FAQs.

How can therapy help?

Sometimes it is helpful to talk to someone beyond family members, friends or Google. A therapist can provide a space and a relationship that facilitates your safe offloading and exploration. Neutral and non-judgmental support is provided within therapy, whilst offering evidence-based strategies and tools that are applicable to your individual needs. Research has shown that seeking professional counselling facilitates positive changes in the brain - this process changes unhelpful patterns of behaviour towards more helpful patterns ways of being. The fact that you are interested in engaging in therapy in the first place is an important first step and start to broadening your openness for a range of further possibilities, growth, change or wholeness. A therapeutic encounter can also help to provide you with clarity, and a sense of feeling heard, held, and understood.

How many sessions will I need?

The number and frequency of sessions you need, or choose, will depend entirely on your individual circumstances. Therapy is most effective when it is regular and consistent. Typically, sessions occur weekly or fortnightly, especially at the beginning. Some people might choose to decrease in frequency as they near the end of their therapeutic journey down to monthly and then ad-hoc. Those interested in deeper introspection or working through various complexities or traumas may be interested in, and often benefit from, longer term therapy. Together we will assess your needs and situation, and decide on what will work best for you. We have found that the people who get the most successful therapeutic outcomes are those who attend either weekly or fortnightly. For some people a body of work on specific issues can range from 10-18 sessions. For others who have multiple issues, complexities or interwoven concerns, a therapy commitment can range from 26-52 sessions.

How a trauma-embedded approach looks for us in practice? Your appointments.

Our approach is that we do a set timeslot on a regular frequency (weekly, two-weekly or four-weekly recurrence) for consistency and reliability. This is how we enact the principles of being trauma-informed, as best we can. We know reality exists and that both you and practitioners get sick, take leave, need adjustments etc. But if we start out with a set, consistent series of scheduled appointments, we’ve found that it is less mental load for all involved and it indicates value to your time together. We have found proven success with this over time.

What happens in the first session?

It is normal to feel nervous, worried, unsure, hopeful, or even eager about your first appointment. Your therapist will invite you into the therapy room when the time is right, and engage with you in a relaxed, conversational way, to explore what has brought you to therapy, and ask about your concerns. Contrary to stigmatised and media-drenched portrayals of counselling, you will not be pathologised, judged, given advice, or hypnotised in your first session! This appointment is for you to have an opportunity to tell your story, and to have someone be present with you to hear and hold space for your thoughts, feelings and experiences. There is nothing that should make you feel forced or hurried into talking about anything you are not comfortable with in your first session, or any of your sessions for that matter. Don’t worry, if there is a lot to share, it is common that we might take the first 1-3 sessions to get to know each other at a pace that is appropriate, safe and steady.

The first appointment is about getting to know each other and for us to learn more about your world. It is also an opportunity for you to familiarise yourself with the environment, us and the counselling process, and decide whether it might be a good fit for you. It is important that you feel your therapists’ approach to therapy is suited to your individual needs; therapy is most effective if you feel there is an alignment in values and if you feel a sense of safety in the therapy space and with the person you are working with. During your first session, you may wish to ask questions relating to what to expect, and how we can best support you.

If at any stage during your counselling process, you do not feel a good match with your therapist, we welcome your feedback, and can discuss referring you to a different therapist or a range of other options.

When you “arrive” to your first Telehealth session, there are a number of things you can do to assist this in your own space. Please see this e-therapy guideline to assist you.

A standard session is 50 minutes for both face to face and Telehealth.

What happens on arrival?

There is unmetered 1 and 2 hour+ parking around the area on the streets. When you arrive, you will enter the black door on the side of the building - it is unsigned. There is no receptionist as this is a multi-purpose building. Come on upstairs to the waiting chairs and your therapist will come to get you when the time is right. Once you know where to go, you are welcome to come up and wait at the front of the therapy room directly each time. We encourage you to please be no earlier than 10 minutes for your appointment to respect both yours and the previous person’s privacy.

Do you offer online appointments?

Yes, we offer Telehealth counselling as well as face to face counselling. We use a secure video portal on the client database system or phone for telehealth services. We use a thorough support guideline to help both client and therapist use this modality and technology to optimise your therapeutic sessions. It is normal for telehealth sessions to feel different at first compared to meeting face to face, which is okay. Telehealth has been shown to be equally as effective as face to face therapy for psychological treatment.

e-Therapy can be particularly helpful for folks who live outside of urban areas, have busy lives or young families, have general transport or access issues, work long hours or shift work, travel regularly, have not found appropriate specialist therapists in their local area, are in lockdown, or are unable to physically come to our therapy room for a variety of reasons.

e-Therapy is not appropriate for people who need a high level of care, particularly those who have acute mental health issues and/or are significantly medically compromised or have major co-morbidities. If you are unsure whether telehealth therapy is appropriate for you, please read through the above support guideline or contact me to discuss your needs.

