Most of the nervousness about a first appointment is about the logistics rather than the therapy. So here are the logistics.
We are at Unit 12, The Parks, 154 Fullarton Road, Rose Park SA 5067, on the corner of Fullarton Road and Alexandra Avenue, five minutes from the Adelaide CBD. There is free two-hour street parking on Alexandra Avenue and Grant Avenue, and the parklands are opposite if you arrive early and would rather sit outside than in a waiting room.
Access: the consulting suites are on the first floor and are reached by one flight of stairs. There is no lift. If a flight of stairs is not manageable for you, a Zoom or telephone appointment is likely to suit you better — every practitioner here offers both, and the Medicare rebate is the same either way. Say so when you book.
You will get instructions by email and text before your appointment, and everything you need to find your way in is in them.
Arrive five minutes early if you can. There is no paperwork to fill in at the door — your practitioner will have sent you anything they need beforehand.
The first appointment is mostly conversation. Your practitioner will ask what brought you, what has been happening and for how long, what you have already tried, and what you would like to be different. Towards the end you will usually agree a rough plan: what you are going to work on, how, and roughly how long it might take.
You are not obliged to tell anyone everything on day one. It is entirely reasonable to say that something is not what you want to talk about yet. Nobody will push, and nothing is withheld from you about your own treatment.
You will leave with a sense of whether this is someone you can work with. If the answer is no, say so — it is far better addressed in week one than in week six.
Your Mental Health Treatment Plan and referral if you have them, your Medicare card, and a payment card. If you are attending under workers compensation, a CTP claim, NDIS or DVA, bring the claim or plan number.
If you have seen someone before and have reports or assessments you are willing to share, they can save time — but they are not required and nothing waits on them.
What you say stays between you and your practitioner. Your records are kept securely and are not shared without your consent, with three narrow exceptions that every practitioner is required to explain at the outset: where there is a serious and immediate risk to you or someone else, where a court orders disclosure, and where the law otherwise requires it.
If you came through a Mental Health Treatment Plan, your practitioner writes back to your referring GP. That is part of the arrangement and helps your care join up, and you can ask what will be in that letter.
About 50 minutes, first appointments included. If you would like a longer appointment, ask when you book and your practitioner will arrange it.
No. The consulting suites are on the first floor, up one flight of stairs. If a flight of stairs is not manageable for you, a Zoom or telephone appointment is likely to suit you better — every practitioner here offers both, at the same fee and the same rebate.
Often, yes. The building is open from 7am and the last session of the day can start as late as 6.30pm. Practitioners set their own hours within that, though, so it depends on who you see — their own website lists their availability, or ask us when you call.
Call as early as you can on 08 7228 2319. Each practitioner sets their own terms for short-notice cancellations and will have explained them to you.
Yes. Telehealth is available with every practitioner here and attracts the same Medicare rebate as an in-person appointment.
If you are in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 000 in an emergency. Neither we nor your practitioner provide a crisis or after-hours service.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency. OneBodyMind is not a crisis service. Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636.