On a waitlist for a face to face appointment with a therapist?
Maybe you’ve been thinking of talking to someone, but unsure if doing it online will work?
Maybe you’re just feeling apprehensive and unsure about the whole process….
Remember when you started your first day of high school or your first job. You were unsure of where to go, how to look busy, and whether the people would warm to you. You may also experience these feelings of apprehension and uncertainty when planning to talk with a Psychologist or Counsellor.
What do I have to do?
How will the session unfold?
What will they ask of me?
Will I like my therapist?
These are all valid thoughts as our brains are wired to check in and make sure our needs are met. Taking the first step to an online Telehealth session with a therapist for the first time can be a big deal for many. We hope we can put your mind at ease and assist you to prepare for your first online session. Let’s make it feel less daunting!
Telehealth – The New Way
With the extended lockdown in 2021, Telehealth online sessions became the way for therapy and getting mental health support. The growing concern is there is a demand for support in many communicates, and people like yourself are finding there are long waitlists, and not enough professionals to cope with the demand. Getting support via video today, is much better than waiting for months for a face to face appointment. If you choose to wait, your concerns and challenges will worsen, you’ll continue to bottle up your emotions and feel out of control. Talking to someone today online means you can get things off your chest, and start to work through your worries and hurdles right now.
What to Expect in an Online Telehealth Therapy Session
Once you’ve made your appointment with one of our therapists, you would have received a confirmation email with all the details you need, and a second email to meet and obtain some more information about your therapist particular.
As part of this confirmation email, there is a link to a video which is important for you to watch. This video introduces you to Creating Change and prepares you for the session with things you need to know.
There will also be a link to our Online Consent Form and a form requiring some information about yourself – so please take a short moment to fill these in before your session start time. Whilst filling in the forms, this is a good time for you to sit, take a breath and familiarise yourself with the practice and what we’re about. The background information form is important for the therapist to receive and read through prior to your session, so they can familiarise themselves with any important details before they speak with you.
Prior to your Telehealth session, a link will be emailed to you to start the video session. If you don’t have internet access, please let us know so we can call you by phone.
Feel Safe and Re-assured
All our sessions are conducted in a safe and confidential environment. Our highly skilled therapists are passionate about making you feel as relaxed as possible. In the initial appointment, our therapists will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your current life situation and the factors that have influenced their development. The key focus is to identify how we will facilitate change for you to create a sense of wellbeing, contentment and connectedness.
The assessment aims to develop a personalised plan to achieve your goals. We understand that talking to someone new about your difficulties in life may provoke anxiety, and so we will aim to put you at ease in your first appointment as much as possible. If there is a difficult history like childhood trauma, we may take it slow, not going into detail of the traumas but rather focus on developing confidence in your therapist and stabilising your current symptoms.
We will provide you with an estimation of the length of treatment, frequency of sessions and what you will be required to do moving forward.
As treatment is a collaborative process, meaning we will work together as a team, you will be highly involved in the decision making. It is ideal to book in all your future sessions required after the first appointment to ensure you have continuity of treatment. We don’t want you to miss out on your preferred appointment day and time! Having a regular time that suits your weekly schedule will ensure your personal development remains a priority.
Asking Questions is So Important
If you have any questions during the session, it is essential you ask them. We are full of information, but we aren’t able read your mind. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, please let us know. Sometimes it takes time to develop a relationship with your therapist. We understand this and encourage you to discuss your experiences with us. If you are keen to make changes sooner rather than later, you can book your second session in within the same week to start the treatment ball rolling.
Remember that changing habits takes time and cannot be done in an hour or two. We are with you for the long haul and look forward to working together on your treatment journey.
