+ "Is this service right for you? (What do we do - and not do)."

As a community based private practice our service provides the following services:

• Shorter term, focussed therapy for 4 to 18 year olds which consists of approximately 10-15 sessions per year and up to 24 sessions of therapy (usually spaced either fortnightly or in therapy "blocks") before we require clients to have a "break" from therapy. The length of the "therapy break" will vary depending on our wait list at the time, however, it will be a minimum of 6 months and usually 9 - 12 months.
• Brief (6 session) intervention for parents/caregivers experiencing parental distress, overwhelm, anxiety and fatigue.
• Supervision for other health or educational child mental health professionals
• Seminars for health professionals, parents/caregivers and adolescents (usually in schools)
• A limited amount of therapeutic liaison with other professionals/workers about the work we are doing with families

This is what we generally are not able to provide as part of our sevices:

• Long term, continuous therapy i.e., ongoing, continuous therapy for several years. We can see families over the long term provided they have 6-9 month therapy breaks after every 24 sessions.
• Extensive and intensive mental health or disability treatment which either requires weekly sessions for more than a 4 week period OR which requires fortnightly sessions throughout an entire year
• More than the very occasional emergency or crisis appointments or responses (i.e., those which need to be unexpectedly provided within a week)
• More than 1 or 2 "out of clinic" treatment sessions - i.e., sessions at home or at school (and please note these 1 or 2 sessions are allowed only under some funding models)
• Less than 50 minute or entirely "play based therapy" sessions (i.e., such as those provided in other settings for non-verbal young people who can't manage a 50 minute therapy session)
• Sessions with more than one clinician (i.e., such as those provided in other settings for young people who are at risk of hurting themselves or others in a clinic setting)
• Intensive case management (i.e., liaison with multiple other workers or liaison which is required more than every 2-3 months)
• Medical or psychiatric care
• Medico-legal, Centrelink, learning or any formal assessments or reports (in order to remain focussed on therapeutic intervention, unfortunately we cannot provide any formal assessments or "letters" for court or any other purposes)
• Therapy for adults which is not directly related to parenting distress

Please let us know if your child/teen or family is experiencing a challenge, disability or set of circumstances which mean they need the kind of services listed above which we cannot provide - and we will try to help you find other services which might be appropriate for you.

+ What kinds of issues do you support young people with?

We specialise in working with children and adolescents. We do not see adults (other than in relation to parenting) so that we can focus all of our attention and systems on working with the under 18 year old age group.

Often families would like to know what each psychologists "specialise in". Given that working with young people is considered an area of speciality in itself - this is a difficult question to answer. To be honest, every one of us see children and teens who are struggling with a variety of issues, every week.

If you would like someone who knows about your child/teen's issues - read through this list below. It will give you an idea of the things we all frequently see on a weekly basis, and hopefully this will help you get an idea of whether we might be able to support your young person.

Anxiety is the most common difficulty we work with. This might be anxiety about friends, separation, relationships, family issues, getting sick, worrying about toileting or eating issues, school, exams, change, self, or anxiety itself. We see anxiety in the form of obsessions and compulsions, panic attacks, phobias, avoidance, behavioural problems or just worrying.

Depression and Sadness - we work with children and teens go through times when they cry a lot, don't want to do anything, "drop out of life" and question themselves and the world. Some of these might be feeling sad, having trouble sleeping, cutting themselves, thinking about their future or crying a lot.

Study and Organisational Skills - we frequently help young people who are struggling at school. We work with kids and teens having trouble organising themselves, remembering things, motivating themselves to do homework, coping with tests and exams and managing the distractions of phones and social media

Social Problems - we do lots of work with kids and teens struggling with friendships. SOme of these might be experiencing mild or severe forms of harassment and bullying at school or in the world of social media and need help to cope. Other children have difficult friendships and need help managing these. SOme need help with improving their social skills and social relating - and we want to do this in ways which respect difference, minimise distress, support choice and respect neurodivergence in our community.

Body Image Issues and Eating Concerns - we work with children and teens who struggle with how they look and with eating an appropriate amount and range of foods. We do not provide treatment for young people with a severe eating disorder (ie those who have been provided with an Eating Disorder Plan) as these young people need a more intensive, multi-disciplinary service.

