Frequently asked questions

I am registered with the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), so all medical aids will cover the cost of sessions to the degree that they make provision for counselling services for your medical aid plan. It is always advised that you confirm with your medical aid what your annual benefit for psychological services is. 

Prescribed Minimum Benefits are a set of legally defined benefits that all medical aid schemes need to cover regardless of the plan you are on. PMBs exist to ensure that all medical scheme members have access to certain minimum health services. Generally, counselling is not covered by PMBs because this provision is reserved for the most serious psychological conditions for which consultation with a clinical psychologist is necessary. Under certain conditions, we can make an application. 

· F43.0 – Acute Stress Reaction, accompanied by recent significant trauma, including physical and sexual abuse. Up to 12 sessions.  

· F43.8 – Other Reaction to Severe Distress 

· F43.9 – Reaction to Severe Stress, Unspecified T74.1 – Physical Abuse and T74.2 – Sexual Abuse Attempted suicide, irrespective of the cause. Up to 6 sessions. 

· Major Affective Disorders, including unipolar and bipolar depression. Up to 15 sessions. 

· F20.4 – Post-Schizophrenic Depression 

· F25 – All Schizoaffective Disorders 

· F30.1 – Mania without Psychotic Symptoms and F30.2 – Mania with Psychotic Symptoms 

· F31.- – All Bipolar Affective Disorders 

· F32.- – All forms of Depressive Episodes 

· F33.- – All forms of Recurrent Depressive Episodes 

· F53.1 - Severe mental & behavioural disorders associated with the puerperium (period post-childbirth), not elsewhere classified

· F53.8 - Other mental & behavioural disorders associated with the puerperium, not elsewhere classified 

· F53.9 - Puerperal mental disorder, unspecified 

You can contact your medical aid and enquire to what extent they may cover mental health problems over and above the prescribed minimum benefits as well as whether they cover your specific condition. If they do not, then you will be required to pay for counselling yourself.

No. You are in charge of your counselling process, and you decide what you want to share with me. Counselling works best when you are completely open about the issues you specifically choose to focus on, but you can always state what parts of your life you want to be open about and what parts of your life you wish to keep private. 

Counselling is for preventative, foundational mental healthcare and the pursuit of mental wellbeing. Counselling is for the general life difficulties that can affect anyone, like trauma, grief, and burnout. Counselling does not include the treatment of mental illness like psychosis or personality disorder. Counselling does not include diagnostic, neuropsychological, or projective testing. Counselling might be for you if you are able to work, keep your relationships, and take care of yourself. You are welcome to check with me whether your concerns and goals are within my scope of practice and competence or whether you should consult with a more specialised practitioner. 

Most of the research evidence is based on weekly sessions, and this is usually the best way to start. Many clients move down to two-weekly or monthly sessions for maintenance. It depends on your goals, needs, and context.

· When to log on to an online session: It is recommended that you log into the meeting at least 5 minutes before your session starts so that you can resolve any technical issues at be ready to start at the agreed upon time. This way we can be sure to use your entire 50 minutes. 

· Where to set up your online session: It is very important that you set up your computer in a quiet, private place so that you will not be distracted and so that you feel safe to express yourself freely. 

· Required tech: A computer or phone that can access the Microsoft Teams application or a web browser safely (up to date security). If Microsoft Teams is not suitable for you, we can use another secure video calling platform. You may want to use ear phones and a microphone for more privacy or to assist focus.