How do I claim Medicare rebate ?
After you have provided me with your Mental Health Care Plan and paid for your appointment, I will give you a receipt to take to Medicare and collect your rebate. The rebate amount is $84.80
Do you provide concessions?
Fees may be reduced in special circumstances. Please contact me if you wish to discuss this in more detail.
What takes place at my first appointment?
During the first session I learn about your reasons for seeking counselling, it’s also an opportunity for you to ask questions.
How many sessions will I need?
The number of consultations varies depending on whether you're working on short term issues, or deeper long term issues.
Some people only need one or two sessions, others working with long term unresolved issues need a greater number of sessions in order to understand and alter underlying behaviour patterns.
What are the options if you don’t want to continue after the initial session.
It is crucial that you feel some comfort with the session, and gradually develop a feeling of trust.
This is a two way process and if I feel unable to help with your situation I will suggest other therapists better skilled for your particular issue.
What if I want to change Psychologists.
Referrals can be changed to a different Psychologist if you feel you’re not benefiting.
What is the difference between a Psychologist, Counsellor/Psychotherapist?
Psychologists are university trained professionals, experts in the study of human behaviour, able to assess, diagnose and treat people with a wide range of emotional and behavioural problems.
Psychologist registration is mandatory, as is compulsory membership to a professional organisation governed by a strict Code of Conduct. Ongoing training is also a requirement in order to maintain registration.
Medicare rebates are only available from registered Psychologists and Social Workers.
Psychotherapist or counsellor is a general term that has no legal requirement that they have any training. Almost anyone can call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist and set up a business, their profession is largely unregulated and their qualifications less easily defined.
What is my approach to treatment?
This is always a question I struggle to answer as I do not follow any specific method. Everyone I see is different and I tailor my therapy to suit the individual personality. I use many different approaches including the following.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is evidence-based approach which seeks to change what you think (cognitive) and what you do (behaviour). CBT is evidence-based and can assist with many different types of problems.
There are many other approaches I also use including Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Gestalt, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Neuro Linguistic Programming, Voice Dialogue and other methods depending on the needs of the client. |
