DID YOU KNOW….?

As of 1st November 2017, Psychologists will be able to provide video counselling to patients in rural and remote areas of Australia. These sessions will be subsidised by Medicare under a Mental Health Care Plan (Better Access).

What is considered rural and remote? This will be based on the Modified Monash Model (MMM), with people residing in regions MMM 4 to MMM 7 being eligible for telepsychology. A map of Australia with the MMM categories is available on the DoctorConnect website.

How many sessions can be used via telehealth? Up to 7 of the 10 regular Better Access items can be delivered via telehealth to eligible patients. At least 1 of the first 4 consultations must be delivered face-to-face.

How is telehealth being delivered? The telepsychology consultation must have a video and audio link between the provider and the patient. The Government will not mandate the exact type of video conferencing technology that can be used to deliver telepsychology. However, providers will have to use technology that ensures quality, privacy, and security; that is, it must:
-Provide sufficient video quality to facilitate effective service delivery
-Meet the privacy requirements for health information, and
-Adhere to the applicable laws for security and privacy.

Do referring Practitioners need to use different MBS item numbers? Medical Practitioners will continue to use the same Mental Health Care Plan item numbers.

If you have any questions about our services, please call us on (03) 9809 5947.

Coming to see a Psychologist can be rather daunting. Who wakes up in the morning and says, “I’d love to chat to a complete stranger about my deepest fears, thoughts, and feelings, and see what they think?”  We understand that the idea of speaking with someone about your worries opens the floodgates to “what if…?” thoughts, such as “what if they think I’m crazy?” or “what if they can’t help me?”  Makes your anxiety go up just thinking about it, right?

But what if I were to tell you that we absolutely DO NOT think this way? After all, we went to university for a minimum of 6 years to help you, and it is honestly an absolute privilege. We are not here to judge you, we are here to share your hardships and difficulties, and help you navigate your way through them.

So, how does someone become a client of ours? Often it all starts by a) Googling us, or b) speaking to your GP. Clients with a referral from a GP often access a Medicare rebate, which will subsidise counselling, but you can still come in without a referral. Bear in mind, you can always book in with us, then go to your GP and request a referral to us specifically. The order of events doesn’t really matter.

When you call us, you can expect to speak with an Administration Assistant. They will speak with you about our team members and work with you to determine who may be the best Psychologist to support you as we all have different areas of interest and skills. Admin will ask for some details, such as your name, email (so we can email you our location map and information about the Psychologist you’ll be working with), and mobile number, so we can text (sms) you an appointment reminder or call if we need to.

On the day of your initial appointment, please come in 10 minutes to complete some paperwork if you haven’t already done this using our online forms. If you have a referral, Admin will also collect this so we can rebate any Medicare benefits immediately following your appointment. This saves you from having to go to Medicare.

When it’s time to start, your Psychologist will come to reception, introduce themselves, and walk you to their consulting room. Our rooms have large armchairs and couches, and we encourage you to get comfortable. You can put your feet up, lie down, sit up, or snuggle up in a blanket. Whatever works for you. If your appointment is via Telehealth, your Psychologist will email you a link which you need to click at the start of your appointment – super easy!

During the initial consultation, your Psychologist will discuss with you some of the fundamentals around privacy and confidentiality, house rules (e.g. sessions are 50 minutes in duration, where the toilets are located), and general policies (e.g. our cancellation policy, which you will also see when you fill out your initial paperwork). This spiel takes about 2 minutes.

Then it’s over to you! We typically ask something along the lines of “What has brought you here today?” The first session with a Psychologist is usually information gathering. We want to know about your circumstances, what is and isn’t working for you, and what you want to achieve throughout counselling. This allows us to start formulating and create a treatment plan aimed at helping you achieve your goals.

If your appointment is in the office, at the end of the session, your Psychologist will walk you back to reception to complete a handover with our Admin team. If your appointment is via Telehealth, your Psychologist will email Admin our handover immediately, so that when you call to give payment a few minutes later, they already know if/when to rebook (if you haven’t already done so) and if they need to process a Medicare rebate for you.

Most of the time, our clients finish their session feeling much better than they did the previous hour (it’s called “therapy” for a reason!), and feel right at home in our clinic. They tend to waltz into the clinic for subsequent sessions because those initial feelings of anxiety about seeing a Psychologist are no longer present, which we love to see!

I hope this has been helpful, we really are here to support you and we want you to feel at home here.

We hope to see you soon!

Laura Forlani 

Director and Clinical Psychologist at YMM. 

Quality Counselling and Assessment Services

~Support to help you thrive~

5 Ways to Overcome Mental Exhaustion

Feel like you’re at the end of your tether? 
Here are 5 simple tips to recharge mentally that don’t require much of a commitment of energy you don’t have.

