Depression
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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The number of therapy sessions required will vary based on your needs and goals. While improvement is often experienced within 6 sessions, continued therapy is often recommended.
Your psychologist will work with you on your goals for therapy and perform regular reviews of your progress with your involvement. Ensuring you feel supported and that your therapy timeline is as beneficial as possible.
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In your first session, your therapist will be focused on asking you about yourself, your life and the challenges that have brought you to see them and that you would like to work on.
From here you and your therapist can formulate a plan for how often you should meet and discuss how many sessions might be needed to achieve your goals.
Remember, it’s very normal to feel anxious, nervous, or unsure about your first therapy session. Our team recognises this and works hard to provide a private, comfortable, safe and respectful place for you to discuss anything you need without judgement.
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Psychologists in Australia are bound to confidentiality through the ethical guidelines outlined in the APS Code of Ethics.
This means they are bound to protect your privacy and not disclose what is discussed during your sessions. However, there are some some circumstances in which your psychologist may need to breach this such as when:
There are concerns about your immediate safety or the safety of others
Your information is subpoenaed by a court of law
There is a legal obligation to do so due to the disclosure of information regarding involvement or knowledge of a criminal offence that has not been made known to the police
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Payment is required on the day of your appointment. We process Medicare rebates right away wherever possible, the rebate amount will vary depending on your circumstances. Any private health rebates must be submitted directly to your insurer for processing.
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At Port Phillip Psychology, our psychologists and counsellors for depression employ a variety of therapy tools or interventions to help with the treatment of depression.
This may include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapies. These tools can be highly effective in treating depression and can be used alongside other strategies and methods as needed.
Exactly how your therapy will be conducted or which interventions will be employed will be determined by your psychologist following a discussion with you what you are comfortable with.
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No, we recognise that seeking help with depression is not always easy and that having to attend therapy in person can be off putting. As such, we offer Telehealth sessions both during and outside of normal business hours to ensure you can feel comfortable and capable of accessing care around your needs and schedule.