Frequently Asked Questions
What is Counselling & Psychotherapy »
The following information is provided by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), the peak professional organisation for counsellors and psychotherapists in Australia.
Counselling and Psychotherapy
Counselling and psychotherapy are professional services that support people to develop better understanding of themselves and others, address life difficulties and make the changes they want in their lives.
Counsellors and psychotherapists draw on a wide range of therapy interventions and are highly skilled in working across the spectrum of life difficulties.
Counsellors and the psychotherapists work with current problems, crises, and longer term difficulties. They provide both short and long-term services according to people's needs. Counsellors and psychotherapists work with individuals, couples, families and groups, according to their training.
Professional counsellors and psychotherapists work within clearly contracted, ethical relationships to support people to explore and resolve life difficulties...Counsellors and psychotherapists work with respect for their clients, their values, their beliefs, their uniqueness and their right to self-determination.
Training and Qualifications
Counsellors and psychotherapists have in-depth training over several years. Training is provided by universities and private training institutes. PACFA sets a high level of training standards and accredits counselling and psychotherapy training programs.
Reproduced with permission from PACFA.
What is Play Therapy »
What is Play Therapy
All children have the capacity for growth and healing and Play Therapy is a form of counselling that facilitates life enhancing changes in the world of the child.
Play Therapy respects each child’s individual developmental journey. It allows children to express what’s troubling them and to make sense of their experiences through play, without relying on words or questioning. Play Therapy is respectful of the fact that children are still developing the cognitive skills to express their thoughts and feelings and contributes to their overall well-being and healthy development.
Through natural play, children develop and build capabilities such as the capacity for problem solving, exploring communication styles, rehearsing coping strategies and role playing social interactions. Play Therapy provides a safe environment and a designated time for each child to work through and make sense of experiences that may be holding them back in their developmental journey.
Play Therapy is a culturally responsive form of counselling that is suitable for children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. It is appropriate for children aged 3 to 13 and is an evidence based form of early intervention. Play Therapy is most effective when a safe and trusting relationship is created between the practitioner and child, with parents and carers as essential partners in the therapeutic process.
For further information on Play Therapy please see the following links
http://www.apta.asn.au/
https://www.psychology.org.au/inpsych/2015/june/short/
http://evidencebasedchildtherapy.com/about-us/
What is a Mental Health Care Treatment Plan? »
What is a Mental Health Care Treatment Plan?
You may be eligible for certain Medicare rebateable allied mental health services once you have:
- a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan in place or
- are being managed by a GP under a referred psychiatrist assessment and management plan or
- been referred by a psychiatrist or paediatrician.
Your GP or psychiatrist can refer you for up to six individual or six group allied mental health services, which may comprise either psychological assessment and therapy by a clinical psychologist or focussed psychological strategies provided by appropriately qualified allied health professionals e.g. eligible psychologists and occupational therapists. It is at the clinical discretion of your referring practitioner as to the number of allied mental health services you will be referred for (to a maximum of six in any one referral).