1.  An Introductory Statement (also available on this website) that informs you of the different kinds of therapy we do

2.  An Appointment Confirmation Letter that lets you know the time, date and location of your appointment, as well as other useful information such as where to park and how to claim Medicare rebates

3.  A New Client Form asking for your details so we can start a Client Few file for you before you arrive. It's best to complete this and email it back to us (it will take you about 5 minutes) well in advance of your first session so that all the administrative details are taken care of and you can go straight into your session with the therapist.

   Please make sure to arrive to your first session on time. That is, not late, but not too early either! It's best if you arrive no earlier than 5 minutes before the start of your session because this helps us to protect your confidentiality by reducing your exposure to other clients. When you arrive you may help yourself to refreshments and browse in the library while you wait.

   After a short wait, I will welcome you and invite you into my office. Chances are, my "welcoming committee", Cesar and Zeus, will welcome you first!  You will be offered a choice of where to sit: in a comfortable leather armchair or couch and you can also choose how close or far away you wish to sit from me. This is very important to some people and your preferences will always be respected, so do express your needs to me so that I can attend to them.

   Then I will take you through an intake process for New Clients that lasts about 10 minutes in order to orient you to therapy and let you know what you can expect. You will be informed about your rights as a client, confidentiality and privacy and all other relevant legislation and policies that help keep you safe. All of your questions are welcome.

Session 1: Assessment

   Following that I will ask you to discuss what it is that brought you into therapy and you can share as much or as little as you like. Questions I ask you are designed to help me get to know you and as much about your issues as possible. Don't worry if you're not the talkative type either – even silence can be informative! I am are here to help you no matter what your problems are. At the end of the session I will give you a questionnaire to take away with you. It takes about 30-40 minutes to complete and I ask that you complete it and bring it to your second session.

Session 2: Feedback and Treatment Planning

   At your second session, your questionnaire gets scored (that takes about 7 minutes) and I will give you feedback about the results. These results, combined with the information from your first session will help me to formulate your case. You will be informed if you meet the criteria for, or symptoms of, a Mental Health Disorder (e.g., depression or anxiety) and I will give you a treatment plan for how to tackle your issues as well as a rough estimate of how many sessions you will need to treat them.

Session 3 Onwards: Intervention

   From session 3 onwards is when the intervention proper begins. There is always an educational and instructional component to therapy as well as the opportunity to air your issues within a safe environment. You will be taught methods and strategies to help you deal effectively with your difficulties. Over time you will feel progressively more comfortable and confident within the therapy environment and develop a greater sense of trust in me. This familiarity will allow you to transform ever-deeper layers of your emotional pain.  I welcome any feedback you wish to give me about how I can offer you a better therapy experience so that I may continue my self-improvement as a helping professional.