Frustration and Difficult (defiant) Behaviours - We frequently work with kids and teens who have problems managing frustration with siblings, parents or friends and who become exceedingly overwhelmed when things don't go right. We work with children and teens having trouble following instructions, or "listening" to parents, and those with problems with lying or hitting/hurting others. For teenagers, this might also involve difficulties with alcohol and drug use. We know there are many reasons and causes for these behaviours and want to support children to feel calmer and more co-operative in ways which are kind, respectful and suit their needs.

Sleep problems - We help children and teens who have trouble getting to sleep, waking up a lot during the night, feeling sleepy and tired during the day and maintaining good sleep habits

Trauma, Grief and Loss - some children and teens we see have experienced traumatic events such as the death of a family member, abuse, sexual assault and other traumatic life situations.

Learning and Attention Problems - some children and teens we see struggle with "keeping up" at school, being able to pay attention, stay focussed, understand concepts and ideas at school. They often become discouraged and have little confidence in their abilities

Relationships and LGBTQ+ / gender diverse issues - teenagers we work with are sometimes struggling with relationship - breakups, sexual behaviour, gender diverse issues and sexuality. We often work with young people who are in the process of identifying thmselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Challenges with neurodivergence/disabilities - many children and teens we work with have been diagnosed with Autism, ADHD or a disability. We have worked with hundreds of families dealing with their child's differences or disabilities and know the challenges this involves.

However, we see children (aged 11 and under) with Autism and/or who have NDIS under our separate "Disability/Early Intervention Stream" - please see the FAQ: My child has ASD/NDIS funding above for information about this.

If you don't see your child/teen's problem listed above, please feel free to email me at kirriliesmout@developingminds.net.au and I will direct you either to one of our psychologists who works in that area, or to another psychologist in South Australia who might do.

+ What issues do you support parents/caregivers with?

Parents who have children or teens who are managing mental health issues, or life challenges are more likely than other parents/caregivers to struggle with anxiety and fear, frustration and disappointment, overwhelm, embarrassment, fatigue and hopelessness. We support these parents/caregivers to feel more positive, hopeful and confident with issues related to parenting - and to improve their own emotional wellbeing directly.

+ Where are the clinics located and what are they like?

We have two clinic locations:

• Suite 3/16 Bartley Crescent, Wayville.
• Shop 15, The Hub Shopping Centre, Aberfoyle Park.

Our rooms are designed for children and young people, are not used for any other purpose and are set up to help our clients feel comfortable, have fun and enjoy working with us.

Our clinics are equipped with resources, activities, games and books for teens and children, are private and not used by other medical/educational professionals.

+ How much does it cost to see a psychologist at Developing Minds?

From the 1st July 2024 the full charge for our 50 minute sessions is $261.70 per session, or $201.45 for those young people who meet criteria for our concession category (NOTE: see below for important eligibility information for our concession category). Medicare provide rebates (see below for details) for these fees.

Who falls into the concession category?

Clients are eligible to access our “concession” rates only when the adult responsible for the account (usually a parent/guardian) has EITHER a) a current Pension Concession Card or b) Health Care Card in their own name (ie the Health Care Card can not only be in their child’s name).

Why is a Health Care Card in the child's name not sufficient?

Our ability to offer the low cost concession rates is very limited due to practice sustainability reasons (please note many psychology practices do not offer concession rates at all - and also that the Australian Psychological Society rates are typically 1.5 times the rates we charge).

Given we can only offer a limited number of these concession rates, this means we need to try to ensure our concession rate is only accessed by families the most in need of this rate. The health care card/pension card in the parent's ("payers") name is the best available measure we have available for greatest financial need. While we understand that many families with children with a health care card, also have financial stressors, families where the parents/caregivers have this card are usually those where need is greatest. (Keeping in mind that some higher income families have children with a health care card in the child's name due to the child's illness and not due to financial reasons).

Medicare Rebates for Psychology Fees (Mental Health Care Plans)

If you are referred by your GP (or psychiatrist or paediatrician) then Medicare will cover $141.85 of the fee, meaning there will be a gap of $119.85 for the client to pay (unless the client is eligable for our concession rate, in which case the gap is $59.60). This gap cannot be claimed on private health cover. This rebate is available for 10 sessions within a calendar year and the referral needs to be provided prior to the first session.

