Both counsellors and clinical psychologists
are trained to provide counselling and psychotherapy, however a counsellor has
a stronger focus on healthy individuals, who have fewer pathological symptoms.
On the other hand, a clinical psychologist has a stronger focus on those with
pathological symptoms or other serious mental health issues. A psychiatrist
would be able to provide both psychotherapy and medication.
All three mental health professionals would
be able to help you with the issues that you are currently dealing with,
however if you notice that the symptoms are still manageable, then it would be
good to start off with making an appointment with a psychologist or a
counsellor.
Medication will only be prescribed by a
psychiatrist if the symptoms that you are currently experiencing is at a severe
level and it is disrupting your ability to function on a day to day basis. Not
all individuals who see a psychiatrist would be prescribed with medication.
Not necessarily, the medication dosage may
be tapered down as supervised by your psychiatrist as your symptoms become
better and more manageable.
Most of the tests online may not be
completely reliable, and if the test that you took is a diagnostic tool, it is
best to have it interpreted by a psychologist rather than trying to interpret
it ourselves, hence it is advisable to schedule an appointment with a therapist
in order to have a proper clinical interview conducted to identify the severity
of your symptoms.
No, not all government hospitals in
Malaysia have psychological services.
Unfortunately, the laws in Malaysia would
not permit for minors to undergo psychotherapy sessions without attaining their
parents’ written consent first.
In your first therapy appointment, you
would be requested to fill up a coupe of forms such as the client information
form and the informed consent form, both of which are vital for your therapist
to know a little bit about you before your session and to also highlight
matters of confidentiality. Your first session with your therapist would last
between 70 to 90 minutes and this is when your therapist would focus on
understanding the struggles and challenges that you are facing at the moment
and to also work together with you on coming up with your treatment goals.
A lot of individuals would benefit from
psychotherapy regardless of the issue that you are currently facing. Some
indicators would be if you are experiencing emotional or physical difficulties
that are currently affecting your ability to function in your daily lives (e.g.,
stress, relationship issues, anxiety, etc.) or if you require assistance in
your journey of self-discovery, goal setting, and growth facilitation.
Our emotions tend to fluctuate from day to
day for a number of reasons. It can be from hormones or chemical imbalances, or
it can simply be that some days produce more challenges than the others.
However, if you notice that this is happening too often, almost like a
consistent cycle, then it may be best to seek for professional help.
If you would like to make appointment with a
particular psychologist and therapist, you may contact us to find out more about his or her
available time
slots. On the
other hand, if you
are not too sure about which psychologist or therapist is
suitable for your recovery process,
you may contact us through the inquiry function at our home page, we will
attend to you within 24 hours, and guide you through
the process of attending psychotherapy and counselling services.
It is very important that you feel
comfortable with your therapist and that a certain level of rapport has been
established before you’re able to trust your therapist enough to share your
struggles with them, hence if you are not able to connect with your therapist
enough to form a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship, then it is
perfectly reasonable to speak to your therapist about wanting to be referred to
another therapist.
The number of psychotherapy sessions
required depends on a client’s needs and goals, but on average, clients are encouraged
to attend a minimum of 6 to 8 therapy sessions to fully indulge in the therapy
experience. Usually, treatment is completed upon mutual agreement between the
client and the therapist. You should not be expected to attend therapy sessions
forever as the goal of treatment is to help you get better and that should be
achievable with a certain amount of sessions that is agreed upon between the
client and the therapist.
Anything that you share with your therapist
will remain private and will not be shared to anyone with three exceptions: (1)
the client is a potential danger to self and others, (2) child or elder abuse
is suspected, and (3) where mandated by the court or law, information may be
shared without written consent.
Often times what we see on TV has been
exaggerated or heavily scripted for entertainment purposes, and although some
elements may be similar (e.g., seating arrangement in the therapy room, matters
of confidentiality, etc.), the contents of the therapy sessions on TV may be
fairly different as compared to real life psychotherapy sessions.
Yes, you can. There are different types of
therapy services such as individual psychotherapy, couples therapy, and family
therapy, hence if you would like to have your family members with you in
session, you can request for a family therapy session with your therapist.