Engaging with a therapist can assist you work through difficult emotions, limit harmful behaviour and learn effective ways to work through problems.

Your psychologist will initially complete a comprehensive assessment of your symptoms, previous treatment, developmental and social history, physical health and your treatment goals. With your consent, your psychologists may seek additional information from family members, caregivers, and schools, when working with children.

Typically, therapy will involve assisting you to meet mutually established treatment goals. Each session builds on the last, providing you with skills which you can use in your daily life. Your psychologist may also ask you to complete practice tasks between sessions.

Towards the end of treatment, you and your psychologist will discuss finalising regular sessions and make plans to maximise gains you have made in therapy. You are free to discontinue treatment at any time. 

Privacy

As members of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, Psychologists are bound to maintain your privacy and not disclose any information about your attendance or participation in treatment.

All information discussed will remain confidential, unless consent is provided. The only exception to this pertains to psychologists’ legal and ethical obligation to disclose information to the relevant to third parties relating to; 

• Serious risk of harm to yourself or others

• Risk of harm to children 

• If there is a legal requirement to do so 

Access Medicare

You do not need a referral to see a psychologist unless you  wish to claim a Medicare rebate under Medicare’s Better Access Scheme Initiative. In this case, the first step would involve an initial meeting with your GP, Psychiatrist or Paediatrician who will provide you, if eligible, with a Mental Health Care Plan.

A Mental Health Care Plan allows you to claim rebates for up to twenty sessions of individual treatment per calendar year depending on your circumstance. Please provide your Mental Health Care Plan if you intend to claim a rebate.

Health funds 

If you have private health insurance, you may be able to claim services through your ancillary cover. Please note that you cannot claim through your health insurance and also claim through Medicare. Your health fund may help you to decide whether Medicare or health insurance is the best option for you.