Although we require clients to pay in full "upfront", Medicare deposits the rebate into bank accounts within 6-48 hours.

Private Health Cover

If you do not wish to use Medicare rebates, or other funding, you might like to use private health cover to help cover the cost of the consultations. If applicable, please contact your own health fund for information about their rebates. As a rough guide, many health funds offer between $50-110 back from a psychological consultation.

NDIS Funding

We are able to see clients who are self-funded or plan-managed under the NDIS (not agency managed). Please note however that NDIS funded clients need to be placed in our separate "Disability/Early Intervention" stream, see the FAQ above: "My child has autism, global developmental delay or NDIS funding" below.

**I can't afford these fees, what else can you suggest"

Other Gap free or reduced gap services are available via South Australians public mental health services (CAMHS) and also via "Headspace" for families who would like to and are eligible to receive these services.

For the last several years, Developing Minds has provided group, online and face to face services for families under funding from Adelaide Primary Health Network (APHN). Unfortunately, we will no longer be receiving APHN funding from July 1, 2023 which means all families who access our (group or 1:1 or online) services will need to be funded in other ways - for instance this might be Medicare funding, private funding or NDIS funding. Please feel free to speak to our reception staff for other options.

+ Do you conduct assessments, or write reports or letters for third parties?

Unfortunately not

We do not conduct formal learning or educational assessments (sometimes these are called intellectual or cognitive assessments). This means we do not diagnose (or provide written reports about) dyslexia, learning disorders or giftedness - or other conditions / disorders related to learning.

For a learning/educational/cognitive assessment options go to https://developingminds.net.au/referral-options

In addition, we do not do family or "custody" assessments to make recommendations about living arrangements for children.

Due to our focus on therapy and need to ensure other factors do not interfere with our therapeutic relationship with families, We also do not provide diagnostic or formal reports. We are also unable to provide letters for court purposes or to other third parties (eg insurance companies, Centrelink etc).

+ Do you offer Telehealth Appointments?

Yes, we can offer some telehealth sessions for current clients, however, we do not offer therapy by telehealth only. Please click here to find out more information about telehealth appointments.

+ How do you work with children/teens of separated parents?

Please click here for how we work with separated, non-traditional, and blended families.

+ When are appointments offered? Can we be seen after school/outside work hours?

Our psychologists offer appointments at different times during the week. We understand it is not always possible to get time off work or study to come to appointments and therefore all of our psychologists offer one after hours session (3 appointments) each week.

Keep in mind that these "after school sessions" are very popular and so if you want these, normally you will need to book ahead for these appointments. One option is to have your first session or two during the day, and then book a few after school sessions after that. Pleae note that unfortunately if you can only attend during "after schools hours appointments, this may not be the right service for you as we are unlikely to have these available for every fortnight and spacing sessions out until after school times are available may interfere with progress in therapy.

+ Waiting Periods and Waiting Lists

Our waiting times do fluctuate - for current information please call our clinic or send us an email at admin@developingminds.net.au. Please note, once families have made an initial appointment with us and they are automatically placed on our "waiting list".

We have a daily procedure to check for unexpected additional new client availability and families on our wait list are frequently called/texted to be offered these earlier appointments.

Once you have had your first appointment, you will then be seen and prioritised for weekly-fortnightly appointments as needed/discussed with your clinician.

It is not appropriate for families with children/teens who are at higher risk to themselves or others to be waiting for our services - if this is true for you, please contact crisis services (in high risk situations) or other services (click HERE for phone numbers and options) . We also have lower intensity programs which may be appropriate for some families while they wait for therapy services. For example, for primary aged children, we have an online psycho-education program called Calm Kid Central with courses for children on managing emotions and difficult life situations, and text based answers on a Question Centre from our child psychologist panel within 48 hours. Click here if you think this might be helpful for your family.)

+ What is the training and experience of your team of psychologists?

All of our psychologist have completed a four-year Bachelor/Honours degree in psychology, and then a two year Masters in Clinical Psychology Postgraduate Degree or 3 or 4 year Doctorate degree in psychology. Most of our psychologists are "clinically endorsed" meaning they have completed an additional two years of intensive supervised practice and training. All of our early career "generally registered" psychologists are currently doing their "clinical endorsement" which means they are spending several hours each week immersed in additional supervision, planning, reading and training meaning their clients/families receive an exceptionally thoughtful level of service.

