When is it time to see a psychologist?
When problems start affecting your enjoyment of life. Sure, we’re all going to have ups and downs, but they shouldn’t linger on… they shouldn’t be invading our thoughts, distracting us at work or short-changing our relationships.
You may be having trouble coping with any number of things — stress, anxiety, worry, anger, concentration, assertiveness or an ongoing disorder or dysfunction.
Psychologists can also provide excellent strategies for career advancement, teach workplace skills and offer techniques for dealing with difficult people.
How can a psychologist help?
By offering possible strategies. It’s a bit like the stubborn driver who won’t ask for street directions. He’ll waste a lot of time driving around in circles when it would be much easier to just ask.
Ask an experienced psychologist and there’s a very good chance that they’ve studied, seen and dealt with a problem like yours many times in their career. No embarrassment – they’ve probably seen it before.
They can offer you a strategy or coping skills that will likely last a life time. A great result for a small outlay of time and effort.
How long does it take?
It depends on how serious the problem is and what the client wants to achieve. We usually start with a 50 minute session with follow up visits every week or every other week. Again, depending on the issue, some people like to check in every couple of months.
Treatment plans vary. For instance, some issues may take just a couple of sessions, relationship and workplace issues will take longer and very serious problems may require a plan for continuing support. The Medicare Rebate allows for 10 sessions per calendar year which is probably more than most people require.
Stress
This month our newsletter and blogs are focussing on stress. Stress can be at the heart of so many problems – mental and physical. We’ve all got stress in our lives, but how much is too much? What are the signs? We suggest some stress taming strategies in the Latest Articles column to the right. Check them out and leave a comment. Tells us your top three stressors and what you do to cope.
