Visit the Medicare website to see the new safety net thresholds for 2012.
The Therapeutic Relationship
November 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
In another blog on ‘experiences of therapy’ I have said that contemporary psychotherapy is based on relationship theory and trauma theory.
The therapeutic relationship which has also been called an ‘intimate relationship’ (Russell Meares, 2000) is one in which we are free to be ourselves and from this position we are also free to explore who we are – in terms of our motivations, our intentions, our feelings, our values and beliefs.
We can start to discern and to understand our patterns of experience and behaviour. We start to feel freer in ourselves to experience and to get on with our lives.
For people who have grown up with ‘intimate relationships’ and who have been mostly able to ‘be themselves’ in life – trust in relationships will be pretty much taken for granted. We trust ourselves and know how to assess who we can ‘rely on’ and ‘for what’. We can make use of ‘good enough’ relationships to get what we need to maintain a strong sense of self. And we are able to give others close to us, what ‘they need’. For these people a therapeutic relationship may be quickly established.
However, many people, who come to therapy with longstanding mental health issues, have not grown up in an environment of relationships that provide reliability and emotional sustenance. For these people and their therapists, the major initial and ongoing task in therapy is the formation between patient and therapist of a ‘therapeutic relationship’ – one in which more and more the patient is free to be themselves and to explore their experience of day to day life, their ‘inner life’ – particularly we are referring to our everyday experience of ourselves in relationship with others.
What is your experience of counselling or psychotherapy?
November 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
There are many ways of thinking about how and why counselling or psychotherapy works. This blog invites a discussion in order to help those of you who are curious about therapy but don’t know how, or if, it could help you.
We can discuss the general theory of how counselling might help and we can also look at those moments in therapy that allowed us to see everything differently or allowed us finally to make an important decision.
To start off in a theoretical way – contemporary psychotherapy is based on relationship theory on the one hand and trauma theory on the other hand.
An ‘intimate relationship’ as opposed to a ‘relationship of alienation’ (Meares,R 2000, 2005) is one which facilitates change and growth. In such a relationship, we feel accepted, not judged and are more willing to be ‘ourselves’. From within such a relationship, a therapeutic relationship, we can explore our perspectives, values, beliefs, emotional states, motivations and intentions-make decisions, take action and move forward…
We can process our experience in this safe setting of ‘intimacy’. Eventually we may be able to process traumatic experiences as well.
The process of forming a safe relationship in therapy – one in which the work of therapy can be done-is easy for some people. But for those who have been traumatised forming a safe relationship takes time and is the major task of therapy. This process is unique for each person …..
So this is a start to our discussion – I look forward to your ideas, insights and for those who have done therapy – your experiences – particularly those personal or relationship moments that made the differences in your life.
References: Intimacy and Alienation – memory, trauma and personal being. Meares, Russell 2000. Routledge.
New Entrance to WillungaTherapy
October 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment
WillungaTherapy Entrance
The entrance to WillungaTherapy (3/31 Sophia Grove) is now the back entrance – access is from Hakea St.
Hakea St is accessed from Sophia Grove – our carpark is the last gate on the right hand side before the creek. It is not marked – it is simply the back entrance to 31 Sophia Grove.
Michael Warner leaves WillungaTherapy to open Frankston Practice
November 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Michael Warner has decided to leave WillungaTherapy after 10 years to establish his own practice in Frankston. I would like to thank him for his contribution to WillungaTherapy over the years and wish him and his wife Kate well in their new practice.
He can be contacted at Mirool Counselling Centre Tel: 9783 3222
GP mental health treatment plans 2011
April 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment
GPs can refer patients to see Dr Dawborn under a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan. Dr Dawborn can see people with severe mental health issues- initially under a mental health plan for 10 sessions. Counselling, Psychotherapy including other treatment can then then continue using item Number 44. This allows people with more severe conditions to undergo longer term therapy. Because of the Medicare Safety Net Threshold longer term therapy is now quite affordable.
Dr Dawborn’s practice caters for patients who are seeking psychotherapy as their main treatment modality. He prescribes anti-anxiety, antidepressant and antipsychotic medication for some of his psychotherapy patients.