Regardless of their differing levels of training, all of our psychologists are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and have a wide variety of experience working with children, teenagers, their families and support networks. This means we have all met the high ethical and professional standards required by the Psychology Board of Australia and engage in initial and annual updates of education, training and professional development in the field of psychology.

If you have any questions about the training or experience of any of our psychologists, please don't hesitate to ask.

+ I've been to Developing Minds before - can I come back?

Of course. However if you/your child has not had a sessions for 12 months or more (ie after finishing treatment), you will no longer be a "current client". This means you will need to be offered a 'new client' appointment, which may be associated with a waiting period. We will ask that you return to see your GP for an updated referral (if your are returning under Better Access Funding -Medicare). Thanks for your understanding about this matter, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Again, for primary aged children, we do have an online psycho-education program called Calm Kid Central which can provide support for young people while they wait (including courses for children and parents, and text based answers on a Question Centre from child psychologists) Click here if you think this might be helpful for your family.

+ What approaches do psychologists use in working with clients?

Our psychologists use a variety of approaches in working with young people and families and tailor interventions to the needs of the individual child and family.

However we generally use cognitive behavioural techniques (CBT) with most families (including particular types of CBT - eg trauma focussed CBT, CBIT for tics etc).

We also all frequently use mindfulness based approaches (ACT - acceptance and comittment therapy) and have had extensive training and experience in this approach. Sometimes this is called "third wave" CBT.

In addition, we are informed by developmental and skills training based approaches (the idea that children need to learn skills to cope with feelings and challenges), work from a systems approach (the idea that helping children's wider social systems is helpful) and are strongly influenced by ideas about parent-child attachment (the idea that child/caregiver relationships are very important).

We also principles from dialectical behaviour therapy and solution focussed therapy. When working with younger children, we always incorporate elements of play therapy into our sessions. Some of our clinicians use EMDR.

Most of all, we are committed to using evidence based approaches and keeping up to date with what research tells us about what works best for families with different challenges.

+ What are therapy sessions like?

Most therapy sessions involve the following:

• Briefly recapping what has happened since the last session
• Checking how your "practice at home" tasks set from last session went
• Asking about your priorities/requests for the current session
• Providing "therapy intervention" (practicing skills, providing psych-education, doing exercises and discussing ideas). For young children this might look like "playing" or "chatting" - this helps us get to know the young person and help us subtly introduce ideas and behaviours in a way which suits their 'age and stage'
• Setting up your next lot of "practice at home" tasks to do before the next session

+ How long do therapy appointments last?

Our sessions last for about 50 minutes (not the full hour). The last ten minute of the hour we spend time reviewing our notes and planning for the next session. If possible, please arrive ten minutes early for your first appointment in order to fill in a brief form. We then ask people to arrive a few minutes early for each appointment after that. We run appointments strictly to time wherever possible.

+ How long do you see children/teens/parents for?

Our clinic is committed to providing evidence based, effective therapy to as many families as possible and so we offer shorter term, focussed therapy approach rather than long term, continuous therapy.

Specifically, our policy is that we offer children/teens up to (not all clients will need this many) 24 sessions of therapy (usually spaced either fortnightly or in therapy "blocks") before we require clients to have a "break" from therapy. We see parents with parenting related distress for a brief course of therapy - 6 sessions - before they have a therapy break. The length of the "therapy break" will vary depending on our wait list at the time, however, it will be a minimum of 6 months and usually 9 - 12 months.

We do this for a few reasons:

a) Evidence shows that most of the time, this focussed and targeted therapy works better than long term, continuous therapy.

b) There are some potential drawbacks, costs, and disadvantages for some children/teens when they are involved in long term and continuous therapy (for example, being "dependent" on a therapist, undermining their own skills and talents, focussing on problems rather than their strengths, feeling overwhelmed by too many appointments/different supports).

c) There is a very high demand for child psychology services in our community. This means there is a high level of mental health need in the community and we are committed to supporting as many families as possible. A therapy break of 9-12 months allows for another family to access a course of therapy treatment therefore increasing the equity of our service provision in the community (and also, as above avoids the potential drawbacks listed above for families in having long term and continuous therapy).

