Psychological therapy is a talking therapy. This means we try to understand what is going on and work through problems primarily by talking and communicating. Sometimes people find it very difficult to talk about their thoughts and feelings but a psychologist will help them to express themselves. It usually gets easier and becoming more confident to talk about our inner world can be an important benefit of therapy. It can lead to a better understanding of ourselves and improve our communication with those close to us. Psychologists do not prescribe medications. Psychologists do use various strategies, approaches, or skill building to assist people to work through their difficulties. Usually people will need to try these strategies or practice them between sessions.

Therapy sessions typically last for 50 to 60 minutes. The frequency of sessions may vary depending on the type of problem and what is feasible for the person. For example they may be weekly, fortnightly, or monthly.