One of the most common ways people access mental health support is through their GP when they apply for a Mental Health Care Plan in Australia. This has exacerbated demand for psychologists throughout the pandemic, with wait-times averaging a month or longer. For some people, this is longer than anticipated, useful or relevant for their issues today.
Here are some reasons to short-cut your wait-time and get some support sooner by finding a qualified counsellor or psychotherapist:
- Counsellors and psychotherapists usually have shorter wait times and are therefore easier (and in most cases, cheaper) to access! Plus, the investment you put in today towards your wellbeing can prevent more costly health and wellbeing costs in the future. Preventative care is cheaper than reactive care.
- Like psychologists or social workers, counsellors and psychotherapists often offer telehealth sessions as well as in-person sessions, which means your chosen medium of support remains the same regardless of type of practitioner.
- Those familiar with the Mental Health Care Plan will know there is a limited number of sessions available at a subsidised price. By working with a counsellor or psychotherapist, you are not limited by the number of sessions and the price of the session usually remains the same. There are no painful increased financial costs to consider when the plan ends. This makes it easy to budget and find sustainable support, especially if you would like to dive deeper into some issues.
- You also don’t have to make trips back to the doctor to access more sessions from your plan, especially if you’re not seeking a diagnosis, experiencing clinical anxiety and/or depression or requesting medical intervention.
- You may simply be needing a trusted ear as a supportive sounding board. Counsellors and psychotherapists do not diagnose clients. The main tools used include building a therapeutic relationship, listening, reflecting, and providing support and skills you can use right away.
- Not being bound by the Mental Health Care Plan has its advantages. You have greater freedom to experiment with and choose modalities which works for you. While every psychologist, psychotherapist, social worker and counsellor are different, these alternative modalities such as art therapy, equine therapy, music therapy or dance therapy may be more helpful for you, particularly if you find it difficult to talk to others, or you prefer to work creatively.
As mentioned, counsellors and psychotherapists focus heavily on cultivating a strong therapeutic relationship with their clients. Here at Sava Therapies, we believe it’s important for clients and counsellors to fit right. A good therapeutic relationship is different from a relationship you may have with friends, advice-givers or experts in your life. To us, a therapeutic relationship can be a safe environment for providing support and insight, exploring things differently, or challenging you, especially if your challenge involves said friends. Our counsellors are here help you change what you can control, yourself.
Our counsellors are trained listeners that are consistently there for you. In our sessions, the focus is 100% on YOU, unlike drinks with friends who may need you to listen to their problems too (while you’re in the middle of your story), or who find it difficult to stay impartial when listening. Counsellors do not have their own history or experience with the other people in your life, so they’re unlikely to hear with a biased ear.
If you have questions, if you would like to try out our counsellors, or you’re simply curious about what a session at Sava Therapies will look like, book in a free consultation today!