During our initial appointment, I will focus on getting to know you and developing a thorough understanding of the issues you’d like help with. This first appointment is usually longer than a standard session, lasting about an hour.

For Adults

During our first session, we will spend time exploring what has been going on for you and understanding your background. We will:

• Explore Your History: We will discuss what has been going on for you and explore your background to identify factors contributing to or exacerbating the current problem.

• Set Goals: We will work together to get a clear idea of your goals for therapy and set targets for change.

• Discuss Treatment: I will ask a variety of questions to prompt this information and talk you through my therapeutic treatment recommendations.

Please expect more questions than usual during this meeting, and I may take notes as we talk.

For Children and Adolescents

For children, the first session is conducted as a parent-only session. For adolescents, the first session could be a parent-only session or with the adolescent and parent/s together. This allows us to:

• Discuss Concerns: Speak in detail about your concerns and obtain a comprehensive developmental and family history.

• Individual Time: Spend time with individual family members or the adolescent to understand their specific worries.

• Tailored Approach: Determine a therapy approach specifically suited for your child’s needs.

Sessions are offered on Mondays with times available from 8am to 4:15pm.

Fees for a standard 50-minute session are $225. Medicare or private health fund rebates may apply. 

As a standard part of your therapy sessions, I will continue to provide:‍ ‍

• communications with your general practitioner/referrer‍ ‍

• responses to short emails and calls (less than 15 minutes)

• ‍treatment planning and preparation

• ‍scoring and interpretation of clinical measures

  ‍

Additional clinical services will be billed and completed when requested. I will discuss the purpose of requiring these services and will require your agreement prior to proceeding. These clinical services include: ‍

• liaison with schools and teachers‍ ‍

• letters to support insurance

• letters to employers and universities

A referral from your general practitioner, paediatrician or psychiatrist is required to access Medicare rebates. If you receive a referral and a Mental Health Care Plan, you are entitled to 10 Medicare rebated sessions per calendar year.

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. 

You can receive rebates for psychological services from several sources, including:

Medicare
Under the ‘Better access to mental health‘ scheme, you can get a rebate for up to 10 therapy sessions each calendar year. To be eligible, visit your GP, Psychiatrist, or Paediatrician and get a referral for psychological services as part of your treatment plan.

NDIS
If your NDIS plan covers Psychology, you may be able to claim the full cost of our sessions. However, you need to be self-managed and pay the invoice at the time of your session, or be plan-managed.

Private Health Funds
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. 

When appointments are booked, the psychologist reserves the whole hour especially for you. To ensure that I can offer these dedicated times to others who may be on a waiting list, I have the following policy in place:

• Advance Notice:

  I require 48 hours notice to reschedule or cancel a session without incurring extra fees.

• Late Cancellations:

  Cancellations made with less than 48 hours notice will be charged at 50% of the session fee.

  Cancellations made with less than 24 hours notice will be charged at 100% of the session fee.

• Non-Attendance:

  If you do not attend a scheduled session without prior notice, the full session fee will be charged.

I understand that sudden illness or unexpected personal emergencies can happen. If you find yourself in this situation and are unable to keep your appointment, please contact me as soon as possible to explain the circumstances.