I charge just below medical aid rates. Click rates to find out current rates.

Can I claim from medical aid?

• Claiming from medical aid will depend on your particular plan options, benefits and savings. It is best to contact your medical aid and enquire with them about what psychological benefits you are covered for and where you are covered from (e.g. PMB/savings/benefits)

Do you claim directly from medical aid?

• Yes. I claim directly from most medical aids. However, I cannot guarantee they will cover the claim and if they do not you will be responsible for the account.

Each session is between 50-60 minutes.

Most clients attend sessions once per week. In some unique cases this may differ, such as clients who travel frequently or have particular needs. We will discuss the frequency of your sessions in our first two intake sessions and plan around your specific needs and circumstances. It is useful to have frequent sessions to keep momentum in the therapeutic process. However, we can be creative about ways to maintain momentum if you are not able to come as frequently. This may involve a lot more effort from you between sessions.

I wish I had a succinct answer to this question but I do not. We are all unique individuals with unique circumstances and needs and for this reason the process is highly variable. The length of the therapeutic process will depend on practical needs (such as time or budget); your unique working pace and style and the specific issue/issues which you bring to therapy.

Over the years I have found it most useful to be open to the process and have clear goals in mind and not be overly constrained by time. However, if practical circumstances dictate time constraints then it is important to tell me at the start so that we can plan together.

It depends.

There are multiple research studies supporting the efficacy of therapy. It has shown to improve depression, ease the experience of anxiety and increase people’s coping skills. However, in these studies not every single participant improves. It is important to me that we are being effective, and that you are receiving value from therapy. For this reason we will set clear goals and we will revisit those goals throughout the process.

The best person to answer the question does therapy work? Is you. It can work, it has worked for thousands of people, but you are not thousands of people, you are you and it is up to you to judge whether this is useful or not. I encourage all my clients to check in with me regularly and let me know if they feel therapy is not working so we can adjust or even refer when necessary.

There are a number of youtube videos by therapist Kati Morton which may be useful if you are wondering more about therapy and how it works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVlPrEK3OQo

Therapy is a collaborative process, which means you and me work together to find new ways of being. This involves some talk therapy and experiential work in which you and I find new ways of seeing things, responding to things and experiencing things. If you want to know more please click here to see What is therapy?

Yes, one of the requirements of the Health Professions Counsel of South Africa, as well as the psychological profession as a whole is that the therapeutic space is a confidential one.

But there are some limits to this such as; protecting the client or others from harm. It is of course, my duty to protect people and so examples such as abuse, suicide, or danger to others have to be reported.

When you sign consent to begin a therapeutic process I will discuss confidentiality and the limits to confidentiality with you.

 What about if I send my child to therapy?

The rules that apply to an adult also apply to a child in therapy. That means that the therapeutic space is confidential for the child. There are exclusions to this so that the child is protected from harm or from harming others. That means that if your child is in danger I will let you know. However, if they are not in immediate physical danger I will keep the content of our sessions confidential (between child and therapist).

This may be uncomfortable for parents as they often care very much about what is bothering their child. If this is one of your concerns you are welcome to discuss it with me. 

Someone else is paying for my sessions – does that mean they find out what we discussed?

No. Sessions are confidential no matter who is paying. If someone else is paying for your therapy we will sign a contract called a 3^rd party agreement. This will be signed by you (the client), me (the therapist) and them (the payer) and it will outline our roles and confidentiality.

There are things that will not be confidential such as whether you attend sessions or not. If you do not attend I will not bill the person paying. If you cancel with less than 24 hours notice they will be charged a cancellation fee and so they will always know if you are attending therapy or not.

I like to see the child as part of a larger family and community. That means that as the child affects the lives of their parents and the family as a whole, so to do the parents, siblings, and community affect the child. For this reason I often spend time talking to the parents of the child and I like best to work with the family as a whole. Once you are engaged in a therapeutic process with me I will explain the details (how, when, what, why) with you and address any questions you may have.

It is also often the case that parents need their own support. Having children comes with challenges we don’t expect, can’t expect and are not prepared for. I may refer parents to their own space where they can get guidance and support.

A Psychologist is someone who is trained in talk-therapy. In South Africa this means we hold a Masters degree or Phd and are registered with the Health Professions Counsel of South Africa.

A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has additional psychological training. Psychiatrists work primarily with pharmacological interventions which means they prescribe medication.

There are many people who see both a psychiatrist and a psychologist and there is some evidence that this is the most effective form of treatment.

No.

No you do not need a referral. You do not even have to tell anyone that you are seeing a psychologist. However, people often come because they have been referred by a GP, friend, family member etc. Often clients have a positive experience with a psychologist and recommend that their friends see one too.

It is also important to check the requirements of your medical aid. There may be a requirement that you GP needs to refer you in order for you to be adequately covered. 

This is an important question to ask as it is important for you to feel safe and secure with your psychologist. You will be going on a journey of self-discovery together. It is perfectly acceptable for you to make an appointment with a psychologist and decide they are not the person for you.

From my perspective it is important that my clients feel that they can connect to me, that the environment is one of mutual trust. You should feel understood but also challenged. 

You can use the links below to put in a person’s name, practice number or registration number to verify whether they are registered.

 http://isystems.hpcsa.co.za/iregister/

There are a number of organisations that offer reduced rates and or pro bono counselling. I have put some links below:

http://lifelinesa.co.za/

http://www.sadag.org/

http://famsa.org.za/

http://www.jpccc.org.za/