The therapy question

I rang seven psychologists before I found one who was taking new clients. The first six waitlists were three to six months. The seventh had a cancellation that week.

The Plan from module 2 gives you the funding. This module gives you the map.

The four therapy types worth knowing about

CBT — Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The most common, the most studied, the strongest evidence base for depression. Structured. Often comes with homework. Typically 8-16 sessions for depression.

ACT — Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. A close cousin of CBT but with a different starting move. Particularly good for "stuck" depression. Strong evidence base for treatment-resistant depression.

IPT — Interpersonal Therapy. Shorter, more focused (12-16 sessions), structured around the people in your life. If your depression has a clear relational trigger, IPT is often the fastest route through.

Schema therapy. Deeper, longer, works on early-life patterns. Useful when you've done CBT and still keep ending up in the same place.

EMDR is sometimes offered for depression but its strong evidence base is in trauma.

"Talk therapy" without a named modality — fine if the clinician can name what they actually use.

How to find someone

A practical sequence:

1. Ask your GP for two or three names.
2. Cross-reference Psychology Today's Australian directory. Filter by suburb, modality, "currently accepting clients."
3. Ring three. Not email. The conversation tells you more than the website.
4. Ask the four questions.

If you're rural, telehealth psychology under Medicare works.

Four questions to ask before you book

1. "Are you currently taking new clients?"

2. "What's your main therapeutic modality?" A confident clinician will name one or two.

3. "What does session one usually look like?" A vague answer is a flag.

4. "Roughly how many sessions might this take?" Honest answer for moderate depression: 8-16.

When the first one isn't right

This is the bit nobody tells you up front: most men don't click with the first psychologist.

What "not clicking" feels like:

• Three sessions in, you're not learning anything.
• You're talking around things instead of into them.
• You leave each session more confused than when you arrived.

What to do:

• Don't tough it out for ten sessions. Three is enough information.
• Tell them you're switching. "I've thought about it and I think I need a different approach. Thanks for the work we've done."
• Ask them for a referral.
• The MHTP follows you. You don't lose your funding by switching.

Trust the read. Better to switch in week three than to grind through ten sessions of mismatch.

Pick the modality. Make the calls. Switch if it's not right.

Further watching

• Find the right therapist (avoid this mistake) | Kati Morton
• 9 Life Changing Treatments for Treatment Resistant Depression