FAQ's - Psychologists
A psychologist is a mental health professional who has completed a minimum of 6 years of combined tertiary education in psychology and applied workplace supervision.
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor that specialises in psychiatry and can assist the medical team diagnose any psychiatric illness and provide treatment with psychological therapy and prescribe medications if necessary.A psychologist is an allied health professional who has a university degree in psychology, they can diagnose certain psychological conditions and deliver psychological treatments, but cannot generally diagnose psychiatric illnesses nor can they prescribe medications.
All psychologists can assess, diagnose and treat individuals within the limits of their competence. Psychologists complete continuing professional development in areas of interest each year, and some may have multiple areas of interest or expertise. It is important to find a psychologist who you "click with" and feel relaxed and comfortable. Research shows it is the relationship between client and therapist that is the most important factor for success in therapy.
The initial session is intended to help you feel comfortable and initiate a professional relationship with you. We take a brief history to develop an understanding of your issue(s). From here, we hope to give you an idea of how we can best support you throughout therapy. Ideally, you leave your first session with feeling hopeful about the future, connected and comfortable with your therapist.
Yes , our Psychologists have specific training and experience engaging with children. The process of working with children in therapy is very different to working with adults. In particular, psychologists use a range of verbal and non-verbal creative forms of expression that is tailored to the child’s age and developmental stage. These typically include talk therapy as well as art and play therapy. If your child is 15 years or under, we always ask you to attend a parent consultation first without your child. This allows both the parent/s and therapist to obtain a full history of the child’s development and the difficulties they are experiencing in an open manner. Future sessions occur with the child and at times the parent can be present with the child’s consent. Children have rights to confidentiality regarding what they express in their sessions. Often children feel discouraged from opening up in session if they believe everything spoken about is shared with parents. The psychologist will update parents on how therapy is progressing and if they become aware of any concerns or risk issues.
Although you don't need to have a referral and can pay privately or often access a private health insurance rebate, the most common type of referral is a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) referral which can be obtained from your GP.
You can use a MHCP to claim a maximum of 20 appointments per calendar year.You must return to your referring GP for a new referral letter and to access subsequent sessions. Each referral letter can only be used for a certain number of appointments, typically 4, 6, or 10 per referral letter.
Yes our dietitians and psychologists see many clients with eating disorders.
If you suspect you may have or are diagnosed with an eating disorder, a doctor can write a referral under an Eating Disorder Treatment Plan (EDTP) for you. With an EDTP you can access a Medicare rebate for a maximum of 40 psychology appointments in a 12 month period. To access all 40 Medicare rebates, you must return to your GP for a new referral letter after the 10th, 20th and 30th appointment.
Additionally, to access more than 20 Medicare rebated psychology appointments under an EDTP, you must attend a consultation with a psychiatrist or a paediatrician (if you are under 18). They are required to assess you and approve further appointments under the plan. This is in addition to getting a new referral letter from your GP. This specialist appointment can take place at any time between your first appointment and your 21st appointment.
An EDPT expires 12 months after it was written. Any referral letter that has not been fully used up expires when this date is reached.
Alternatively, you can arrange to see us without a referral as it is not necessary to be referred by anyone. You can Pay privately and if you have health insurance cover for psychology you may be able to access a rebate this way.
No, these are conducted by a multidisciplinary team of Developmental Paediatrician, Neuropsychologist, and other Allied Health professionals
Please call us for our fees and charges and applicable rebates.
- Consultation fees are payable before or on the day of appointment.
- We accept cash, eftpos and all credit cards (not including Amex).
- We have HICAPS and easyclaim medicare facilities for your convenience.
- We ask for at least 24 hours notice if you are unable to attend.
- A cancellation fee applies if less than 24 hours notice is given.
Rebates
Medicare Rebate – Medicare rebates are only available for those clients who have an Enhanced Primary Care, team care arrangement in place with their General Practitioner.
Exercise Physiologists – Medicare rebates may be claimable with an Enhanced Primary Care, team care arrangement or a Diabetes Group Referral for group exercise classes from your General Practitioner.
Dietitians – Medicare rebates may be claimable with an Enhanced Primary Care, team care arrangement from your General Practitioner or a Diabetes Group Referral from your General Practitioner for group cooking classes or an Eating Disorder Care plan from your GP.
Psychologists – Medicare rebates may be claimable with an Enhanced Primary Care, team care arrangement from your General Practitioner or a Mental Health plan from your General Practitioner for group cooking classes or an Eating Disorder Care plan from your General Practitioner.
How many times can I claim?
Enhanced Primary Care plans can let you access up to 5 allied health Medicare claims per calendar year. However, these 5 claims need to be shared amongst all your allied health professionals. For example, if you claim 3 Medicare rebates with a podiatrist you will only have 2 available rebates left within this calendar year to be used with a different health professional such as a dietitian or exercise physiologist.
Mental Health plans can let you access up to 20 Psychology Medicare claims per calendar year.
Diabetes Group Referral can let you access up to 1 Medicare claim for an individual assessment and 8 Medicare claims for group classes per calendar year.
Eating Disorder Care plans can let you access up to 20 Dietitian Medicare rebates and up to 40 Psychology Medicare rebates per referral year.
Unsure you qualify for any of these? It is best to speak to your GP to discuss your eligibility for one or more of these GP referrals options.
Have you reached your Medicare safety net threshold?
When you spend over a certain amount in Medical out of pocket expenses per calendar year, Medicare will give you a higher amount back per consultation. This normally reduces the out of pocket expense of our consultations to around or even less than $20 per visit.
Health Funds
If a Medicare item has not been charged, then fees may be claimable through most private health funds, depending on your level of cover – it is best to check with your health fund to determine your particular entitlements.
We have HICCAPS terminal available to claim private health fund rebate at the time of payment, so conveniently you only have to pay the gap payment.
We also have an easy claims system, to conveniently process your Medicare claims at the time of your appointment. You will need to pay your appointment fee in full to be able to then claim the rebate.
Rebates: It is the clients’ responsibility to check with their health fund regarding the rebate they might be eligible for.