If you use a mental health care plan or other rebate option through the Medicare system, Telehealth services also receive a rebate. For the most up to date information on the Medicare Telehealth changes, please remain informed through the Australian Government channels.

How does working remotely work?

From time to time each year, our therapists switch to temporary telehealth for sessions during working remote periods for various reasons. This can be anything from one week to a few months. We flag this as a norm at the beginning and your therapist will liaise with you about this over time.  During this time, your sessions continue as usual, just via a different modality. Depending on location, there may be a discussion around any timezone differences that may need to be considered.

This is different to therapists taking leave. When a therapist is on leave, your sessions will cease or be rescheduled with you during that time and resume afterwards. Ideally, we aim to advise you of this well in advance so that any preparation can be made accordingly and you can adjust to the changes in your own pace with the support of your therapist. Working with some of our therapists involves the ability to switch to telehealth for a couple of periods throughout the year with a slight shuffle of times due to timezones. This may not be suitable for everyone, so it’s best to self assess and then co-assess with your therapist to see if you have capacity/willingness/adaptability to accommodate for this also. 

Do you offer home visits or outreach services?

No, we do not have the capacity to do home visits or outreach. We believe by offering you a space that is private, neutral and inviting, this enhances your therapeutic depth and can help separate therapy from getting caught up in the daily demands and distractions if we were to meet elsewhere.

However, we do offer walk-and-talks nearby to our office space where we can take our therapy to the great outdoors. This could look like a walk around the neighbourhood, to a green space or other. This would be discussed on a case by case basis with your therapist.

Do you see children?

No, we do not see children. We predominantly see adults aged 18 and over. While we have worked with children and adolescents in previous workplaces and roles, working with children in a therapeutic relationship requires ongoing tailored skills and training. Ethically, we would refer you to a relevant children therapist instead. On some occasions, we may discuss where it might be relevant to make an exception on a case by case basis, and this is only predominantly when it involves domestic abuse or gender related matters for late adolescents.

However, this is a practitioner specific question. Some of our therapists may work with young people under 18 at their discretion. Please inquire and this can be assessed at the time.

Do you see couples? Is couples therapy advised for my situation?

No, we do not currently have the capacity to see couples. While we have worked with dyads (pairs of people) previously, we not a couples therapists and have not undertaken specific couples counselling training. Ethically, we would refer you to a suitable couples therapist instead or encourage you to browse through The Gottman Institute for resources or local therapists.

“Should we try couples counselling if there is domestic and family abuse present?” Or “We’ve been advised to get couples counselling. Can you help us?” These questions often get asked in relation to couples experiencing domestic and family abuse. It is an out of date misconception that couples therapy is suitable for couples in abusive situations. Aligned with best practice for domestic and family abuse as well as Feminist frameworks, couple or relationship therapy is not advised for those experiencing domestic and family abuse. This is because there is often a power imbalance dynamic, for some this includes coercive controlling behaviours, threats and intimidation. A shared counselling space does not provide the safety that the victim/survivor needs and can be used or manipulated into a form of abuse in itself. It is particularly dangerous as womxn may face repercussion for speaking out within the session. Couples counselling also assumes that domestic violence is a relationship problem, rather than it actually being about one person using power and control over the other person, and embedded in unhealthy attitudes and beliefs about traditional gendered norms.

For any type of counselling to be successful, both parties need to authentically consent of their free will, be open and honest about what is happening, and cannot have fear of repercussions. For these reasons, we do not recommend couples counselling for couples experiencing domestic violence. Research and other specialist domestic and family violence services share my position on this. If you have been experiencing abuse in your relationship, please contact me for confidential, individual advice or support, or see the resources page.

What if we both got individual therapy? Could you see us separately?

This is case by case dependent and we would need to discuss the details of your unique situation together first. It can be helpful for both partners to receive separate, individual counselling support, however this is not necessarily with the same therapist and depends on the presenting concerns. Depending on the situation, this is sometimes done in conjunction with being linked to a specialised case management service or group program for more wrap around support. Please contact me for confidential advice on this.

We usually see the womxn (victim/survivor) as this is our area of specialty, skillset and training. We have occasionally worked with some mxn or partners who use violence and abusive behaviours, however spaces for this are very limited and this is on a case by case basis. This requires an assessment session with me first to determine eligibility, as well as significant consideration and movement of the schedule to ensure safety for all at my space at all times. Ethically, it is more likely that I would refer the person using abusive behaviours or violence to a mens specialist service, another private practitioner or group program with specific training in this area (including high level skills in violence-user collusion, recruitment, impression management and coercive control, and using/familiar with Steven Stosny’s Compassion/Power Model, Alan Jenkins’ Invitation to Responsibility and the Duluth Model).

Is my information private and confidential?

