Let me put your mind at ease with some answers to frequently asked questions

Why should I see a counsellor?

Speaking with a counsellor allows you to talk through your personal concerns, develop coping strategies and increase self-awareness. You are the master in your life however if you're feeling stressed, having relationship problems or just need someone to talk to, I can help you to develop methods and strategies to help cope and move forward.

Seeing a counsellor can compliment other mental health or medical services as they approach you as a whole person and take you as you present to them. Counsellors don’t make a diagnosis of any mental health conditions but assist to to develop strategies to cope with what is going on for you.

Nicole is a counsellor that is deeply empathetic, interested in your story and wanting to help you live your life true to yourself. Nicole has had many unique life experiences that translate to a broad appreciation for your circumstances, whatever they may be.

What is the difference between a counsellor and a psychologist?

Psychologists are mental health professionals that can be accessed through Government health support, counsellors are rarely included in this. Therefore, you will often need to pay the full amount for a counsellor.

Psychologists can offer you a mental health diagnosis where counsellors should not. Often a psychologist can work with clients who have more complex mental health needs.

Counsellors use psychological theory and methods that are used by psychologists. From my perspective as a counsellor I will view you as a person first, that is having a set of challenges and not as a diagnosis that needs fixing.

Psychologists in Australia are regulated through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), whereas Counselling is not regulated in law. However, there are professional bodies that ensure a high standard of training, supervision and ongoing professional development occurs for Counsellors as well as ethical standards being met. This is why I encourage you to ensure your choice of Counsellor is a member of either the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (as I am) or the Australian Counselling Association.

How many sessions should I attend?

The number of sessions will depend on the support you need and the goals set in your early sessions. You may like as few as five sessions or as many as you feel is necessary to achieve your outcomes. The number of sessions will be determined between us.

Can I claim any part of the session cost through Medicare or Private Health Insurance?

Unfortunately, Medicare or private health insurance rebates are not available for counselling at this time.

What happens if I need to cancel?

24 hours notice is required for cancelled sessions, this can be achieved through the client portal (how you signed in to make the appointment).

Less than 24 hours notice will not be refunded. Exceptional circumstances may be considered.

What if I don’t feel like the sessions are working?

Please raise your concerns with Nicole and they will be addressed as quickly as possible. The relationship between a counsellor and client is paramount to good outcomes in counselling, so please do address any concerns you may have.

Why is payment taken before the service is delivered?

As this is an online service, payment prior to the session make the experience simple and straightforward. Prior payment allows us to utilise all of the time available during the appointment without disruption.

What happens in the first session?

The first session tends to focus on building a relationship with a counsellor and to discuss why you feel counselling will help you at this point. The first session may be very emotional, tiring, confronting or none of the three depending on your circumstances. I will aim to help you feel at ease to share your story.

What timezone is my booking?

When we move into daylight savings the Australian states timezones become a little more complex. Your bookings from the Client Portal will be in your timezone. Any reminders (email/SMS) will contain the Brisbane timezone, for the Eastern States that will be an hour earlier than the booking you made. So please take note when the reminders come to you.

Do I need to prepare for the session?

It is important that you are ready for the session, in a place that is safe, private and quiet space to participate in the session. The bigger screen you have the better you will be able to see my face, or the often used whiteboard in Zoom, so do your best to have reasonable screen to help you get the most from the session.

Please ensure any other devices (such as a phone) are turned to off or switched to flight mode to ensure your conversation remains private.

I would encourage you to bring a pen and paper in case there are some notes you may like to take during the session. 

Ensure your technology can work and please, don’t stress if something goes wrong. It can happen and we can adapt as we need to.

Be sure to be dressed appropriately ready for your appointment and please, don’t have an alcoholic drink for the session.

Do I need to do anything outside of the session?

Counselling is most effective when you take what happens in session and reflect on it, practice techniques and notice your thoughts, feelings and emotions. If something in your life is causing you a challenge, any change from that can only occur with a bit of work outside of session.

Sometimes there will be specific ‘tasks’ asked of you between sessions, but these are considered appropriate to benefit you personally and no other reason.

Why is there so much to fill out before I even attend a session?

There are two reasons for the assessments I ask you to complete for me. The first reason is to ensure I conduct some due diligence in terms of your suitability for counselling with me online. Some situations are outside of my scope of practice and in certain cases you may be in a situation that is best served by someone else. The second reason is that these assessments take time and I didn’t want them to detract from the session, I feel our time is better spent talking about what you want, rather than conducting assessments.

The contract and terms are all about setting boundaries for the online counselling space. It is a little different to face to face, so there are extra details in there that you wouldn’t find in a bricks and mortar counselling office. It ensures you get the best out of your time within the session.

Does online therapy/counselling work?

Studies have been conducted around the efficacy of online counselling and have found that it can be as effective as face to face appointments in some cases more effective (depending on the client’s circumstances).

Since I have been working online, there are not been any occasion where I found online therapy to be restrictive or limiting in my capacity to provide counselling.

Why online counselling?

Online counselling provides an opportunity for you to seek support without the impost of attending appointments during the day or leaving your home in the evening. It provides flexibility, convenience and privacy.

Will my information be private?

I take your privacy to be of the highest priority and have chosen my systems according to their attention to security.

Our sessions will be conducted either with Zoom or PowerDiary video call. Both offer end-to-end encryption to ensure your privacy. I will not be conducting sessions with Skype or Facetime as they do not meet international privacy standards.