Psychological Services

Many people ask

Q. What is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

Or

Q.Why do some people call themselves ‘counsellor’?.

 

A thorough explanation is provided here.

 

Counselling

People go to counselling with a wide variety of issues and are incredibly diverse in the way they view and deal with problems. For this reason I use a range of counselling approaches, including supportive counselling, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT).

Supportive counselling emphasizes listening and an exploration of the issues. There is a minimum of interruption with the therapist, at least initially, just asking questions and listening. As things progress, questions may become pointed so as to gently focus on particular areas. Clients very often relish the novel experience of being ‘really listened to’ by a neutral party – someone with no agenda or interest regarding the problem. The therapist intervenes in a respectful, non-judgmental and non-invasive way such as via summarizing statements and clients tend to ‘drill down’ into issues and certain aspects become naturally amplified. Clients very often find clarity and resolution of issues this way. Clients often use the safe therapeutic environment to consider their options for example, playing out a conversation to ‘see how it sounds’ and discuss what the different consequences of different actions might be.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is highly theory-driven modality. It is based upon an assumption that people form rigid and enduring thinking patterns, sometimes referred to as ‘Core Beliefs’. It is thought that these have a pervasive impact on the way the person views the world, including the social world and relationships and significantly determines action. CBT enables the exploration of these, sometimes thinking errors, for example finding different ways to view a situation and hence discover new ways to approach it, causing different outcomes.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is a brief solution focussed approach emphasizing how a person's current social context, including relationships, cause symptoms. This tends to be a suitable modality when problems are situational and does not address deep-seated sources of symptoms. The goals are rapid symptom reduction and improved social adjustment.

 

Psychological Assessment

I have a broad range of experience providing psychological assessment reports, for example, forensic or crime related, vocational and Workcover. Victims of Crime psychological reports are a specialty area where people are applying to Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT) for funding for counselling and other costs such as legal and medical costs to be reimbursed when linked to a crime that was committed against them or a family member. The VOCAT web site provides very user friendly instructions and downloadable forms. Feel free to contact me directly to discuss eligibility under VOCAT.

 

Supervision

I have a broad range of experience in providing supervision, including clinical supervision. I supervise probationary psychologists seeking registration as psychologists as well as workers from the social, health and welfare sectors.

 

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing

I am a fully trained Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) clinician and can provide a full range of CISM interventions such as defusing and debriefing. I am trained by Rob Gordon, Clinical Director of CISM services for the Department of Human Services (DHS). Rob has adapted the Jeffery Mitchell model – emanating, in the early 1980’s, from the United States emergency services. I have 7 years as a debriefer and understand the different service needs between incidents occurring

within workplaces, or to workers while at work, and community incidents such as disasters where people are not in ‘work mode’ when incidents occur.

 

Training

Counselling skills

Professional practice (inc. ethics, case noting)

Understanding psychological trauma

Stress management

Understanding depression and preventing suicide

Creating and maintaining a healthy workplace

Conflict resolution

Working with forensic clients (inc. antisocial personality)

Supervision skills

Drug and alcohol