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.

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. We may use one or a combination of therapy methods - click this link for more information

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 or 3 years of university at Masters or PhD 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.  

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 a paediatrician or psychiatrist, 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.

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 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.    

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 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.

There are many factors that can influence therapy outcomes, including the extent of the concerns 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.

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.  

Therapy sessions run for 50-60 minutes.

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 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

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) recommends a rate of $280 for a standard psychological consultation of 46-60 minutes. To enable families better access to our service we charge a lesser rate of $185 per therapy session. Under the Better Access Initiative, eligible clients can receive a Medicare rebate of $89.65 for specific psychological services. Please note, we do not bulk bill and there will be a gap fee payable. 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. Contact your health fund to check your eligibility. Please note, you cannot claim a rebate from your private health insurer and Medicare for the same appointment. 

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 $89.65 for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. We can facilitate a Medicare rebate claim or you can claim online yourself via the MyGov website (my.gov.au) or mobile app. 

You may be able to claim a private health insurance rebate depending upon the level of coverage and type of policy you have. Contact your health fund to check your eligibility. Please note, you cannot use both private health insurance and Medicare at the same session. We do not have facilities to process private health rebates.

Services must be paid for at each session. We accept Visa, Mastercard or cash. We do not accept American Express, Diners Club cards or cheques. If you are eligible to claim a Medicare rebate, we can facilitate this at your appointment or you can claim online yourself via the MyGov website (my.gov.au) or mobile app. We do not have facilities to process private health rebates.   

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, please 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 (enquiries@caads.com.au). All calls and emails are time-stamped so we are able to see when the cancellation was made.

Unfortunately, we cannot fill cancelled appointments at short notice. As such, we require two (2) business days’ notice of intention to cancel or a fee will apply. For example, if you have a 4pm appointment on a Thursday, to avoid a fee you need to advise us by 9:00am on Tuesday if you do not plan to attend your appointment. Please note Sunday is not considered a business day. Efforts will be made to reschedule your appointment in a timely manner; however, the fee for the missed or cancelled appointment may still apply.

As a courtesy, we send text reminders to clients prior to their scheduled appointment. However, it is the client's responsibility for keeping track of appointments and for notifying us of a need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. The cancellation fee will apply for missed appointments or those cancelled without 2 business days' notice, whether or not our text reminders are received. Please note that Medicare and Private Health funds do not rebate for missed and cancelled appointments.  

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 or present to the Emergency Department at your nearest public hospital. Other services include: Lifeline - 24 hours counselling support on ph. 13 11 14 & Parentline - available 7 days from 8am to 10pm on ph 1300 30 1300.