We will work with families well in advance of their therapy break starting, to assist them to prepare for the break and/or look for other services to access during their break if they prefer. After 6-12 months, families are welcome to resume working with us again if they wish to do so.

Please note that there may be exceptional circumstances (usually related to high risk situations) in which this policy does not apply.

Let us know if you have any questions and concerns so we can support you to find alternative services if you feel this is not appropriate for your family. Thankyou in advance for your understanding - with a special thanks to almost all of our existing families (and all of our funding bodies) for being so supportive and understanding of the need for this policy on the basis of fairness for all and best practices for families.

+ Is what I/my child/teen says confidential?

Information disclosed to a psychologist is confidential. This means the psychologist will not reveal, to any other person, any information about the client, or reveal that the client was seeking psychological assistance, unless they have the permission of the client to do so.

There are a few exceptions to this general rule which we will explain to you when we meet you. But as a guide you should know that if failure to disclose information may result in clear danger to the client or to another person, the psychologist may need to disclose minimal information necessary to avert risk. In addition, if the psychologist believes a child or teenager may be or have been subject to physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect, psychologists must by law report this to appropriate authorities. Psychologists and other professionals must also report unregistered firearms.

When working with an adolescent the same limits of confidentiality apply. In other words, unless the adolescent or another person is at risk, information disclosed by the adolescent will not be revealed to any other party, including parents and guardians, without the permission of the adolescent.

However, we usually do want to work very closely with parents/guardians as wel know this is often helpful. This means in most cases, all reasonable efforts will be made to obtain the agreement of the adolescent to involve and discuss information with parents and/or guardians on an ongoing basis.

+ Will therapy "work?" Does it really help?

Research suggests around 70% of young people and their families experience positive change after attending therapy.

Change is most likely to occur when families: attend 5-10 sessions of therapy, complete the "in between session" tasks of therapy, have parents/caregivers involved in therapy (when appropriate).

Please note that therapy is not like "curing a disease" but more like learning a set of new skills to cope with the emotional and mental health challenges children (and adults) experience.

+ What is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?

A psychologist is a registered health professional who is trained in the assessment and treatment of mental illnesses and psychological problems.

A psychiatrist is a specialist medical doctor who assesses and treats patients with mental health problems.

+ Do you work with interpreters?

Yes, all Developing Minds staff are happy to work with interpreters.

The South Australian government's Interpreting and Translating Centre (ITC) provides qualified and experienced interpreters to assist with face-to-face or phone interpreting. Phone: 1800 280 203

+ "My Child has Autism Spectrum Disorder, Global Developmental Delay and/or NDIS funding."

We have worked with hundreds of families supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Global Developmental Delay and know the challenges this often involves for families.

Children aged 11 and under with these diagnoses or who have NDIS (self or planned managed only) funding - are seen by our clinicians under our separate Developmental Support Stream. This separate stream ensures we allow an adequate number of sessions for these children, have the "space" to see them for the length of treatment these children generally require and also ensures each of our clinicians have an appropriate number of these children in their caseload (some clinicians are able to take more of these clients on).

Please note, we also see parents/caregivers in their own right who have children with these diagnoses to support them with any parenting related distress which they may be experiencing, understanding that this is more common for parents with autistic or otherly neurodivergent children.

+ Which psychologist is best to provide therapy for my child's particular challenges?

We are often asked which of our psychologists would be best for a particular young person. Unfortunately this is not an easy question to answer in advance, as children/young people all have slightly different needs and all of our psychologists have slightly different styles - and often this can't be "matched" - particularly prior to having met the child. However what we can say is that as a service that exclusively works with kids, teens and their parents or carers, all of our psychologists work with challenges related to young people and child/teen mental health - rather than 'specialising' in a particular area of child and adolescent psychology. Although we don't make recommendations for particular therapists, you are most welcome to read about each psychologist and their background by clicking here

+ How do you work with children with challenging behaviour?

We frequently work with children who have challenging behaviour. Out of all the children who come and see us at Developing Minds, around a third of them would frequently have “challenging behaviour”.

