How many psychology sessions will I need?

It depends. In our experience, there’s a number of variables which influence the number of sessions you’ll need for sustained change. These include:

• How willing and able you are to practice your skills outside the therapy room.

• How pervasive and entrenched are the experiences (“symptoms”) you’re struggling with. 

• The supportiveness of your home and social environment. Will the people closest to you help or hinder your growth and learning?

• Your access to and use of recommended learning resources (online videos, forums, programs, books, audio materials). 

• How willing and able you are to speak up when the therapy process isn’t meeting your needs.

• The state of your “foundations”: bodily health, brain health, nutritional factors, environmental toxins, sleep, physical activity, social networks and contact with the natural world.

• Your goals – how much change is enough for you?

Research in the UK indicated that about half of all psychology clients will experience clinically significant benefit after 8 sessions. After 6 months , 75% will be experiencing clinically significant benefit.

We generally recommend you commit to 6 sessions, then review. Your mind will say things like “this isn’t going to help”, “I can do this on my own”, “it’s too hard” and myriad variations on a theme all designed to keep you doing what you’ve always done. Minds can be bossy like that. Our invitation is – if you’re willing – to notice your mind’s offerings, and come to your session anyway. Your mind is welcome here too!

Why should I pay a fee to see one of your psychologists when other psychologists will bulkbill me? Or, why shouldn’t I choose a psychologist who charges less than you?

Choosing your psychologist may be one of the most important decisions you ever make. Cost is definitely an important factor in that decision.

We appreciate that – for people on low incomes or who are experiencing financial stress – it is very difficult to find the $$$ to pay for a consult. While you might have a Medicare referral, you need to have enough money to pay the full fee and then there might be a wait (maybe overnight) before your Medicare rebate appears back in your account. Your consult might leave you out of pocket by between $45.45 and $75.45 depending on the fees charged by your practitioner. We offer discount fees for people who have a Health Care Card so your out-of-pocket amount might be as low as $45.45 per session.

But that begs the question you’re asking. Out-of-pocket even $5 can mean the difference between a meal and no meal. Here’s why you should consider seeing us even though it may be financially stressful:

• Our recovery rates are excellent. We know this because we use tracking measures to monitor your progress. When your practitioner asks you to fill in a questionnaire before each session, that will be the tracking measure we use (eg, the Outcome Questionnaire OQ45, or the CORE Outcome Measure CORE-OM). We are able to compare our results with the results of other practitioners around the world. So, when we say that our recovery rates are excellent, we have data to back that up.

• We can negotiate to see you less frequently face-to-face and, at the same time, support you to do more of the work away from your session. For example:

o We might ask you to use a mobile phone app containing structured exercises daily (eg, ACT Companion is a favourite of ours).

o We might invite you to listen to some audio resources and journal the way you’re applying your learnings in daily life.

o We might assign you some specific skills to practice and record your progress against those skills.

o We might negotiate email contact to support you between sessions. 

o We will often link you to free phone and online services to support you between sessions, or to guide you through a program of work. 

(Change doesn’t happen inside the therapy room. It happens while living your life.)

• All our psychologists are using modern, evidence based approaches (esp those known as “third wave therapies”). We are totally committed to giving you the benefit of the very latest in researched techniques coming out of the evolving maelstrom that is behavioural and psychological theory.

• Working with a skilled psychologist can get you back on track faster so you can improve your financial circumstances (if that is something important to you).

There are other important factors to consider when choosing your psychologist. Watch this space for suggestions to guide your choosing process.

Coming soon

What’s the difference between a psychologist, clinical psychologist, counsellor and psychiatrist?

How do I choose the right psychologist for me?

Email us at info@coffspsychneuro.com.au if you have a question you’d like us to add to this section.