During our first fifty minute session, we want to spend time to get to know you and explore what has been going on for you. We also want to take the time to understand your background and get an idea of your goals for therapy. 

We will ask questions to prompt this information and talk you through our therapeutic treatment recommendations. We see our therapeutic relationship as a partnership – we encourage you to raise questions or concerns at any time throughout the therapeutic process.

We understand therapy may feel like a daunting prospect, however, we are committed to ensuring you feel safe and supported at all times.

Being prepared for your sessions can be helpful - for example, writing down any questions or comments you want to make sure you remember to bring up at your next session. 

Just as homework can help a student progress and consolidate their learning, practice outside of therapy can enhance your therapeutic journey. This may mean brainstorming and bringing in notes about what you’d like to discuss, or goals you’d like to achieve, or it may mean committing to practicing a technique we’ve worked on in your session. 

Fees for a standard session are $230 per session depending on the length of the session. The current Australian Psychological Society (APS) recommended fee is $280 per hour. A full APS fee schedule can be found here.

When appointments are booked, the psychologist reserves the whole hour especially for you. 

Therefore the following cancellation policy is in place to allow us to offer the allocated time to another person who may be on a waiting list for that appointment.

We require 48 hours notice to reschedule or cancel a session without incurring any extra fees.  A cancellation with less than 24 hours notice will be charged at 50% of the session fee, while non-attendance will be charged at a full session fee. 

We understand that sometimes you may be unable to keep an appointment because of sudden illness or an unexpected personal emergency. If this happens to you, please contact us as soon as possible to explain the situation.

A late cancelled appointment is a loss to three people:

1. The client who is delaying their therapy progress
2. Another client who has been sitting on the waiting list to see the psychologist urgently
3. The psychologist who spent the morning preparing the session

You do not need a referral to see our therapists; however, if you wish to access rebates through Medicare, you will need to ensure you have your referral paperwork to bring to your appointment. 

We do recommend working with us in conjunction with your regular health care provider – usually, a GP, as we believe a team-based treatment plan is more effective, however it is not essential.   

You may be eligible for a Medicare rebate per consultation if you have been referred to us by a General Practitioner under a Mental Health Care Plan (GP Item 2710), or referred directly from a Psychiatrist.

Many private health funds offer rebates for psychological services, you will need to check with your health fund. Please note you cannot claim from both Medicare and Private Health Fund for the same consultation session. 

A mental health care plan entitles you to Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual and 10 group appointments with psychological services in a year. You will need to revisit your GP after the 6th session for re-referral for an additional four sessions. 

You will need to bring your referral to our first session to claim the rebate. To obtain one, you will need to book an appointment with your GP – you may need a longer appointment, so ask when booking. 

Your MHCP outlines what type of health care support you need, and what you and your doctor have agreed you are aiming to achieve, and any allied services – such as a psychologist, who are part of your treatment plan. 

Psychiatrists have completed a medical degree and further training and study related to the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Psychiatrists specialise in the medical treatment of mental illness and can prescribe medications. Some psychiatrists combine medication and therapy. 

Psychologists are trained and registered practitioners who work with people with everyday concerns, as well as mental health issues. To become a fully registered psychologist, you must have an undergraduate degree and at least two years supervised training and further education. There are a large number of research studies supporting the effectiveness of psychological therapy, and it can also be considered the gold standard treatment for some disorders. 

All Australian psychologists must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia, meeting high standards in education, training, supervised practice, ethical and professional standards, and ongoing professional development.

However, psychologists with general registration and a masters degree have a minimum of six years of university training and supervised experience, and build on that every year with ongoing education to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. A clinical psychologist is someone who has completed the masters and two years supervised training in an endorsed area of practice. A clinical psychologist registrar has completed their masters and currently undertaking their supervised training.