Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
1. Would you benefit from coming to see me?
In my therapy practice I work with adults from 18 to over 80 with varied issues – issues about life, relationships, work, trauma, grief and loss, depression, substance abuse, regulating emotions, etc. Some people require a short, intensive course of therapy, while for others longer term therapy is the most appropriate and beneficial. There are many feelings which make people think of therapy. Sometimes other doctors will suggest it might help and you may have seen other people for the difficulties you have been experiencing. Sometimes physical health problems, which are exacerbated by anxiety or depression, may be a reason for your being referred. You might feel sad or lonely, suffer from low self esteem, not be in good enough control of yourself, or be at the mercy of your feelings about a failed or failing relationship. You might have difficulty forming or sustaining a relationship or you may just have a sense you are not living as fully and vitally as you could be. I have found that many issues and problems stem from troubled relationships. So often, troubling relational patterns from earlier life have become unconscious and get played out automatically in current situations. Since the patterns are played out beyond your awareness you have little control and can become dismayed over the resultant troubles in your life. Whatever your situation is you have probably tried to correct it many times, with varying degrees of success, adding to your sense of futility or self blame. When feelings or thoughts cannot be understood and used productively as signals, they can lead you to poor choices and occasionally destructive actions. Sometimes inaction, which is ultimately destructive, can result from people feeling overwhelmed. In these circumstances seeking therapy makes sense.
2. What is individual therapy like?
It starts with a question, “what brings you here?” And if you aren’t sure, we can start with that. I will try to help you talk about whatever is on your mind. The very act of talking openly is usually a good beginning and that, in and of itself, can be a relief and help you to make sense of your thoughts and feelings. The focus of our session will be your thoughts and feelings and what has happened to bring you to this point. This will include your current situation, as well as your history. Over time, as you talk, I will ask questions and offer my point of view. Together we will find a way of making sense of your situation and see what can be changed. Talking like this helps change the way you relate to yourself and your life. Possibilities and a greater aliveness can now begin to emerge.
3. Can talking about my pain make me feel worse?
That might happen, initially, but not always. Uncovering deeply painful, or shameful, feelings can be uncomfortable. Over time, as we understand more, those same feelings transform into sources of vitality because now you won’t have to avoid them. As the past is woven more firmly and self-acceptingly into your sense of self, anxiety lessens and curiosity and engagement with the world becomes more possible. Uncovering and acceptance of previously buried feelings creates a stronger sense of self and a greater feeling of aliveness.
4. How does change happen in therapy?
As you feel safer talking to me, trust develops. No course of therapy is the same since it is not done according to an instruction manual. As familiarity and trust grow the ability to expand what you can talk about will usually grow too. This will include not just the facts of what has happened to you, but also feelings about what happened. Many of these feelings may have been minimised, rationalised, denied or forgotten. Together we seek to develop your capacity to reflect on these and to handle feelings that come up, without avoiding them or becoming emotionally overwhelmed. Several important psychological capacities can be developed this way: your ability for self-reflection, your capacity to manage your emotions and to trust the validity of your own point of view. Additionally, your own narrative begins to emerge and hang together, a story of understanding which is possibly different in some key ways from the one which you grew up believing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Referrals
Whenever you consult a psychiatrist with a referral from another medical practitioner you are entitled to receive a Medicare rebate.
Without a referral from your GP or medical practitioner, you will be responsible for paying the full fee for each consultation.
GP referrals are valid for 12 months, while referrals from specialists are valid for 3 months.
Referral letters are to be made out specifically to ‘Dr Maree Chanter'.
Fees & Payments
The Quay Quarter Practice is a private practice and we do not bulk bill.
Payment is to be made in full on the day of consultation. We accept credit card (Visa/Mastercard) or EFTPOS payments.
Appointments unattended, or those cancelled with less than 2 business days notice, will incur a fee.
We can also facilitate your Medicare rebate:
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If you have linked your Medicare account with your bank account we can lodge the claim online with Medicare on the day of the consultation using our terminal.
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Otherwise, we can issue you with a receipt, which you can submit to Medicare yourself for a refund.
Medicare
The Medicare rebate in 2022 is $237.45 for an initial psychiatric consultation and $167.55 for a standard consultation.
There is also a program called the Medicare Safety Net. Individuals and families registered for the Medicare Safety Net will be refunded 80% of out-of-pocket expenses in a calendar year once they have reached the Safety Net threshold. The threshold for 2022 is $2,249.80. For concession card holders the Extended Medicare Safety Net is $717.90.
In practical terms, once you have seen a psychiatrist for approximately 12 sessions in a calendar year, most of the cost of a session will be refunded from Medicare.
For further information about the Medicare Safety Net click here.
Emergency
Quay Quarter is not an emergency service. If you need help urgently, please consider the following options:
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Emergency Services - call 000
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Mental Health Line - call 1800 011 511
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Attend the Accident and Emergency Department of your local hospital
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Lifeline - 13 11 14
Telehealth
I am always delighted to see you in whatever form works the best for you on any particular day. That could be face-to-face, by phone or video meeting (Zoom).
Please let me know before your appointment if you prefer a face-to-face consultation, a phone call or a Zoom meeting.
All Telehealth consults must be via video/Zoom if:
- you are a new patient and this is your first time seeing me; or
- your appointment is for longer than 30 minutes
Thirty minute appointments can be voice calls.
Other Mental Health Options
The following websites have a wealth of information about mental health issues: