Arranging to see a psychologist is really easy. There is no need for a doctors’ referral unless you are claiming through Medicare and this will need to be discussed with your GP or pediatrician first. On calling our assessment and counseling services office, the receptionist will take a few details and book you in for your appointment. This first appointment will take 90 minutes. The reason we allow 90 minutes is because it takes time to explain fully why you want to see a our expert Psychologist and what you want to gain from bringing your child to our service. Part of the process is that a full developmental history will be taken. it is recommended to bring your child’s blue book, school reports and any other information that will help build a picture of your child and their needs. At the conclusion of this first appointment, the psychologist will present to you a proposed plan on how best to address the difficulties. This will include a timeline of how long it should take and what is to be expected along the way. Parents often do not bring their child to this first consultation.
The decision whether you bring your child to the first consultation is your choice, however, it is important to take into consideration other factors;
- 90 minutes is a long time for any child/adolescent
- You may need to reveal family history/ other information that your child does not need to know
- You need to speak freely and frankly to the psychologist about the difficulties with your child, however, we do not want to set it up so you say bad things about your child in front of your child.
- Children don’t like sitting outside a room knowing you are talking about them