What is challenging behaviour? It can include many different things, depending on the age of the child, but typically it might include children who - more than typically expected for their age:

• Have trouble following instructions
• Have a tendency to be impulsive
• Find it hard to notice, make sense of or communicate feelings and needs
• Have trouble managing feelings of frustration and disappointment
• Find it difficult to maintain concentration or attention
• Find it hard to notice the needs of others
• Get extremely upset, angry and distressed easily (“meltdowns” - aggression, tantrums, hurting selves, demanding voice or "shutdowns" - crying, withdrawing, hiding, curling up on the floor)
• Find school or friend relationships difficult
• Very sensitive to or over-react to noises, sights and sensations
• Find it hard to motivate themselves to do things they aren’t interested in
• Find it difficult to deal with changes in routine

Why do some children act in challenging ways more often than others? It’s important to remember that these are not “bad kids”. Challenging behaviour is NOT about being “lazy’ or “naughty”. We believe that if children have the skills, support and resources to act in positive, sociable, cooperative ways they generally will.

Instead, challenging behaviour is caused by a range of different factors. Kids with challenging behaviour have extra life challenges or difficulties with certain skills. They often need help learning to act in different ways and feeling more secure with others. They often don't understand important ideas. They sometimes are in environments or routines which accidentally encourage challenging behaviour.

This is not their fault, and this is not the fault of a parent.

How do we work with children with challenging behaviour? We know kids want to get along with others, to learn, grow and thrive. We know that kids need to feel safe.

We therefore work with children to help them identify how learning to act in more positive ways can get them what they really want and need more often. We help them know how to act in positive ways more often, why it matters and help them practise doing this.

We also work directly with the parents/guardians themselves. As well as having some sessions with the child, we will usually need to have both sessions with the child and parents in the room together AND sessions with the parents/guardians by themselves ("parent only sessions").

We will usually need to have a minimum of 3-5 sessions with parents – without the child present - to help coach parents in how to manage difficult behaviour in their child. Research shows that support, coach and help for a parent to know how to respond to their child's challenging behaviour themselves has much more positive long term effect than just a psychologist working with the child directly.

What do we do in parent only sessions? In parent only sessions, we cover a range of topics including: How to give instructions to kids with challenging behaviour, how to figure out the need of a child showing challenging behaviour, using effective praise with kids with challenging behaviour, connecting with and helping kids with challenging behaviour feel secure, understanding the causes of challenging behaviour – among many other topics. What work is done depends on the needs of your child.

During these sessions we will use examples of the particular kind of behaviour you have told us your child struggles with. We will ask you to complete a small homework assignment each week and also ask you to record examples of challenging behaviour at home.

Please note, that Medicare Better Access funding does not usually cover parent only sessions. This means these parent only sessions need to either be paid for with private health cover, or sometimes other funding schemes will cover them. Please ask for more information about payment options.

Finally - our central philosophy: This is what lies underneath our approach: compassion. We know how hard it is to live with and support a child with challenging behaviour. It’s tough for parents, and tough for children too. It takes a long time to change behaviour patterns (in both adults and kids!) and for some children this is an ongoing process. We want to support parents as they manage this.

+ Does my child/teen really need to see a psychologist?

This is a tough question to answer - and it's not always easy to know. But the following points might help you make your decision.

Do you need to be experiencing a very traumatic situation to see a psychologist? No. There is objective rules for what is a "tough" situation and what isn't. We do see children and teens who are going through situations which might be considered by some as only mildly difficult (e.g. feeling anxious about seeing friends, not feeling comfortable at school, not handing in assignments etc) as well as children and teens who are in situations considered to be extremely difficult (e.g. death of a person close to them, teens struggling with severe drug addiction, significant depression and so on).

Less important than what the situation might look like on the surface to others is this: how distressed is the child/teen OR how distressed is the parent?

If either a child/teen or a parent is very upset about what is going on - it is worth getting support.

Do you need to have mental health issues to see a psychologist? In many situations, seeing a psychologist is beneficial whether or not someone has a “mental health problem”.

Sometimes I compare counselling to tennis coaching. If you are not doing so well at tennis, then coaching helps. However, even the best tennis players get coaching. In the same way, counselling can be beneficial regardless of what a person’s mental and emotional health skills are like.

Another option for primary aged child, if you are not sure whether therapy is the right service for you is our online psycho-education program called Calm Kid Central which can provide support for young people while they wait (including courses for children and parents, and text based answers on a Question Centre from child psychologists) Clickhere if you think this might be helpful for your family.

