while. You will be sitting in a comfortable chair in a relaxed and private room.
It is common for clients to feel emotional when they are talking about very personal and challenging topics in therapy. Freya provides a safe space for these emotions to be felt and expressed.
During the first session, Freya will ask questions to get a good understanding of how long you have had these concerns; what you have tried before; whether there is a family history of depression, anxiety or other mental health concerns; whether you have seen a psychologist before, and other factors that may be influencing your mental wellbeing.
While you talk about the reasons for your visit, Freya will take some notes. These notes will be kept safely and securely and will only be seen and used by her.
Once Freya has a good understanding of your concerns, she will ask you about your goals for therapy and discuss a plan for therapy with you. Please do not hesitate to ask at any time if you have any questions about your treatment, what to expect, or anything else you would like to know.
How To Be Prepared
Before your first appointment please ensure that you have completed your details and consented to the terms of therapy online via the link provided in the initial appointment confirmation email.
If you have a copy of your Mental Health Care Plan and referral from your GP please scan or photograph this and upload it to your consent form (unless your GP has already faxed it directly through). If you are unable to do this please bring the hard copy to your first appointment.
You will also need your Medicare card and bank card if you plan to claim a rebate. You may also wish to bring copies of any documents you think would be helpful for your psychologist to read (eg previous reports).
You may wish to allow some extra time to find a park if you are driving- there is no onsite parking but street parking is usually easy to find on the surrounding streets.
Each appointment goes for approximately 50 minutes. This is followed by 5 minutes to process payment which is due at the end of each session and finally to book your next appointment.