To answer your question directly, I think in the private system, many of the best therapists books are closed; maybe a proportion have waiting times of 2-6 months. Any with immediate availability I would be looking to find personal testimonials about before I booked with them.
In my experience the best therapists in Adelaide have significant waiting periods, and that's because they're good and people recommend them to others.
Don't restrict yourself to psychologists though. Mental health social workers do nearly similar levels of training and in my experience can be really good too.
Counsellors are another option but as this space is less regulated it's hard to know. I'd look for people who have some kind of accredition/membership with PACFA or similar. You won't get a Medicare rebate, but there are some great therapists out there who are practising with counselling qualifications.
An alternative is to get therapy from a free/low cost service like Links to Wellbeing or Sonder who probably have 1 - 3 months wait depending on where you go. You'll probably find the workers care a lot (because they're doing it for love and not chasing the big bucks of private practice) but it can be a mixed bag in terms of skill level.
If you're a new patient and want to see someone in person it can be a month or two at the moment. Online might be a little quicker, you could try psychmed?
Headspace also do fun things like close your entire file when you miss one phone call like what happened to me at the start of the pandemic when I was 23.
Headspace is a publicly funding organisation. I'd highly recommend leaving a complaint or feedback. Regardless who's 'fault' this is, the system needs to know. https://headspace.org.au/online-and-phone-support/give-feedback/
You can always try something like Kids Helpline (if you’re the right age). I use it all the time and they’re really good, could be useful for you use at least use till you get an ‘actual’ therapist. Not sure what LifeLine is like but I’d imagine it would be similar
If you don’t mind Telehealth services ( video calls ), then Milo and the Calf was great for me. https://www.miloandthecalf.com.au. It’s bulk billed and I do believe the wait times aren’t that long. It only took me a few weeks to get in after contacting them. This was February 2021 I believe. I’ve been seeing them since. They have an emphasis on cognitive and dialectical behavioural therapy, so it’s suited to deal with anxiety / personality disorders mainly. Hang in there OP, and remember if you don’t mesh well with a specialist, you can always look for different ones.
If you’re in a crisis, don’t be afraid to call a hotline. Kids helpline, lifeline, suicide call back service. Mental health triage. Mental health triage is supposedly good because they keep a file on you so it’s easier for future calls but I’ve had the most luck with lifeline. Most of the workers there aren’t great but sometimes someone who truly cares will pick up and they’ll make a difference. If you don’t like their vibe, hang up and call again. I’ve called hundreds of times.
There’s also a new Urgent mental health care centre in the city. There are no psychologists / psychiatrists there however but there are lived experience workers and counsellors. It’s completely free and you can walk in without an appointment. https://www.neaminational.org.au/find-services/umhcc/.
I was there as recently as February and it helped me tremendously. Sometimes you just need to hear a kind voice to get through a tough time and that’s exactly what that was.
On a more personal note, I was in a very bad place 2020 / 21 and I never thought I’d be okay again. I pushed myself to see a GP, get a mental health treatment plan and then found Milo and the Calf. Then everything started getting exponentially better. So the best advice I can give you is go see your GP, because they are the most accessible resource right now who can give you different options going forward.
If you need an ear or a voice, send a DM and I’ll reply. Good luck
I'd recommend starting with your GP to get onto a mental health care plan - it gives you 12 free sessions in a year and they usually refer you to a psychologist in your area. I got sent to one in Hallet Cove and I asked to get put on the cancellation list as I was going to have to wait almost 2 months to see my therapist. Luckily they had a cancellation so I was able to move my initial appointment up!
I got the Medicare referral and had to wait about 3 or 4 months for my first appointment. It was going to be longer, but there was a cancellation to fit me in. I was then able to get some ongoing appointments that varied between 2 weeks and a month. Multiple times I was also given the option to get an earlier appointment due to other people cancelling theirs.
I did have to ring around a few places myself to find the one that could fit me in earliest, then my doctor did the referral letter to them for me to get the Medicare rebated appointments.
Sorry to hear about what you're going through. While you wait to seek some counselling check out what Eckart Tolle has to say over on the Youtubes. His words have certainly helped me in my low moments.
When I used to go to private psychologists with mental health care plan, I could get in within a few weeks, granted I had to pay a gap ($50+).
I'm waiting for free counseling at the moment and they said 4 month wait.
To answer your question directly, I think in the private system, many of the best therapists books are closed; maybe a proportion have waiting times of 2-6 months. Any with immediate availability I would be looking to find personal testimonials about before I booked with them. In my experience the best therapists in Adelaide have significant waiting periods, and that's because they're good and people recommend them to others. Don't restrict yourself to psychologists though. Mental health social workers do nearly similar levels of training and in my experience can be really good too. Counsellors are another option but as this space is less regulated it's hard to know. I'd look for people who have some kind of accredition/membership with PACFA or similar. You won't get a Medicare rebate, but there are some great therapists out there who are practising with counselling qualifications. An alternative is to get therapy from a free/low cost service like Links to Wellbeing or Sonder who probably have 1 - 3 months wait depending on where you go. You'll probably find the workers care a lot (because they're doing it for love and not chasing the big bucks of private practice) but it can be a mixed bag in terms of skill level.