When SHOULDN'T you make ongoing appointments to see a psychologist?

If a child or teenager is really quite happy with life, and not showing many signs of distress – doesn’t have any important goals they think they need help achieving, and has seen a psychologist on a couple of occasions already, then it is usually not beneficial to bring the teenager/child to ongoing counselling sessions - especially against their wishes. A one off session can help determine whether this is the case or not.

I'm concerned but my child/teen isn't!

This is very common. If a parent is concerned and struggling with the child/teen, then instead we will often suggest the parent come in for sessions on their own – in order to help the parent know how to cope with and respond to the child/teen and feel more confident and peaceful about the situation at home.

We see parents on their own frequently for either one off or ongoing sessions.

Another option for primary aged children, is our online psycho-education program called Calm Kid Central which can provide support for children (including courses for children and parents, and text based answers on a Question Centre from child psychologists)who are not motivated to actually attend the clinic. Clickhere if you think this might be helpful for your family.

One last important note: Finally, if you child/teen is showing signs of very high distress – for example daily crying, self harm, thoughts of suicide, dangerous or risky behaviour – or if you are very worried about them and can't work out why - then we would suggest you seek help immediately.

+ How to explain counselling to your child/teen

Here is some information especially for kids/teens who are coming to see us.

Welcome to Developing Minds :)

What do we do ?

We see children and teenagers of all ages for a whole range of different things. For example, we help children and teenagers through feeling sad, angry, stressed or perhaps feeling lots of worries about school, friends or family. This doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you if you’re feeling any of these things, lots of children, teenagers and even adults go through tough times. Everyone needs a little or sometime a lot of help at different times, like how your teachers helps you at school, or your coach helps you at sport or you mum, dad or grandparent help you at home, a psychologist can help you with the things your finding hard or tricky to deal with.

Why do I have to come and see a psychologist?

Sometimes kids and teens want to come and speak to someone about the difficult time they are having or about how they are feeling. Other times it might be someone else like your mum, dad, teacher or doctor that wants you to come and talk to a psychologist. It can be a big step to come and talk to someone for the first time and it can be even harder when you don’t really want to come, but learning a bit more about what it’s like to see a psychologist can make it a little bit easier.

What will happen when I see a psychologist ?

When you first see a psychologist they will ask you some questions to understand what’s happening in your life and then you and the psychologist can come up with plan of what areas will be most helpful to work on together. Sometimes it might mean learning new skills, solving problems together, learning new ways to deal with difficult situations and learning what helps and what doesn’t help when you don’t feel very good. Sometimes children and teenagers say it feels good just to talk to someone about what’s going on for them and how they are feeling.

Sometimes the psychologist will speak to you alone and sometimes they will speak to your parent or whoever has brought you to see the psychologist. The room you and the psychologist will talk in has lots of fun things to do so it’s not just talking. You might play games together, draw or make stuff and you can sit wherever you like, on the couch on a chair or on the floor! whatever ever you feel most comfortable doing.

Will the psychologist tell others about what we talk about ?

One of the really good things about seeing a psychologist is that what you talk about together is mostly just between you and the psychologist. There are some times when a psychologist must tell someone else about what you have talked about. This is if you or someone else are in danger of being hurt or harmed.

Sometimes your psychologist might think it would be helpful for others (like a parent or teacher) to know some of the things you have been working on together or how you have been feeling so that they can also help you, but your psychologist will ask you first if it’s okay to talk to someone else about these things.

If a doctor has suggested you come and see a psychologist then the psychologist will need to let your doctor know a bit about what you have been working on together and how things are going for you.

If you feel worried about any of these things please talk to your psychologist about your worries because it’s really important to them that you feel comfortable talking to them in private.

How long will I have to see a psychologist ?

Everyone is different, so children and teenagers see a psychologist for different amounts of time. Sometimes it’s just for a few sessions and other times it’s for much longer. It really depends on what you are working on together and how you are going. Your psychologist will talk to you and whoever brings you to sessions about how many session would be good to start of with and then after those sessions you will all decide if more sessions would be helpful.

+ What can the psychologist tell parents/caregiver about what their child or teen says?