Tip 1- Spot small opportunities to rest your mind. I know we are all encouraged to multitask, and often do so while waiting (e.g. replying to work emails while waiting in a queue at the supermarket), however, this creates brain overload. Instead of multitasking while waiting, why not use this time to engage in some mindful breathing?

Tip 2. Reduce excess sensory input, or go mono-sensory. We live in a world that is full of sensory input, which takes a lot to process. To give your mind a break, try to eliminate excess sensory input. This may involve closing your eyes, or turning off the tv when you’re not actively watching in. Alternatively, tune in to one sensation e.g. close your eyes and focus on all the sounds around you. Listen for sounds close to you, then expand your awareness to sounds further and further away from you.

Tip 3. Give yourself permission to relax. I know you always have something you could or should be doing (and I use that term loosely as “should is a bit of a dirty word in my books), however, if you find yourself relaxing, ENJOY IT. No need to feel guilty, your self-care is equally important as the million other things that you could be doing.

Tip 4. Stop being unrealistic about how much you can get done.  Have you noticed how hard it is to get to the bottom of our “do to” list? That’s because the goals is a moving target!  Instead, be honest with yourself – what is realistic? What would you expect someone else to be able to achieve?

Tip 5. Prioritize the types of work that are an investment. Some efforts pay dividends well beyond the initial effort you put in. For example, as a Psychologist, we write many, many reports. So spending a few hour or even days creating a user friendly template significantly reduces the time spent later on down the track. Another example is spending time on the weekend to plan your meals for the week or even prepare them in advance. If you prioritise these tasks, you’ll set yourself up to have more spare mental and physical energy over time.

For more information, read the original article at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-practice/201604/5-ways-overcome-mental-exhaustion?platform=hootsuite

In this day and age, it can often become difficult to maintain a healthy work -life balance. With the increasing demands of work, the boundaries between work and home can easily become blurred. An imbalance in work life and personal life can lead to increased stress levels. There can be several devastating consequences to poor work-life balance:

• Fatigue: can greatly affect concentration levels and your ability to work productively. This in turn can lead to costly mistakes at work.
• Poor health: stress can take its toll on the immune system and potentially worsen symptoms of medical conditions. Additionally, stress puts you at risk of alcohol and substance abuse.
• Lost time with family and friends: blurred boundaries between work and home life can result in missing out on time with family and friends, and potentially damage interpersonal relationships.
• Increased expectations: working too many hours can lead to increased expectations at work and you may be given more responsibilities which can result in additional challenges.

Setting time limits and self-care activities are essential in establishing a healthy work-life balance.

Track and manage your time: be mindful of your daily tasks including work and personal obligations. Ensure to set aside time in your day to engage in both work and personal activities, making sure to stick to allocated times. It is important to remember that activities that are meaningful to you are included in your day.

Compile a list of to-do activities: make a list of work-related and personal activities. Ensure to keep these lists separate, i.e. one list for work-related tasks and a separate list for personal tasks. Prioritise tasks in order of importance.

Use a calendar or planner: you may wish to use a calendar or planner to help you keep on top of upcoming events. This helps to keep you focused on the task at hand and you are prepared for what each day has in store.

Learn to say “no”: whether it is a colleague asking you to take on another project (not one of your own) or your child’s teacher asking you to be more involved in the school, remember it is okay to respectfully say “no”. We can often take on additional tasks out of guilt or a feeling of obligation. When we are not able to say “no” to others, we can soon put ourselves in a position where we take on too much and can become overwhelmed which can lead to reduced productivity.

Leave work at work: with such advances in technology, we now have the ability to access work from home which can quickly lead to blurred boundaries between work and personal life. Make a conscious effort to separate work time from personal time. Unless you are working on a deadline, avoid checking your emails once you leave the office or taking work home.

Caring for yourself (self-care)

Eat a healthy diet: include fresh fruit, vegetables and lean protein into your diet, to enhance your ability to retain information.

Get enough sleep: lack of sleep can lead to increased stress and poor concentration levels. Ensure you are getting enough sleep to help you function efficiently. The amount of sleep varies between each individual, but aim for a minimum of seven hours. It is important to establish a healthy sleep routine to prepare your mind and body for sleep. Avoid using electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets just before bedtime. The light emitted by these devices decreases melatonin levels, the hormone associated with sleep.

Make time for enjoyable activities and relaxation: set aside time each day (at least 30 minutes) to engage in activities you enjoy such as reading, walking, and spending time with family and friends.

This blog was written by Maria Kampantais, Your Mind Matters Psychologist

To read the full article, visit http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult- health/in-depth/work-life- balance/art-20048134?pg=2