Fees and Rebates
Cost of Appointments
There are two types of appointments: An Initial Session, and a Subsequent Session.
Please contact the reception room staff regarding the invoiced amounts for each type of session.
Note: Individuals who hold a Pension/Health Care Card follow a different fee structure.
Fees are payable in full on the day of each appointment, with the exception of Veterans Affairs Payments (see below for details).
Cancellation Policy​
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please provide more than 24 hours notice. A fee of $50 will be charged for cancellations made within 24 hours prior to a counselling appointment, or if an appointment is not attended.
Psychological sessions are of 50-60 minutes duration, or longer for extended sessions. Sometimes there are good reasons to cancel appointments, however, unlike brief medical appointments, it is unlikely that psychology appointments that run for 50 minutes can be filled with such short notice. Given the time that is set aside, if a client does not attend or gives short notice, another client on the waiting list misses out and a significant amount of time is unfilled.
Medicare Rebates
A person's eligibility to receive a Medicare rebate for psychological services is determined by a medical doctor or medical specialist only, not by the psychologist. Strict criteria are used by doctors to make this determination.
Only a General Practitioner (GP), Psychiatrist or Paediatrician can assess whether or not a person is eligible for Medicare rebates for psychological services. Medicare rebates are available for the treatment of a range of emotional disorders.
During a consultation with your GP, they will discuss and make an assessment as to whether a GP Mental Health Care Plan is the appropriate type of referral for you. If your doctor has determined that you are eligible to obtain a GP Mental Health Care Plan, you will be eligible for Medicare rebates for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. Your referring doctor will review your progress after six sessions. They may provide a Review Plan, which allows for additional sessions.
For Clinical Psychologists, Medicare provides a rebate of $131.65 for individuals who are referred for treatment of a mental health disorder, under a GP Mental Health Care Plan*.
*GP Mental Health Care Plans (GPMHCP) are also referred to as GP Mental Health Treatment Plans.
Private Insurance
Individuals can certainly access psychological services without a GP referral.
Most private health insurance policies include psychological services. Check with your fund to determine if you are covered. Please note that private health rebates and Medicare rebates cannot be claimed for the same appointment.
Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA)
If you have a DVA white or gold card, you may be entitled to psychological sessions with no fee incurred.
Healthcare Card Holders
If you hold a healthcare Card, please speak to the office staff about the possibility of a reduced fee.
Payment
Payment is made in full at the end of each consultation. Cash, MasterCard, VISA or American Express is accepted.