Where are all the available psychologists?

The last 2 years have been gruelling on everyone’s mental health. People are reaching out for support in record numbers. However, there are only 34,455 psychologists in Australia, 9,607 of us in Victoria. And yet demand for services has increased by around 20%, and almost 17.6 million Medicare sessions for mental health were delivered in the last 15 months!

The constant adjustment to the ups, downs, and round and rounds have certainly tested us.

Here’s the skinny: Most people currently in support are reluctant to finish up with their psychologist, therefore very few spots become available. Psychologists are EXHAUSTED and have overflowing diaries, so can’t just “fit one more in” as we would normally do. Waitlists are near impossible to manage because of this - there is no clear timeline for people’s recovery right now. And sometimes a cancelled appointment is an opportunity to just take a breath.

As much as we’d love to, psychologists and the mental health industry simply cannot keep up.

Here are a few things you can do if you’re having trouble with linking in:

First, consider what level of support that could be helpful to you right now, even if it’s not exactly your preferred option:

Searching for a needle in a haystack?

- There are lots of really great Apps as a DIY option to start with first (Try ‘Recharge’ for goal setting and important information about healthy lifestyle choices; ‘HeadGear’ for a 30 day mental health fitness challenge, or ‘Smiling Mind’ for mindfulness practice and relaxation).

- Helplines aren’t always everyone’s cup of tea. But sometimes it helps just to feel heard. Try Beyond Blue or Head to Help hotlines for a chat and a problem-solving sesh with a trained professional. Try it, see if it helps.

- Admittedly we’re all a bit sick of online meetings, but telehealth services are more available than face to face right now. Almost everyone is surprised at how much it “wasn’t as bad as I thought”! Try mymirror.com.au or cyberclinic.com.au who list available psychologists.

- See if your workplace offers an “Employee Assistance Program”, or EAP. Often they can see you sooner and offer strategies and counselling support.

- Reach out to those around you for support. I know it’s cliche, but there’s nothing quite like someone you know and trust who you can spend time with, discover their coping strategies, or simply have some quality time and connection with someone.

- If you do feel you need a face to face psychologist or clinical psychologist, keep in regular contact with your GP for interim support, and develop a shortlist of a few names you can try (see the APS Find a Psychologist website and use the PsychEngage contact function to contact multiple practitioners at once, or try Psychology Today). You can also visit Talklink.com.au who only list available clinicians and who list a variety of mental health practitioners (ie. not just psychologists).

If you’re feeling unsafe or in a crisis, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, your local psychiatric triage service, or the nearest hospital Emergency Department.

The main message is this: don’t let this stop you from reaching out. There ARE options, even though it doesn’t feeling like it sometimes.

Go easy on yourselves and others. We got this.