Yes, from the minute we connect (including inquiries) your story and details are kept strictly confidential in every way. We use a safe database, encryption tools and de-identified cases notes as required. We would openly discuss your specific needs in this area. It is common that we see people who have multiple court matters going on and we would talk in detail about this when we meet, if relevant, to ensure your information is accurate and safe. Please see my thorough consent and confidentiality guideline on this. You are provided with this document at the time of booking and you are asked to electronically indicate that you have read and understood this at completion of the online intake form stage.

A word on our language and discourse…

You’ll notice on our website that we use the language of counselling, therapy, therapist, client and variations thereof. This is for a few reasons: most of these are universally understood (including across multicultural or subcultural groups), they are quick and easy (compared to Mental Health Social Worker - which can also still be misunderstood), and we’ve found they are fairly neutral. We acknowledge these terms are still linked to some assumptions, implications (implicitly and explicitly), and even expectations around power and hierarchy. However as a Feminist practice, we’re very conscious of how power is present, absent and plays our in our relationships. We work hard to reduce the explicit signs of power in our room and our relationship wherever possible. There are times when certain language is required, like when sending letters or reports to GPs' or other professionals. However when it’s just us in session, it would be rare to hear us use stereotypical, jargon or clinical language, as we don’t find this helpful or necessary, nor does it fit with our ethos of empowerment and equality.

We steer clear of traditionally pathologising and medicalised terms like patient, clinical, practitioner, and diagnoses labels.

Do you offer bulk-billing/ sliding scale / accessibility?

Yes, however there are limited places. These are currently full however things can change periodically so please feel free to ask. As part of our bulk-billing client agreement, regular, committed attendance is required and expected. This is not only for your optimum therapeutic outcomes but due to the demand in this area; it is unreasonable to expect cancellations and no-shows would not incur a response. Thus, if this occurs, in lieu of a cancellation fee, your therapy appointments will be given to the next person on the waitlist and we would welcome you back when you are more ready to commit to regular attendance. You can find out more about rates and payment processes here.

Medicare or Private Health Insurers do offer a reasonable rebate. Please talk to your GP to ask for a mental health care plan to assist with a Medicare rebate if you would like to see a psychologist or mental health social worker. Please contact your private health insurance provider to see if your cover has mental health support for counsellors, psychologist, psychotherapists or mental health social workers.

Accessibility measures, Neurodivergency and Environmental Footprint

As this is a practice that values sustainability, all communications will be done online and electronically wherever possible. This means we use online forms that are usually emailed to you. As part of engaging with us, we require you to have a minimum level of administrative or organisational skills and access to technology or relevant equipment, or have easy access to somebody in your life who can support you with this.

To remain inclusive, however, if for some reason this isn't possible for you, please discuss with us and we can make alternate arrangements. We encourage you to take ownership over expressing your needs and would love the opportunity to hear what they are and co-create support or adjustments as relevant.

Sometimes we liaise with you out of session for invoices, session key points or actions, tasks, resources, etc. We are interested in doing this in ways that are most conducive to your processing needs. For example, some folks are more visual or auditory focussed. Others prefer reading and so emails with text is fine. For others we may adopt the use of a quick voice memo instead of texts. Please feel free to advise your therapist if you notice you’d prefer to try a particular medium for correspondence and we would be excited to make this work with you.

Non-Clinically Normalising and Integrating Therapy

When you come to meet with us in our therapy room, you’ll notice its location is ‘not a stereotypical clinic’ building or setting. It is not swept with incense, there is no reception, we do not have hushed hallways or ‘feel good’ posters on walls. This is intentional. And this is because we are committed to normalising accessing therapeutic support in life (because we all need it) and integrating it into our usual lives. The integration also means that you will hear plenty of background noises from other parts of the multi-purpose building. It is normal to hear some light traffic, creaks of staircases, doors opening and closing, etc. This is real life. Therapy does not exist in a bubble. Integrating therapy into other real life experiences, parallels the integrating of the different parts of our selves. Whilst this is our ethos, we understand that for those with some sensory preferences on noise, may find some parts of their experience slightly distracting. We ask that you speak to your therapist about this at any time and see if there can be practical and / or therapeutic ways to work through this.

What are the terms and conditions for Group Supervision?

Monthly frequency commitment - standing monthly booking.

Group hourly rate charged regardless of attendance numbers.

Billed to organisation. Invoices emailed on the day of service. Payment required within 7 days - unless otherwise arranged.

For tier 2 or 3 group supervision, 1.5 hours+ is recommended due to the number of people in the group. Sufficient advance notice is required to secure a longer timeslot.

Individual or Group Supervision may also be offered as Wellbeing Consultation for Executive / C-Suite level staff.

Rates based on AASW recommended pricing structure and increase in value the more people are in attendance.

