KIRSTEN MEYER
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
FAQ
Who sees a psychologist
People go to psychologists for a great variety of reasons – everything from managing serious mental illness to coping with a traumatic event or seeking personal growth. If what you are looking for falls outside the scope of what I can provide, I will do my best to refer you to an appropriate colleague.
How to prepare for a session
This will depend on what we are working on together. To prepare for the first session I will ask you to fill out a questionnaire. If necessary, preparation for future sessions will be agreed on during the preceding session.
The difference between a clinical psychologist and a counselling psychologist (South Africa)
As a clinical psychologist I have been trained to assess, diagnose and treat a vast array of disorders spanning from typical life challenges like identity development, relationship difficulties, substance abuse, career change, or grieving, through to serious psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Put simply, my clinical training has equipped me to deal with more serious and rare forms of psychopathology or psychiatric illnesses in addition to less severe psychological challenges that many of us can expect to encounter over the course of a lifetime.
How psychotherapy can help you
I have experience in assessing, diagnosing and treating a large range of life challenges and mental illnesses. Your treatment will be tailored according to your needs and may include a unique mixture of elements from the different forms of psychotherapy I use. Your process will be determined by the information gained during the assessment phase and will be informed by your needs, input and preferences. The kinds of challenges and illnesses I can assist with include: relationship difficulties; trauma processing (including posttraumatic stress disorder - PTSD); anxiety (including social and separation anxiety); phobias; panic attacks; compulsions and/or intrusive thoughts (including obsessive compulsive disorder); identity development; identity confusion (including gender dysphoria and sexuality); self-esteem; delusions; psychosis (including schizophrenia); dissociation; depression (including mild to severe and also depressive symptoms associated with menstruation); bipolar disorder; eating disorders; body dysmorphia (persistent and distressing preoccupation with perceived body defects); chronic physical difficulties that defy medical explanation including pain, fatigue, and other illnesses; sleep difficulties; sexual difficulties; substance use; and personality difficulties.
If you are experiencing something not listed above, feel free to contact me as I may be able to assist you and, if I am unable to, I will refer you to an appropriate colleague.