Consultation Fees
Our fees are set below the Australian Psychological Society recommended rate. Please get in touch with Nicole to discuss fees.
Medicare rebates or private health fund rebates are available to eligible clients.
Payment Methods
Payment can be made using Visa, Mastercard, or EFTPOS.
Telehealth sessions can be paid by credit or debit card over the phone or via direct deposit.
Referrals
A referral from a doctor is not required unless you wish to obtain a Medicare rebate.
Medicare Rebates
If you would like to claim Medicare rebates for clinical psychology sessions, you will need a referral and a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. This will entitle you to claim rebates for an initial six sessions under Medicare’s Better Access to Mental Health initiative. After your sixth session, you must return to the GP to review your progress and to assess eligibility for a new referral enabling you to claim rebates for an additional four sessions per calendar year. Please note that the GP referral must state the number of requested sessions.
While previously there was a limit of 10 Medicare rebates per calendar year, the Australian government has introduced the possibility for Australians to receive a further 10 Medicare rebates per calendar year (i.e., 20 in total) to help reduce the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the initial 10 rebates have been accessed, you must return to the GP to assess your eligibility and get a new referral stating that you are entitled to the additional 10 rebates.
The Medicare rebate available for a 50-minute clinical psychology consultation is $128.40. Please note that rebates can only be claimed when you have attended the session. Therefore, rebates are not available for missed appointments or when the late cancellation policy has been applied. In situations where a child or adolescent has been referred, Medicare rebates unfortunately cannot be claimed for parent only sessions.
For your convenience, we offer on-site processing of Medicare rebates. After the full session fee has been paid, the Medicare rebate is automatically deposited back into your bank account.
Private Health Fund Rebates
Some private health funds offer rebates for psychology services. Please contact your health fund directly to see if you are eligible.
We will provide an invoice so that you can claim directly from your health fund (in person or via their app).
Please note that you cannot claim both Medicare and private health fund rebates for the same session and some health funds will only offer rebates once the Medicare rebates have been exhausted.
Cancellation Policy
We understand that you juggle numerous commitments and may need to reschedule your appointment from time to time. For your convenience, returning clients can utilise our online booking system to book or reschedule follow-up appointments. (If you are a new client, please get in touch here).
Given the difficulty filling appointment slots at short notice, cancellations or rescheduled appointments made with less than 48 hours’ notice will incur a late cancellation fee (for which you cannot claim a rebate).
- 24 – 48 hours’ notice will incur 50% of the full session fee.
- Less than 24 hours’ notice will incur 100% of the full session fee.
If it is difficult to attend your scheduled session in person or you are unwell, you have the option to have a telehealth or phone session instead (Please contact Nicole to check about the possibility of claiming a rebate in this instance).
Confidentiality
Sessions are confidential and your privacy is our priority. There are however situations where psychologists are legally or ethically required to disclose certain information. For example, where there is risk of harm to self and/or others, some information may need to be shared to maintain safety. On rare occasions, psychologists’ clinical notes are subpoenaed as part of legal proceedings.
If attending therapy under a referral from a GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician, there will be correspondence with your referring doctor to ensure continuity of care.
In some situations, sharing information with others is of therapeutic benefit however this will be discussed with you and will only occur with your consent.
If you have any specific concerns regarding confidentiality, please get in touch with Nicole.