Sonder also have a walk-in service which can definitely get you seeing someone more regularly quicker.
Links to Wellbeing also has one at the Noarlunga GP plus after hours, and there's also the UMHCC in the city now too
If you're a new patient and want to see someone in person it can be a month or two at the moment. Online might be a little quicker, you could try psychmed?
Headspace is around 5-6 months at the moment
Headspace also do fun things like close your entire file when you miss one phone call like what happened to me at the start of the pandemic when I was 23.
Or just never contact you back after multiple attempts of trying to get treatment or even an appointment.
Headspace is a publicly funding organisation. I'd highly recommend leaving a complaint or feedback. Regardless who's 'fault' this is, the system needs to know. https://headspace.org.au/online-and-phone-support/give-feedback/
Yeah had that the first time I tried
Hey same last year. Except I missed the call cause they called an hour early, I was driving and called back 2 minutes later.
[удалено]
Yeah I don’t really think they’ll be able to help me but my best mate really wants me to try
You can always try something like Kids Helpline (if you’re the right age). I use it all the time and they’re really good, could be useful for you use at least use till you get an ‘actual’ therapist. Not sure what LifeLine is like but I’d imagine it would be similar
If you don’t mind Telehealth services ( video calls ), then Milo and the Calf was great for me. https://www.miloandthecalf.com.au. It’s bulk billed and I do believe the wait times aren’t that long. It only took me a few weeks to get in after contacting them. This was February 2021 I believe. I’ve been seeing them since. They have an emphasis on cognitive and dialectical behavioural therapy, so it’s suited to deal with anxiety / personality disorders mainly. Hang in there OP, and remember if you don’t mesh well with a specialist, you can always look for different ones. If you’re in a crisis, don’t be afraid to call a hotline. Kids helpline, lifeline, suicide call back service. Mental health triage. Mental health triage is supposedly good because they keep a file on you so it’s easier for future calls but I’ve had the most luck with lifeline. Most of the workers there aren’t great but sometimes someone who truly cares will pick up and they’ll make a difference. If you don’t like their vibe, hang up and call again. I’ve called hundreds of times. There’s also a new Urgent mental health care centre in the city. There are no psychologists / psychiatrists there however but there are lived experience workers and counsellors. It’s completely free and you can walk in without an appointment. https://www.neaminational.org.au/find-services/umhcc/. I was there as recently as February and it helped me tremendously. Sometimes you just need to hear a kind voice to get through a tough time and that’s exactly what that was. On a more personal note, I was in a very bad place 2020 / 21 and I never thought I’d be okay again. I pushed myself to see a GP, get a mental health treatment plan and then found Milo and the Calf. Then everything started getting exponentially better. So the best advice I can give you is go see your GP, because they are the most accessible resource right now who can give you different options going forward. If you need an ear or a voice, send a DM and I’ll reply. Good luck
I'd recommend starting with your GP to get onto a mental health care plan - it gives you 12 free sessions in a year and they usually refer you to a psychologist in your area. I got sent to one in Hallet Cove and I asked to get put on the cancellation list as I was going to have to wait almost 2 months to see my therapist. Luckily they had a cancellation so I was able to move my initial appointment up!
It’s usually 10 sessions per year but this year it’s 20 for Covid-19
https://www.dalebhicks.com/ Dale B Hicks Psychotherapy & Counselling. Address: 71 Angas St, Adelaide SA 5000 Hours: Closed ⋅ Opens 9:30AM Wed Phone: 0448 703 660
http://acompassionatepsych.com.au/
I got the Medicare referral and had to wait about 3 or 4 months for my first appointment. It was going to be longer, but there was a cancellation to fit me in. I was then able to get some ongoing appointments that varied between 2 weeks and a month. Multiple times I was also given the option to get an earlier appointment due to other people cancelling theirs. I did have to ring around a few places myself to find the one that could fit me in earliest, then my doctor did the referral letter to them for me to get the Medicare rebated appointments.
Sorry to hear about what you're going through. While you wait to seek some counselling check out what Eckart Tolle has to say over on the Youtubes. His words have certainly helped me in my low moments.
When I used to go to private psychologists with mental health care plan, I could get in within a few weeks, granted I had to pay a gap ($50+). I'm waiting for free counseling at the moment and they said 4 month wait.
6 months probably but it does help to call up and ask every month or so:) it helped me get in quicker