- Counselling & Psychology
- Fees and Rebates
- Healthy living
- Massage
- Meditation
- Naturopathy
- Neuropsychology
- Our Centre
- Strategic Coaching
At your first appointment, it is likely that you will be asked to complete some forms. You may need to bring some information with you to the first session so please ask the health practitioner before you arrive.
Usually, initial consultations entail exploring the concerns and a comprehensive history taking. Then, treatment and moving forward strategies are discussed.
Despite the fact that Counselling, Psychology, Psychotherapy and Life-Wellbeing / Strategic Coaching overlap, there are some main differences.
Common elements:
• To help people overcome difficulties or problems.
• To talk things through.
• Discuss possibilities for change.
• Explore different points of view.
• Relationship of trust and confidentiality.
• Facilitate positive change.
• Ethics are important.
Main differences:
• Training, where employed, who they work with, and focus of support.
• Counsellors and Psychologists tend to work with people whose functioning is compromised, whereas Coaches aim to work with well functioning people who need help moving forward.
Counselling
• To process emotional difficulties and feelings.
• Client to feel validated and heard.
• Deal with the here and now.
• Help clients come to terms with the difficulties they are going through.
Psychology
• The same as counselling. Discuss how and why people do what they do and how these patterns emotionally impact the individual.
• Education and therapeutic strategies to help people resolve their emotional problems.
Coaching
• Help people achieve their goals by exploring motivational strategies, obstacles to change, and creating action plans.
• Helping people bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be.
• Help move people forward.
Psychotherapy
• Long-term therapy. To process emotional difficulties and feelings.
• Client to feel validated and heard.
• Focus is on discussing how the past has impacted personality development and generating insights for change.
Psychiatry
• The medical and pharmacological management of mental health, particularly for severe challenges.
A survey on stress and wellbeing (2015, Australian Psychological Society) showed that a major cause of stress is problems with maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The same survey showed that focusing on the positives, undertaking healthy activities, and seeking support are all important factors that help manage stress and, therefore, wellbeing.
Key areas our practitioners address include mood problems, self-esteem concerns, chronic health issues, and lifestyle changes.
Theoretically, emotional growth is about evolving into a sense of ourselves. A simple way to look at it is like physical growth. We know, and can see, ourselves and others growing from a child into an adolescent into an adult and then into age-hood.
Emotional development is similar, yet different.
As humans, we have evolved with some basic needs that require satisfying for optimal emotional fitness. For example, shelter, safety, companionship, intimacy, creativity, etc.
There are various human needs theories proposed but the one most popularised is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Abraham Maslow (1943, 1954, 1969) devised a model to describe people’s motivation to achieve emotional growth. Essentially, it gives us a pretty good picture as to why sometimes we struggle emotionally, to cope, or to feel good about ourselves.
Emotional growth relies on:
• Becoming more aware and more conscious of who we are in the world.
• The conscious unravelling of self-limiting, self-defeating, and self-sabotaging patterns (Self esteem Stealers) and replacing them with a positive sense of self (Worthy Words) and self affirming beliefs (Constructive Cognitions).
• The effort we put in through self-development, attending workshops, reading books and therapy.
The quality of our service is supported by our commitment to ethical standards and privacy and other legislative provisions. That is why your appointments with any practitioner at Balanced Wellbeing Centre is expected to be private and confidential.
Please discuss this with your individual practitioner so they can explain what their obligations are under the Privacy Act or their individual professional associations.
This might depend who you talk to and what condition you might need assistance with. But, on the whole, both are as important as the other.
We have known for a long while now that the mind and body are intimately connected and if one is a bit under the weather, so will be the other. Holistic health is always a good way forward for optimal health outcomes.
In the meantime, how about you start with what is leaving you feeling worse – your mind or your body.
Fees will vary from practitioner to practitioner. It is always best to discuss this at the time you book the appointment.
Payments may be made by Credit Card, EFTPOS, or Cash.
Payments are usually made at the end of each appointment, unless you have discussed a different arrangement.
MEDICARE:
For appointments with one of our Psychologists, you may be eligible for a rebate with a GP approved referral under a Mental Health Care Plan.
HEALTH INSURANCE:
Otherwise, you may choose to use private health cover if you have it. Please check with your practitioner if their modality is covered by private health.
PRIVATE CLIENT:
Of course, you may choose to self-refer as a private client.
TAC or WORK SAFE:
Please discuss this with your health practitioner as not all practitioners work with TAC or Work Safe.
CONCESSION/ BULK BILLING:
Check with individual therapists if they offer concession rates and or bulk billing if you are experiencing financial hardship.
Because the practitioner has held the appointment time for you, it is recommended that if you are unable to attend, to let the practitioner know as soon as possible so that it can be offered to another client.
At the very least, practitioners request 48 hours notice.
Of course, we understand that sometimes unexpected emergencies occur that may preclude you attending on the day of the appointment. If this occurs, please let the practitioner know at your earliest opportunity on the day.
Some practitioners have last minute cancelation fees so please discuss this with them at your first appointment so you are aware of what to expect.
The length of your sessions may vary from practitioner to practitioner and pending what your health goals are.
With therapy, sessions are usually 50-60 minutes each.
The number of sessions may vary from person to person, and pending on which health practitioner you are working with.
It also depends on what treatment strategy you and your practitioner have chosen.
Please discuss this with your practitioner.
Generally, people get assistance when they feel that they are not coping with life’s challenges or their physical health leaves them feeling drained and or in pain.
Because we all experience life differently, when we should seek support may vary from person to person. Obviously, if you are unwell, stressed, or burnt out, this is a good time to call us.
Ideally, working on prevention is the best time to work with a health practitioner so that you avoid getting completely run down. However, we all know this is not always practical given how busy our lives are today.
Feel free to give us a call to discuss implementing a health plan as early as possible after you notice something in your mind and or body is just not quite right.
