Lived Experience Forum

[littlewing]

Hello everyone,

I'm wondering how people have been able to find mental health support people, particuarly if they were looking for someone who practices from a certain framework.

I'm wanting to find a narrative therapist/counsellor or trauma-informed counseller/therapist in Melbourne.

Any recommendations would also be very welcome.

Thanks in advance 🙂

[supernova]

Hi @littlewing,

Welcome to the Forums and thanks for your post. It's great to hear that you are looking for ways to find some support within a specific framework. Have you had a chance to check out the Australian Psychological Society's website? They have a Find a Psycholigist service that is pretty handy and lets you filter the search to find someone who meets your criteria. You could also give them a call on 1800 333 497 and they can provide you with some relevant referrals over the phone. 

It's okay for other users to give you some suggestions on how they went about finding the right practitioner, however we do want to remind everyone about the Community Guidelines and the importance on anonymity when sharing information or experiences.

It's great that you are thinking about what style of therapy would work for you. How did you first hear about narrative therapy? 

All the best,
supernova.

[Appleblossom]

Hello @littlewing

We cant mention names due to the Community Guidelines.

I was interested in doing narrative therapy after hearing about it when I studied counselling. I found a lady, was pleased but she was not stable, complained a lot, moved out of her rooms after 2 sessions, and was not a good fit.  I apply some of the principles of narrative therapy in my own self management.

It doesnt mean that narrative therapy isnt a good approach, but there are a lot that goes into the mix in finding a suitable therapist.

I would look at the people within your preferred area, checking various health sites and associations and googling for issues or styles that you would like addressed. After you have a list, phone them and see if they are prepared to talk to you ...

I think it is good to be informed. Even if you settle on one not fully trained in those approaches they may be interested in learning about them with you ...

[UnveiledStories]

Hi LittleWing. I am a Narrative therapist (although mixed with other bits n pieces) but obviously can't suggest myself on here. I know a few others and I can understand why you might be seeking someone from our background as the approach to dealing with trauma is really unique and helpful.

What I do suggest is contacting the Dulwich Centre in Adelaide as most narrative therapists did their training through them (that's the international home of narrative). Or you could contact the Bouverie centre here in Melbs as they also run a lot of narrative training and might be able to suggest someone to you.

I think going to the APS website would be very limiting, because alot of narrative therapists are social workers or counsellors and aren't necessarily psychologists. I also notice that a lot of psychs 'say' they 'do' narrative coz they've done one training session, but actually don't practice from a narrative lens at all. It's not just a set of skills, it's an overriding philosophy about working alongside people and is directly at odds with many more typical 'treatments'.

Melbourne uni may also have some contacts as they now team with Dulwich to deliver a Masters program (which I did).

You have a right to know about your practitioner before seeing them so don't hold back from calling and asking questions if someone has on their website they have a narrative approach. Good luck.