Supervision services are tax deductible for professionals and organisations (whichever is the payee).

Standard 48 hour (2 working days) cancellation policy applies.

Venue: can be at either Supervisor or Organisation. Recommendation and evidence suggests it is beneficial for workers to have an environmental change and leave their place of work for supervision. If at the Organisations’ venue, time allocated for driving and parking of Supervisor to be considered, and may restrict times available, and incurs a $50 travel fee to Hobart CBD.

*For retainer model, an initial consultation meeting to discuss organisational needs, staffing numbers, frequency, supervisor availability, inclusions is required. Billing options: monthly, quarterly or up front.

Our contact hours

Due to operating with a virtual admin support team, you may notice some contact to you outside of normal business hours. We try to keep this to a minimum so as not to disturb you and we never expect a response at those hours back from you either. Life balance is critical. Please note, even though our admin may do this from time to time, our therapists will only be contacting, if they need to, during normal business hours and days. This excludes all weekends.

What is a mental health social worker?

Mental Health Social Workers are trained to understand and unpack the interplay of biological, psychological, social, cultural, spiritual, environmental and systemic factors that may be impacting on your situation. We are able to provide psychological support and interventions similar to psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors and other accredited mental health professionals, and will often be attending the same continued professional development (CPD) training or workshops to maintain our accreditations.

Mental health social workers are often called experts in complexity and are most well known for their biopsychosocial analysis and assessment of your typical ‘clinical’ situation. Perhaps the most significant factor is the difference between offering structural compared to solely psychological explanations for problems (Howe, 2013a):

• Structural explanations - Focus on the political, economic, and material environment in which people find themselves. Poverty, inequality, social injustice, and lack of opportunity are disadvantages that lead to anxiety, stress, and poor social functioning. Society is regarded as the problem for the individual, not the individual for society (Howe, 2013a).

• Psychological explanations - Pay more attention to the client’s emotional condition and their capacity for rational action. Psychological explanations suggest we can solve people’s problems through the “use of rational thought, cognitive understanding and behavioral advice” (Howe, 2013a, p. 402).

The perspective and training of a Mental Health Social Worker influences how the problem is defined, what type of assessment is made, and the interventions we undertake. For further information, find an easy read here.

Different disciplines and rates. What really matters. Discuss.

Many people are confused by the differences between the professions, the services they offer and their training and expertise. All our therapists are committed to ongoing professional development, regular training and maintaining their skillsets.

We uphold the same rate because we deliver the same high quality of service, no matter who your therapist is at Wild Calm, specialists excluded. This intentionally and consciously acknowledges the valuable qualities and contributions of life, lived experiences, alternative professional careers, and years of study and qualifications. This holds and reflects the expectations, conduct, standard of care and offerings, and quality of service provision and the Wild Calm ethos. All of our therapists have been handpicked with care and consciousness. Here, we lean into the niches and variety of offerings the therapist may provide.

Our counsellors can assist with the full range of distress, problems or life and milestone events, such as stress, conflict, relationship difficulties, and work-related issues. A counsellor may also be of benefit in providing strategies and skills for daily living. Counselling is generally considered to be a shorter term treatment designed to manage a specific problem, situation or life change.

Psychotherapists can help individuals to explore problems of a deep-rooted nature that consistently disrupt their lives. Difficulties such as recurring depression, destructive relationship patterns, and the effects of childhood traumatic events may result in feelings of worthlessness, despair, or addictive behaviours. Psychotherapists support change and healing at a deep level. Psychotherapy training is regarded as more in depth and is generally of longer duration than training for counselling. As well as extensive theoretical and experiential training, practitioners are required to undertake their own personal growth and therapeutic work. A wide range of psychotherapeutic modalities are taught in Australia, such as Gestalt therapy, Hakomi Experiential psychotherapy, Psychoanalytic psychotherapy, Family therapy, Transpersonal psychotherapy, Somatic therapy and Psychodrama. While counsellors and psychotherapists are not yet fully regulated by law and anyone may call themselves a counsellor, our therapists can clearly demonstrate their training and experience. In Australia, PACFA (Psychotherapists and Counsellors Federation of Australia) and the Australian Counselling Association are regarded as the peak regulatory bodies for counsellors and psychotherapists. PACFA requires their member associations to meet minimum standards in training and ongoing professional development. You can check them outhere  www.pacfa.org.au or www.theaca.net.au.

It is also true that the most consistent research finding in relation to the effectiveness of therapy is the therapeutic alliance or relationship. It’s the quality of the relationship between the therapist and client continues to be the most effective aspect of therapy, regardless of the type of training or therapeutic model of the therapist. It is therefore important that you find a ‘fit’ with your chosen therapist so that you are confident that you may resolve difficulties and increase your capacity for personal growth and fulfilling relationships. We are quietly confident you’ll find that here at Wild Calm.