Choosing a psychologist is a very personal thing. It is perhaps a truism that the best way to find a psychologist is through a personal referral from somebody that you trust. Such sources include your general practitioner or other medical service provider and friends or relatives who may have consulted a psychologist. Alternatively, you may consult the Yellow Pages or an online resource such as the website psychotherapy.co.za which features a list of psychological practitioners.

It is worth bearing in mind that the single most important variable in determining therapeutic outcome is the quality of the relationship between therapist and the client. This emphasises the point that finding the right therapist is a matter of personal choice. This also implies that clients may need to shop around a little before finding a therapist with whom they feel they can establish a trusting and warm relationship. It may be a good idea to make telephonic contact with a psychologist you are considering consulting before making an appointment. Most psychologists will be happy to answer questions about their experience, qualifications and their own assessment of their ability to consult effectively with you.

The first session with a psychologist usually focuses on establishing a relationship. The psychologist will generally ask you what brings you to the appointment and will listen sensitively and with empathy as you describe the circumstances that have made you to seek consultation. The psychologist will clarify points in your story and may also offer reflections on what your current circumstances are like for you. Some psychologists will ask detailed questions about your history, current relationships and family of origin.

Generally clients leave the first session feeling that they have been able to talk about this situation freely and easily. Ideally you should feel that you have been heard and that the psychologist is willing and able to engage with you in a way that, while it may not immediately have resolved the situation, at least provides some sense of relief. It is not uncommon for clients to be anxious on first meeting a psychologist: this is quite normal and to be expected because seeking professional help often feels like a big step to take.

Most medical aids do allocate some funds towards psychological services. Some schemes and plans draw on the savings portion of your plan to pay for psychotherapy while others, typically the higher end plans, have a specific benefit for psychological services. It is a good idea to contact your medical aid before making an appointment to find out exactly to what extent they will fund psychotherapy. If you would like to know if your plan will cover my services quote treatment code 96205 and my practice number PR8626839

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There are differences in education and in the fields of practice in which each is permitted to practice.

In order to practice as a psychologist a person must have a minimum qualification of a coursework based Master’s degree in Psychology, completed a 12 month internship in an accredited clinical setting, completed a year of community service, passed an exam set by the Health Professions Council of South Africa and be registered with the Health Professions Council.

In order to practice as a Registered Counsellor, a person must have completed a 4 year honours level degree programme in psychology, a 6 month internship and have passed an exam at the Health Profession’s Council.

There is no minimum qualification or registration required for a person to use the term counsellor.

The Health Professions Council distinguishes between Registered Counsellors and psychologists principally in terms of the complexity of situations and interventions that each may employ.

A psychologist is ethically bound not to disclose any information about your sessions to any third party. Competent psychologists do not discuss their work with any other person and may not do so without your explicit consent. There are however some circumstances where a psychologist is obliged to break this rule of confidentiality. The first is in a court of law if ordered to do so by the presiding judge or magistrate. The second is if there is sufficient clinical evidence for the psychologist to believe that you are a danger to yourself or to others. Before breaking confidentiality in either of these circumstances, an ethical psychologist will first consult you about the situation.

When minors are involved, the legal confidentiality allegiance is to the parent or guardian of the minor. This can be a sensitive issue when working with young people and needs to be sensitively handled. An ethical practitioner will always hold in mind the sensitive, personal and privileged nature of therapy conversations and will always be guided by the principle of doing no harm.

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has undergone specialisation in psychiatry which is the study of mental illness and it’s treatment principally by pharmacological methods. So a psychiatrist has expertise in prescribing and managing through medication. In addition, some psychiatrists offer psychotherapy.

A psychologist is not a medical doctor and usually has a background in the humanities before specialising in psychology. A psychologist’s area of expertise is in psychotherapy and in addressing mental and emotional distress through conversation, insight and empathic discussion.

In cases where the severity of distress warrants it, a psychologist and a psychiatrist work together and their services complement each other.