We are bound by ethical guidelines as laid down by the Australian Psychological Society, which says that we must keep the information given to us by a client, confidential almost all of the time. The exceptions to this confidentiality rule are if:

• We hear about a person who is experience a significant level of risk
• We hear about a child who is being abused or harm

Are children or teens treated in the same way as adults with respect to confidentially?

To some degree - yes. As psychologists we need to make a judgement as to whether the child/teen is capable of giving what is called informed consent - this means that they understand treatment and how it works. If this is the case, then the child/teen is allowed the same rights to confidentiality as an adult This means that if they request that we do not tell their parents a piece of information, we must respect this decision UNLESS we believe someone is at significant level of risk or if we hear about a child who is being abused or harm.

However, we try very hard to work with families and will usually discuss with the child/teen what we can discuss with parents and guardians and how we can work together.

+ Why do we usually need to have "parent/caregiver only sessions"

We are committed to working closely with the parents/guardians of children and young people at all times - wherever possible.

Why?

Because research clearly tells us that children/teens learn to cope with difficult times, develop life skills and manage emotions more effectively and more quickly when parents/guardians are involved in therapy.

Specifically, we work towards parents/guardians being able to:

• Tell us in an ongoing way about their child/teen and how they are coping
• Know something about the therapy and work being done in sessions with the young person
• Receive support and ideas from us to know how to support and respond to their child/teen at home

In order to best do these things, sometimes we will usually need to have some sessions with parents/caregivers without the child/teen present. This is especially true for parents/guardians of younger children, or for children who are reluctant to attend therapy.

Please be aware that under a child/teen's mental health care plan and when we are seeing a child/teen as their client - there are only two "caregiver/parent only" sessions (i.e. without the child present) per calendar year for which Medicare will provide a rebate. You can have further "parent/caregiver only" sessions beyond these two but these additional parent/caregiver only sessions will not attract a rebate from Medicare and will therefore need to be paid in full.

On the other hand however, we may be working DIRECTLY with a parent/caregiver about their own parenting related distress. In this case, they can use their own Mental health care plan and have access to rebates for all the 6 sessions we see parents for. If this is a little confusing - don't worry - it's not just you, it's a bit complex! Send us an email at admin@developingminds.net.au and we will explain more.

Confidentiality and Building a Relationship with the Young person/child

Although having parents/guardians involved in sessions is a very high priority for us, we also need to prioritise the rapport we have with the child/teen and the young person's rights to confidentiality.

As you can see, your psychologist will be balancing both your child/teen's need for confidentiality and the importance of involving parents/guardians in therapy. This is a delicate balance and fortunately our psychologists have been doing this for many years and are generally very good at it.

Please feel free to ask at any point if you have any concerns and let us know how you think therapy is going.

+ How do you use email?

At Developing Minds we are more than happy to receive emails from you, in fact this is usually the best way to provide information to our clinicians outside of your appointment time.

There are just a few points to remember:

• We cannot reply to you email with any therapeutic advice or information but instead will look forward to discussing the email with you in session. This is due to both time constraints and the risks of providing any therapeutic information or advice in writing.
• Please don't email about any risk or safety issues, go to your GP or local hospital - or contact crisis supports.
• If you email us, please remember this will form part of your file and therefore is subject to the same confidentiality - and exceptions to confidentiality - as anything you tell us in person. * Please let us know who knows what - so we know if your child/teen knows about the information you have emailed us.

+ Does a Mental Health Care Plan stay "on my record"?

The information recorded about your health by your GP is subject to strict privacy laws and cannot be accessed by any other party in most circumstances. Employers cannot access medical records unless you explicitly provide permission for your file to be accessed and in Australia this occurs very infrequently.

However, insurance companies (eg those providing income protection, life insurance) will sometimes request a report from a GP - and in this case, the fact that you have had a Mental Health Care Plan in place will be noted. It may also be noted that you have visited a psychiatrist, or even just the fact you have expressed mental health concerns to your GP.

At this point in time (and this may change as mental health concerns become less "stigmatised") insurers can then decide whether they decline or restrict insurance based on the information provided.

One other exception is that the armed forces and police do sometimes request medical records from a GP (the applicant must give permission for this to occur) and in this case, any mental health concerns that have been discussed with the GP (whether or not a formal MHCP has been provided) may also be noted within that report.