What do psychologists do?
Psychologists are trained to understand human behaviour across a wide range of areas.
They use evidence based methods to support and assist people to improve their functioning
and wellbeing. Our psychologists have a focus on helping young people and their
families manage issues that are affecting their happiness and ability to get the
best out of life.
How do psychologists work?
Psychologists use a wide variety of proven methods to assist clients to address their concerns. We recognise that every client is different
and so we customise our approach to best fit with the needs of our clients.
What qualifications do your psychologists have?
Our psychologists have at least 6 years experience studying and practicing psychology.
All have studied psychology at university for 4 years and then they have either
completed a further 2 years of university at Masters level or worked in the field
under supervision for a 2 year internship.
Our psychologists have full registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
They undertake regular professional development to ensure that they are always up-to-date with
best practice and knowledge of the latest developments in the field.
Do psychologists prescribe medication?
No, psychologists do not prescribe medication.
They generally focus
on assisting clients to make changes and enhance functioning using psychological strategies.
However, some clients may need additional support from medical professionals, such
as paediatricians or psychiatrists, who are able to prescribe medication if necessary.
We are keen to work with other professionals to ensure the best support and outcomes
for clients.
What can I expect from at my first appointment?
We understand that seeing a psychologist for the first time can be daunting. Our friendly psychologists are great at putting people at ease and supporting them to discuss their concerns. We work together with clients to find strategies that best suit them to achieve their goals. We use age-appropriate methods with children and adolescents to help them feel comfortable interacting with their psychologist and to participate in therapy or assessment activities. The first appointment will be devoted to collecting information that will help your psychologist understand your concerns and develop a plan to address these. Further sessions will focus on working together to achieve positive changes.
Are sessions confidential?
Our psychologists are very mindful of the importance of privacy and confidentiality.
We follow the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Code of Ethics, the APS Guidelines
and the Australian Privacy Principles in regards to collecting and handling personal
information.
Your psychologist is obliged to disclose information if it is officially requested (subpoenaed) by a court
of law or if failure to provide the information would place the client or another person at serious risk of harm.
The counselling relationship is built on trust and it is essential that with limited exceptions (as stated above), psychologists
are not asked to disclose the content of counselling sessions. To avoid a conflict of interest, we do not provide any reports
other than those required to inform intervention needs (e.g. assessment reports) and progress reports to referrers as per
Medicare requirements or for clients on National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding. We do not supply court reports or legal letters (e.g. custody or visitation issues) and our psychologists
reserve the right to decline any request that may potentially put the therapeutic relationship at risk.
How many sessions will I need?
There are many factors that can influence therapy outcomes, including the extent
of the issues and how well clients are able to participate in therapy and apply
the ideas and strategies to their everyday living. Some clients may be able to make
the necessary changes to achieve their goals within a few sessions and others may
have a number of concerns that take longer to work through. In general, clients
attend from 6 to 20 sessions depending upon their own circumstances. It may also be necessary to revisit therapy ideas from time to time in order to maintain progress or for support and advice around times of transition and change.
How often will the sessions be?
The frequency of sessions usually depends upon a number of factors such as time
constraints, financial considerations and the level of intervention considered necessary.
Most clients start with fortnightly appointments until a therapy relationship
has been established and appropriate strategies have been developed and implemented.
Clients who require further support may then move to monthly sessions to help
them to monitor their progress and stay on track.
How long does a session go for?
Therapy sessions run for 50-60 minutes.
Do I need a referral?
You do not need a referral to attend our service. However, under the Better Access
Initiative, clients who are referred by a general practitioner
or medical specialist with a Mental Health Treatment Plan are eligible to receive
a Medicare rebate for up to 10 individual and 10 group sessions per calendar year.
Clients can be referred to our service under the Better Access Initiative by a medical practitioner for the following interventions:
Psychoeducation
Motivational Interviewing
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Relaxation Strategies
Skills Training
Problem Solving Skills and Training
Anger Management
Social Skills Training
Communication Training
Stress Management
Parent Management Training
Interpersonal Psychotherapy
How much do your services cost?
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) recommends a rate of $260 for a standard
psychological consultation of 45-60 minutes. To enable families better access to
our service we charge a lesser rate of $175 per therapy session. Under the Better Access Initiative, eligible clients can receive a Medicare rebate of $87.45
for specific psychological services. Please contact us on (07) 3482 2457 for further information or consult with your general practitoner
or medical specialist.
Alternatively, you may be able to claim a private health insurance rebate. Please
contact your health fund to check your eligibility. Please note, you cannot use
private health insurance and Medicare at the same session.
Can I get a claim a Medicare rebate?
You can claim a Medicare rebate if you attend with a referral under a Mental Health
Treatment Plan from your general practitioner or medical specialist. Medicare will
provide a rebate of $87.45 for up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year. We have an electronic Medicare facility that enables payment of rebates
into a suitable bank account or you can claim online via the MyGov website (my.gov.au) or app.
Can I claim from my private health fund?
You may be able to claim a private health insurance rebate depending upon the level
of coverage and type of policy you have. Please contact your health fund to check
your eligibility. Please note, you cannot use both private health insurance and
Medicare at the same session.
How do I pay?
Services must be paid for at each session. We accept Visa, Mastercard or cash. We do not accept American Express or Diners Club cards or cheques.
If you are eligible to claim a Medicare rebate, we have
an electronic facility that enables payment of rebates into a suitable
bank account or you can claim online via the MyGov website (my.gov.au) or app .
What happens if I cannot come to the appointment?
We recognise that there are circumstances beyond the control of clients that may
lead to an appointment being missed or cancelled with short notice. However, in order for
us to continue to operate a supportive service for families, it is necessary to charge
a fee for all missed appointments and short notice cancellations, regardless
of the reason for not attending the appointment (e.g. a child falling ill on the
day of the appointment). If you are unable to attend an appointment, it is essential
that you contact us as soon as possible to advise you will not be attending. Outside of business hours, a message can be left on our secure telephone message bank or you can email us at enquiries.com.au
Unfortunately, we are unable to fill cancelled appointments at short notice. There will be a fee if we do not
receive 48 hours notice of your
intention to cancel or if you do not attend a booked appointment. Efforts will be made to reschedule your appointment in a timely manner; however, the cancellation
fee for the missed or cancelled appointment will still apply.
As a courtesy, we send text reminders to clients three days prior to their scheduled
appointment. However, the responsibility for notifying us of a need to cancel or reschedule an
appointment remains the clients'and a cancellation fee will still apply regardless of whether or not
our text reminders are received. Please note that Medicare and Private Health funds do not rebate for
missed and cancelled appointments.
What will I do if there is an emergency?
We do not have the coverage to provide a crisis support service and our psychologists
may not be able to fit you in at short notice. If you require assistance immediately
or out of hours, please call the Emergency Services on 000, present to the Emergency
Department at your nearest public hospital or contact your general practitioner.
Lifeline offer 24 hours counselling support on ph. 13 11 14. Parentline are available 7 days from 8am to 10pm on ph 1300 30 1300.