FAQ

What’s the difference between a psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist?
Psychiatrists are qualified medical doctors who have undertaken further study in mental illness.  They are trained in assessment and diagnosis of mental disorders and can prescribe drugs.

Clinical psychologists have usually trained for 6-8 years and have a masters or doctorate in psychology with an arts or science background.  They are trained in assessment and provide talking therapy.  Clinical psychologists have learned how peoples’ experiences contribute to their beliefs about themselves and others, and help people to become aware of and change unhelpful patterns in their lives.

What’s the difference between a clinical psychologist and a psychotherapist or counsellor?
Training. Clinical psychologists have done extensive formal training (6-8 years) in psychology and have been trained to use scientific measures in their work.  This means that they are often focussed on outcomes and using the most effective techniques for change available.

Psychotherapists and counsellors have a variety of backgrounds.  It is best to ask anyone you are working with what their training and experience is.

Do I need a referral?
No, we accept self referrals, referrals from GPs, insurance companies, employee assistance programmes (EAP) for EAP counselling, psychiatrists and other professionals.

What are your fees? 
For individuals: The first session lasts up to 90 minutes and is $190.  This includes a full and comprehensive psychological review of current and past issues. The second and subsequent sessions are 50-55 minutes and are $170.

For seminars/courses: For a limited time we are offering seminar places for $30 per person per night, or $120 for our four session "Mindful approach to stress" course starting in March (if you pay in advance for the 4 sessions). You will learn practical research based skills for a fraction of the usual cost. To enrol email us.

For couples: It is our policy to do a comprehensive assessment of the difficulties that have brought you to therapy.  The best way we find to do this is to have three sessions of assessment: the first with both partners together so that we get a clear understanding of the problem from both perspectives (allow 90 minutes for this); and then an individual session with each partner (50-55 minutes), to learn more about that partner’s history of relationships including family of origin patterns. 

In the fourth session, when you come together again, the therapist will outline what patterns she sees and a way forward.   We are able to offer these three assessment sessions as a package for $540 ($180 a session).  Couple therapy has been shown to be effective in the research literature.  A recent article in the journal Family Process (2011) states “positive outcomes are realised in about two thirds of couples, and this overall improvement rate affirms that the average treated couple is better off at termination than about 70-80% of untreated couples (p282.)”

How can you help me?
We work with you to give you the tools you need to resolve or accept your current situation.  This may be individually or as a couple or family.  Often a therapist or a group may help you discover new possibilities that you hadn’t thought of, and thus have more choices and control in your life. 

How many sessions will it take?
It is very difficult to give a specific amount of sessions needed.  However at Change it psychology we are committed to providing short term, goal oriented, effective therapy usually targeted around 8-12 sessions.

How will my investment benefit me in the long term?
Although psychology is a significant investment, once you have increased your knowledge and skill base you can use the tools you learn for the rest of your life.  The versatility of these tools can help you in any situation.

Do you work after hours?
Mary is able to offer selected hours before normal working hours starting at 7.30am. Also Elizabeth and Susan offer Saturday appointments. These are popular so get in quick! Please email us or phone 361-2303 if you'd like to make an appointment.

What happens in therapy?
Psychological therapy is a two way process which centers on moving towards specific goals. 

The first session is about understanding your current difficulties and agreeing on treatment targets with your therapist. For example you may want to overcome feelings of sadness and a lack of enjoyment related to depression. Perhaps you would like to feel in control of your life rather than be consumed by worry. It can be helpful to think about your expectations from therapy and raise any concerns that you have with your therapist. 

Research shows that therapy works best when you attend regularly and give some thought to what you want to discuss during each session.  The type of therapy offered by Change it energizing psychology asks you to practice skills and strategies between sessions.  People who do this generally get more out of therapy.

I can't afford private psychology. What are my other options?
If your GP is a member of a primary health organisation in Auckland they may be able to refer you to a limited number (usually 3-6 sessions) of funded sessions with a therapist from another organisation, not Change it.

http://www.aucklandpho.co.nz;  Go to "practices" to see if your GP belongs

http://www.tamakipho.org.nz Go to "our providers" to see if your GP belongs

http://www.procare.co.nz Go to "find a procare doctor" to see if your GP belongs. You may have to meet certain criteria to be eligible.

If you go to each of the above PHO links, you will be able to see if your doctor belongs to one of these organisations. 

The other option is to ring your doctor's practice and ask if they provide funded sessions.

Our handy contacts page is also worth a look for low cost options.

What if my friend or family member has depression? How can I help?
When someone you care about (e.g., friend or family member) is suffering from depression it can be difficult to know what to do and how to interact with them.  This brief article contains guidelines to help point you in the right direction.

What are your confidentiality rules?
Clinical psychologists are bound by the NZ Psychologists code of ethics (2001).  With regard to confidentiality at Change it psychology, all therapy discussions are confidential with the important exception that if you are at risk from yourself or someone else we may need to break confidentiality.

What about your cancellation policy?
A cancellation fee applies to appointments that are not attended, cancelled or rescheduled for any reason without sufficient notice.

These fees are as follows:
0-24 hours notice : Full hourly rate

This is to allow time to offer the appointment to another client who may be on a cancellation list waiting for an appointment.

Do you offer child/adolescent assessment/therapy?
We are pleased to announce that Dr Jackie Feather can offer appointments to children and adolescents.  

What’s the difference between clinical psychology and positive psychology? 
Traditionally clinical psychology has been about alleviating misery and learning to cope with clinical disorders, for example depression, anxiety, substance abuse etc. In the last few years, there has been an acknowlegement by psychologists and others that happiness is not just the absence of disorder, it is about finding out about what makes us healthy, fulfilled and focussed on well-being. Positive psychology provides a scientific framework for the study of human potential and happiness.

Feel free to email us with other queries.