Why talk therapy helps.

A talk therapist can be a great resource to tap into during times of struggle. It doesn’t need to be a psychologist (who are hard to get an appointment with and then expensive) it can instead be a qualified and trained counsellor like myself. We are generally quicker to get an appointment with and sessions start around $80 to $150. Counsellors fees are unable to be claimed on medicare however, so this is payable in full yourself. However, some private health insurance policies allow for counsellor fees to be claimed with the receipt from the session.

Now, friends are great to talk to but are rarely neutral and bring their own bias’. I know they are great when you need your tribe to rally around you, if you need that support, loyalty and agreement. They can definitely cry with you or get angry with you! And sometimes (me included) that is all you need. But if you’re wanting to explore why you are feeling and behaving in particular ways, maybe repetitively, talk therapy is the most beneficial and will bring answers. It can move you past that confusion, anger or turmoil. In short, it will help you to grow.

A good talk therapy counsellor will guide you through the therapy session, explore options, ask questions and perhaps even gently challenge you. What do you do? You simply attend the session and pour out what is on your mind, in your heart and what you’re struggling with. You lead the context and content, its always you in control. This is therapeutic in itself, as the therapists most important role is to simply listen. Its nice not to be interrupted for an hour by opinions, judgements, others’ experiences or suggestions. You will end up getting to the heart of your issue or struggle in the first session with a good therapist.

The second session will generally be about more exploration but it’ll also start to focus on some strategies or tools if desired. If you only attend one session (which a third of my clients do) this is fine but it is generally just for that download, you should not expect any growth but more a feeling of relief or lightness. Anybody serious about growth or change will attend further sessions.

All of my clients have expressed relief and gratitude post talk-session. They definitely feel better when they leave, and this is testament as much to me the therapist :) as the process itself. It just helps to get those heavies known as stress, grief and anxiety out in the open. It can also be draining but enlightening and I do advise my clients to take it carefully for the rest of the day as they may be a little raw and may need thinking time. Given that, its a good idea to schedule your appointment when you’ve got a few hours to yourself.

So if you’re in turmoil and struggling, perhaps you need a good talk therapy session not necessarily a psychologist.