Find a Psychologist Near Me

Before you call the psychologist listed on your referral consider this…

One of the most common ways to find a psychologist is by walking into a GP office. You then walk out with a referral to a specific psychologist within a certain radius of where you live. In this scenario, you do not necessarily pick the psychologist you are referred to... in the same way you don’t really pick the radiology practice or gynecologists' you get a referral for. Typically, you're asked your preferred gender, travel distance, and therapy type. Maybe your GP just says they know a good psychologist they think would be a good fit. Then you walk out with a referral, and you call the person listed on it.

Yet did you know you can use that referral for any psychologist you choose. You do not need to see the psychologist listed on your referral. You can do your own research and search. Nowadays, you're not restricted to psychologists within your travel distance. Since telehealth is permanent, you can choose any Australian psychologist who offers telehealth.

Why is it important to consider finding and choosing your own psychologist?

Your connection with your psychologist is the top predictor of positive therapy results. Who is the best person to pick that psychologist? I am of the opinion it is you. You are the best judge of whether you'll work well with a psychologist.

I don’t want to put out the assumption you are going to get it right on the first go. However, choosing a psychologist based on your own research is more likely to lead to a good fit than relying on a referral. Starting by selecting your own psychologist might require some trial and error. Yet it can ultimately save you time and money. This is because it may potentially reduce the number of appointments with the wrong psychologist by at least one.

To see the Psychologist Listed on the Referral or Not?

I am in no way saying if you see the psychologist listed on your referral, they are not going to be a good fit. I have had many clients come to see me who never even looked at my profile or website. These clients found me to be a good fit and they went on to achieve the therapy outcomes they wanted. I have also seen clients who I was not the right fit. This meant they had to pay for it and had one less rebatable appointment that year.

These are a few reasons why it is important to research a psychologist before you see them.

How to find a good psychologist

There are several factors which may make a psychologist the right fit for you. Here is a few you may want to consider:

·       Are they trained to treat the symptoms you have e.g. postnatal anxiety, or OCD

·       Do they use the therapeutic methods you're interested in or need to address your symptoms?

·       Can they perform the assessments you want, if you need one

·       Do they practice on the days and at the times which are suitable for you?

·       Are they within a distance you are willing to travel. If not, do they offer telehealth services.

·       What are your thoughts on their bio. Can you find any more information of theirs such as articles, blog posts, or social media posts?

·       Consider what type of genders you are comfortable working with

·       How do you feel when you look at the photograph of them.

·      Would you be okay if you ran into your psychologist in your local area? Although some psychologists commute to work from different towns.

Can a Psychologist Use Testimonials?

No. Psychologists, as registered health practitioners. This means they’re prohibited from using testimonials. This is due to their code of ethics and advertising guidelines. As a result, you won't have access to reviews or testimonials from other clients.

How To Tell if a Psychologist is Not a Good Fit?

There are no specific guidelines to determine this. Yet, for some people they just know. This may be a result of looking at their bio, website, or attending your first appointment with them.

If you are unsure, I generally recommend attending, two to three appointments. The reasoning behind this is, sometimes it’s hard to tell in an initial appointment. You may be anxious or overwhelmed by the number and content of the questions. This may mean you leave feeling worse than you came in. Thus, it can be hard to determine for some if they think the psychologist, is a good fit. Also, sometimes a psychologist can just have an off day and not do a great job at building rapport with you. The second appointment could be totally different.

Where to Start Looking for a Psychologist?

There are many ways to go about this. You can:

·       Google and look at more than just the first page. I have listed below some terms you can use to search below depending on your preferences.

·       Look at Psychology Today’s Website. They have lots of Australian psychologist’s listings on there.

·       Look on the AAPI Find a Psychologist page

·       Search on Instagram to find psychologist and practices who have profiles on there. You can also search hashtags such as australianpsychologist, EMDRpsychologist, CBTpsychologist, “yourlocation”psychologist, telehealthpsychologist.

·       Search on Facebook

·       Look in your local White or Yellow Pages

·       If you want a specific therapy type. Check out associations related to the therapy. They may also have a list of trained psychologists. E.g. EMDRAA in Australia has a list of EMDR trained psychologist on their website.

·       Look for psychology practices signs on your morning commutes or weekend drives. You will probably start to notice there are a lot more around than you have noticed.

·       Ask friends if they know of any psychology practices.

o   It's generally advised not to see a psychologist who has treated your friend. An exception is when you're in a rural area with very limited options.

·       You can ask you GP if they can give you a list of local psychologists.

Overall, I recommend trying various search techniques and platforms to compile your shortlist. This is because your psychologist may not have mastered SEO or have paid to be on the first page of Google. They may not have a Psychology Today Profile or an Instagram profile. They may not be a member of a certain organisation with a find a psychologist list. If you want to find the right fit, you may need to search for them and be open to spend some time doing it.

Google Phrases to Help you Search for a Psychologist

·       Psychologists near me

·       Telehealth psychologist

·     “Location” Psychologist trained in “therapy type”

·       Telehealth psychologist trained in “therapy type”.

·     “Specific concern” psychologist. E.g. perinatal psychologist or ocd psychologist

·       Telehealth “specific concern” psychologist

·       Bulkbilling psychologist in “location” or “telehealth”

·       Workcover psychologist

·       Psychologist for women in e.g. business