Please scroll through and read all the information on this page to get the most from your time in therapy. Many questions I get asked prior to the first session are covered below, as is other important information.
Payment is required on booking.
My preferred payment method is Direct Deposit. Please make payment of $150 into the following account:
Acc Name: Mel Eden
Bank: ING
BSB: 923100
Acc: 800877414
or you can use my pay id:
huntervalleywalkandtalk@gmail.com
If you require a receipt you can pay via card on this link. Or here for consultancy services.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9045676596?pwd=cFAzVGxxRmkvYXVnN2ZrTmQ2Um42UT09
Meeting ID: 904 567 6596
Passcode: 3p1jsP
If you've not used Zoom before, please test it out prior to our appointment time, so that any glitches do not eat into our time together.
Intake Form - we can complete this form together during session, or you can complete it online here OR or you can download it here. (Select 'file' and then 'download')
Relationship Reflections: If you are attending therapy to discuss relationship issues, you may find this helpful to complete prior to session, and to bring along to help both of us understand what's happening and formulate a plan moving forward.
Please understand that the first session isn't a quick fix. Whatever you're going through has likely been a part of your journey for a while, and it will take some time to untangle those old patterns, beliefs, and big anxieties together, and it's worth giving yourself the time for this journey that you deserve. Effective therapy is a process, and its sometimes a lengthy one.
Our initial sessions are all about getting acquainted, so we'll be chatting while seated (I've got a chair ready for you, but feel free to bring your own seat if you prefer). You might notice me taking notes but I'm still listening!
In the first session I'll be exploring a little about your life:
In our second session, we'll dive deeper into your backstory, painting a fuller picture of where you've been. You're in control of what you share, and I understand that trust takes time to build.
As we journey through therapy, we'll uncover what's working in your life, what needs tweaking, and how your past influences your present. We'll weave in mindfulness techniques and strategies as needed, guiding you toward lasting change.
For real transformation, I recommend weekly or fortnightly sessions – we might start with weekly catch-ups and shift to fortnightly , eventually moving to monthly when you're ready - but there are no hard and fast rules - it's all completely up to you. What I have observed in this work is that it is not so much the *frequency* of therapy that benefits, it's the regularity and commitment to yourself and the process that counts. If finances mean that you can only come every 3 weeks, and you commit to showing up every 3 weeks, and doing the work in between sessions - you'll still see progress.
Ready to find your way to our meeting spot? Scroll down for location directions, and check out the therapy journal and bonus support resources below.
Looking forward to our journey together!
This part sounds much more terse than I actually am, but there's a lot of relevant points here, that are important for you to know. I have included the answers to many questions I get asked pre-session.
* Please message me to tell me where you'd like to meet from the options on the locations page. This page also outlines the specific meeting points for each location.
* Our first few sessions are seated. I will have a chair for you. We can stay seated, as sessions go on, but if you'd particularly like to walk after session 3, just let me know.
* I will not attend an appointment if payment has not been made.
* Please note my cancellation policy (also found in the FAQs). If you cancel your appointment MORE than 24 hours prior, then you can reschedule or receive a refund. If you cancel within 24 hours, or do not show up for your appointment, full payment is still required.
*If you are running late, please let me know. I wait 15 minutes and then leave if I haven't been able to make contact with you. Also please note that if you are late, your session time will still finish 70 minutes after your booked start time.
* Please complete the intake form, if you are able to, prior to session. You will find it here. Other options are listed above, under 'forms'. It's important to understand the risks and limitations of outdoor therapy, which are addressed in the form.
*Please do not bring a third party into therapy without discussing it with me first. A third party appointment is charged at a different rate and goes a little longer. $220 for 90 minutes.
* Re-scheduling sessions: Please only re-schedule if it is absolutely unavoidable.
* This is an outdoor based business (I do not have a therapy room) - which means sometimes the weather can interfere with our session plans. You will always be offered a Zoom session or an alternative option where available, but occasionally we will need to reschedule if Zoom is not something you're comfortable with.
* Please take note of what the weather is like before you arrive to our appointment and dress to the conditions - wear covered shoes and a hat. You may also like to consider bringing sunscreen, water and mozzie repellant. Handkerchiefs/tissues are also good to bring along.
* If you have a potentially infectious illness please let me know so we can move to zoom or reschedule.
* Have a think about what you might say if we encounter anyone you know while we are out together. Your privacy and confidentiality is a priority so this is where I would follow your lead. Also be mindful that we are out in public, and as such I can't guarantee your complete privacy and other people will walk close to us. Again I will follow your lead as to whether we stop speaking when other people get near etc
* Prior to session, think about what it is you are hoping to gain from our time together. If you were to look back on your therapy journey 12 months from now, what would you like to see has changed? What relationships have strengthened? Which ones have you let go? Where are you speaking up for yourself more? What skills would you like to learn in regards to communication and assertiveness? How much do you think your childhood has impacted on you as an adult and how much would you be comfortable delving into that initially?
* Please be aware that I live in Maitland and travel across Newcastle, Maitland and Lake Macquarie to provide my service. I factor in travel time when confirming/booking sessions, however sometimes situations out of my control may arise, which could make me run a little late. This is very, very rare.
* It is quite possible we may see each other out in the community between sessions - we may even attend the same social events. I am more than happy to say hello and have a casual, brief chat, but due to protecting your privacy being my priority, you will need to approach me, I won't approach you. There's every chance I might be with my partner, a friend or a family member, and you'll need to take that into consideration - they may ask me who you are. But please don't ever think I'm ignoring you - I am just meeting my obligations to maintain your privacy.
* Please scroll down to the bottom of this page for additional resources that we'll be utilising during our time together. If you have a printer, print out the journal provided as it will support our work together.
* I am rarely, if ever late to a session, but due to the travel I do, it's certainly a possibility. If I am not at the designated meeting spot at our allocated time, please give me 5 minutes, if I think I will only be a few minutes I won't contact you (because texting or calling you will just make me even later), if it looks like I will be significantly later (which has never happened), then I will pull over and contact you - if you are unable to wait, I will offer you another time, if you are able to wait, then I will still give you your full 70 minute session, but if I can't due to booking times, your next session will be longer. As I've said, this has never been an issue, but I have to have a plan in place, in case it ever is. :) Traffic around the Hunter is mayhem at the moment!
Please click HERE to get specific instructions for where we'll meet in your chosen location.
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