Worried About Seeing a Psychologist for the First Time?

Taking the plunge and seeing a psychologist for the first time can be a daunting prospect for many people. You are not alone if you are worried about taking this big step. The following tips can help you have a positive experience.

Seeing a psychologist for the first time

For many people, taking the plunge and going to see a counsellor or psychologist is a daunting prospect. You are not alone if you are worried about taking this big step. There are many potential worries about the process that can stop you from getting the help you need.

You may decide to see a psychologist with all sorts of concerns, including questions about relationship counselling, anger management or anxiety treatment, or to get ongoing help with previously diagnosed issues, such as Complex Trauma, ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Depression, or Panic Attacks, among others.

People are often anxious about having to open up to a complete stranger about very private things they perhaps haven’t told, even those closest to them. Then there are the worries that the person is going to judge you, not understand or not be able to help. You may be worried about the investment of both money and time. You may have put off going because you hoped the problem would sort itself out, or you may simply not want to face the emotions involved in talking about it. These worries are all totally normal, especially if you have never been to see a counsellor or psychologist before.

There are a few things to remember when considering this big step, which should help you maximise your chance of a great experience.

Steps to Maximise your Chance of a Positive Experience with a Psychologist

Finding the right psychologist for you

If you decide you would like to receive some CBT Therapy, Schema Therapy, Couples Counselling, Family Counselling, or some other form of psychotherapy to help you with your difficulties, obviously, you would like to find a psychologist who is experienced in the area you are struggling with.

A further important consideration is that you are able to build a strong therapeutic relationship with your psychologist. If it doesn’t feel like you ‘click’ in those first couple of sessions, then therapy with that person will likely not work very well for you. So how can you minimise the risk that you will go and see the wrong psychologist for you? A good first step is to think about what is important to you in a therapist or psychologist. Would you prefer a male or female psychologist? Is their age and life experience important to you? What about the religious or ethnic background? What kind of personality would you prefer – Formal? Relaxed? Directive? Warm?
About the safety and privacy of private matters discussed with a Psychologist

How do you feel about discussing private matters that will bring up strong emotions with a psychologist? Some painful memories and experiences must often be addressed during psychological treatment. It’s important to remember that you are driving the process here – you don’t need to talk about things you don’t want to in the first sessions if they are too difficult. You can wait until you feel enough trust in that person to disclose more difficult things. Also, remember that psychologists are trained to help clients manage distress and strong emotions, so you will be looked after in the session and given strategies to manage at home if you feel overwhelmed.

Therapy provides a place for you to talk about your issues with someone with no agenda other than to help you get better. They don’t know anyone in your life, and what you talk about stays completely confidential between the two of you. There are usually only three exceptions to this when seeing a psychologist: if your or someone else’s safety is at risk, if there is a law requiring the psychologist to disclose the information (e.g. they have their notes requested for by a Court), and finally – if you have signed that you consent to the psychologist releasing the information to a named person or body.
Knowing that Clinical Psychologists have extensive training

Clinical Psychologists have undergone extensive training in how to work with complex and sensitive mental health issues such as grief, trauma and PTSD, anxiety, and panic attacks. Treating these issues well requires that the psychologists have learned how to deal with people in a way that is validating and empathic, assess each person’s particular issues to work out how to treat them, and then apply scientifically proven treatments in a sensitive way to the problems.

Ideally, a good first session with a psychologist should leave you feeling accepted, understood, and confident that the clinician has a plan to help you achieve your goals, a rough estimate of how long treatment might take, and you should go home with a first technique or piece of work to get started on. In addition, you should feel that your psychologist is looking for feedback and is receptive to it if you feel something is missing.
Maximising your time and investment when seeing a Psychologist

After the first consultation with your counsellor or psychologist, you can often get a feel for them and how they work. Psychologists should ideally also seek feedback from you about how sessions are going and make you feel that all feedback, even negative, is welcome and will lead to constructive conversations about improving the next session.

In Australia, Medicare supports many people to access treatment with a psychologist under the Better Access Scheme. This help can be accessed by seeing your GP first for a chat about what has been going on for you. Then, if the GP considers you eligible, they can set up a ‘Mental Health Plan’ for you, significantly reducing your out-of-pocket costs.

Several other options are available to Australians, permanent residents, and overseas students to receive full or partial funding for psychological treatment and sessions with a psychologist. Some of them include Private Health Insurance, NDIS, DVA, Insurance companies, and EAP (Employee Assistance Program). More information is available here: Psychologist Services Funding and Rebates.

Resources – Find a Psychologist

Online Therapy vs In-Person Therapy: Which Option is Better?

12/07/2023

FAQs About Medicare Rebates and Mental Health Care Plans

04/07/2023