- What do I do if I don't
click with my therapist?

- Finding a therapist can
be a little bit tricky,

so have a huge shopping
list of all the things

that you'd want in your dream therapist,


and then go online, have a look,
see who kind of ticks those boxes.


And it's okay if you don't
click with the person


straight away as well.

(smooth music)


- Hi, I'm Bryden, and
today I'm with Nasalifya.


- Hi, I'm Nasalifya, I'm
a clinical psychologist.


- And today we're going
to be having a little chat

about some of the
questions you've asked us

on our online community and Instagram

about what it's like seeing a therapist.

Is it awkward, embarrassing,

or nerve wracking to see a therapist?

- Yes, seeing a therapist
can be uncomfortable

because we're asking
you to really open up.

The therapist should do a
lot of the heavy lifting

in helping you feel more comfortable

and confident to share
what you want to share.

- How can I prepare to get
the most out of my session?

- Have a bit of an idea of what it is

that you want to talk
about in that session.

So be willing and ready to open up.

We may be asking you questions

that you've never talked about before

or talk about things that are hard.

And the last thing is
have some self-care plan.

That might be hanging out with
a friend, going for a coffee,

going for a walk 'cause opening
up can be pretty difficult,

and we may have some pretty
heavy feelings afterwards.

- What should I do if my
treatment isn't working?

- Having a conversation,
a really honest conversation
with your therapist
is probably the best place to start.

It's really important to not
give up on therapy itself,
'cause just because the
individual you're working with
isn't the right fit doesn't
mean therapy isn't helpful.


- What if I can't get
in to see a therapist?-
- Put yourself on a wait list
for a couple of therapists,
if that's the case.
But in the first place, go see your GP
and tell them what's going on.
GPs are really good at providing support.

The third thing that I would suggest
is that you could get in contact
with phone counselling services
like Lifeline or Kids Helpline
if you want to speak to
someone there and then.

And then lastly,
you can always talk to
your friends and family
if they can kind of help support you
while you're waiting as well.

- How do I see a therapist
if I'm on a lower income?

- A really great thing that
we have access to in Australia
is a mental health care plan.

So that's something that you go to your GP
and they can prepare that for you.
And it gives you access to a
number of sessions in a year.
It might be also useful to have a look
at the nonprofit organisations
that cater to whatever
demographic you fall into.
That might be migrant services
or community mental health services.

The other thing that you can do
is actually tell your therapist
that you're struggling financially
and you can find out if
they offer any subsidised
or bulk billed sessions as well.

- Yeah.


So there's lots of options.


(smooth music)