Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone can consult a psychologist, and a referral from a GP or Psychiatrist is not required. A referral is only necessary if you wish to receive a Medicare rebate.

Your GP or Psychiatrist will be able to determine whether you are eligible for a Mental Health Care Plan. If you are eligible, your doctor will complete a Medicare referral form and provide you with a copy to give to me at your first session.

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.

Fees may be reduced in special circumstances. Please contact me if you wish to discuss this in more detail.

During the first session, I learned about your reasons for seeking counselling, and it's also an opportunity for you to ask questions.

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.

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 who are better skilled for your particular issue.

Referrals can be changed to a different Psychologist if you feel you're not benefiting.

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 to 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, and their profession is largely unregulated and their qualifications less easily defined.

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 an evidence-based approach that 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.