FAQs
What is a psychologist?
Psychologists are trained health professionals (minimum of 6 years training and supervised practice) who help people to manage their mental health, stress or relationship difficulties, enhance their wellbeing and develop both personally and professionally.
In Australia, Psychologists need to registered with AHPRA and meet continuing development, supervision and practice standards. You can look up your practitioners registration here.
Psychologists fulfil a therapeutic role by assessing their clients’ concerns, needs and life circumstances; and developing a tailored treatment plan that meets the clients’ therapeutic goals and preferences.
Finding the right psychologist for you?
Psychology is an investment in your mental health and research suggests that a strong relationship between a client and psychologist (known as the therapeutic alliance) is an important factor in determining positive client outcomes, consequently, it’s important to get the match right.
You can search for a psychologist via the APS Find a Psychologist service, which will advise you of their practice areas, location and bio information. if, at any point you are not feeling like there is a good fit between yourself and your psychologist, it’s important to know that you can discuss this with your psychologist; or that you can move along and find a better suited psychologist.
Are there different types of psychologists?
Yes there sure are, so when looking for a psychologist it’s important to think about the type of psychologist (experience and expertise) that might be able to best support you. To get an idea about who may be the best fit for you. The Australian Psychological Society (APS) has some resources that may be helpful:
What is the clients’ role in therapy?
You are an active participant in the therapy process. This means committing to your appointments, actively engaging in the session, taking feedback on board, giving feedback to your therapist and applying the knowledge, strategies and skills you have learnt outside the therapy room into your daily life.
Do I need a referral to visit a psychologist?
No, a referral is not required to see a psychologist. However, in order to access the medicare rebate through the better access scheme, you will first need to visit your GP, who will assess your eligibility for a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP). A MHCP entitles you to up to 10 subsidised sessions with a psychologist per calendar year.
To receive the rebate, you will need to provide your psychologist with your MHCP referral letter. Please note the letter will need to include your details, your GPs details, and it must state that GP is referring you for treatment; how many sessions the GP is referring you for; and it must be signed and dated.
Your initial referral letter doesn’t typically cover all 10 subsidised appointments. After your 6th session with your psychologist, a re-referral letter may be required from your GP to access the additional 4 subsidised sessions.
After your 6th appointment, your psychologist will send a treatment review and recommendation for future treatment to your GP. This will help inform your GP of your progress and eligibility for your re-referral. It’s therefore important to book an appointment with your GP between your 6th and 7th appointment, as this will help to ensure that you have your re-referral letter prior to attending your 7th appointment.
Please also note that a GP may give you a referral with a suggested psychologists’ details already attached. This does not mean that you have to see that particular psychologist. you are able to take that referral to your preferred practitioner.
How do I claim my medicare rebate?
At EG-PSYCHOLOGY all session fees are paid in full on the day of your appointment. You will be then be issued an invoice, which can be used to claim your rebate directly through medicare; OR once you have made payment, we can process your rebate on your behalf. Please note that in this instance your rebate will be refunded back to whatever account you have linked to your medicare account. If you haven’t linked a bank account the rebate will sit in your medicare account until you arrange to have it deposited into an account.
How much will I receive back from medicare?
For a general psychologist the current rebate for the 2023-24 financial year is $93.35per session.
This amount tends to increase by a couple of dollars every financial year.
What is non-directive pregnancy support counselling?
Non-directive pregnancy support counselling is available to any person who is currently pregnant or who has been pregnant in the preceding 12 months, by an eligible psychologist, where the patient is referred to the psychologist by a medical practitioner (including a GP). The service may be used to address any pregnancy related issues for which non-directive counselling is appropriate. the medicare rebate is currently $65.75 per session.
What exactly is non-directive support counselling?
It’s a form of counselling based on the understanding that, in many situations, people can resolve their own problems without being provided with a solution by the counsellor, instead the counselling focuses on addressing all pregnancy-related issues where a non-directive counselling approach is appropriate; and it involves undertaking a safe, confidential process that helps clients explore concerns they have about a pregnancy. This includes providing unbiased, evidence-based information about all options and services available to the client.
How does confidentiality work?
Everything that you disclose in session with your psychologist is confidential. However, there are two reasons a psychologist may break confidentiality (1) if the psychologist believes there is risk of harm to yourself or others (2) if subpoenaed by law. In both these instances, the psychologist will discuss this with you directly.
Taking adequate session notes is an ethical obligation of your psychologist, as they help to document the session and act as an important part of the review and planning associated with your ongoing support and treatment. These notes are stored electronically and securely on the Halaxy platform or can be printed and kept secure in a lockable filing cabinet.
What do I do if I see my psychologist out and about?
If you spot your psychologist out and about, your psychologist will not be able to interact or engage with you, so as to maintain your confidentiality. If you choose to say Hello or acknowledge your therapist of course they will take your lead but please be mindful that this may risk you sense of confidentiality. This scenario is discussed with client’s in session to gage how they would like to manage a client / therapist cross over.
What can I expect from my sessions with a psychologist?
Initially your first couple of sessions will be focussed on gathering information to help inform the treatment planning process (personal information, history and background, life circumstances, social relationships, what brought you to therapy, therapeutic history, your goals, needs and area of focus). This also helps the psychologist to develop a thorough understanding of your story, your concerns and your focus. A treatment plan is then developed, which takes into account your goals, needs and preferences.
Subsequent sessions may then involve aspects of psychoeducation (education + information related to mental health, wellbeing and treatment); cognitive behaviour therapy, counselling, coaching, mindfulness therapy, or positive psychology. For a more extensive list of therapeutic approaches and their definition please check out this Types of Therapy article by Psychology Today.
How much does a session with a psychologist cost?
The Australian Psychological Society recommends a fee of $300 for individual psychology sessions lasting between 46-60 minutes. This fee is reviewed annually. EG-PSYCHOLOGY aims to offer a mindful pricing structure that is both accessible and offers a high level of service.
Are concession fees available?
Concession fees are available for clients with a current and valid health care card or for clients experiencing significant financial hardship and this is determined by consulting with your therapist. A concession fee is only available for weekday appointments booked before 5pm. To enquire about concession fees, please contact EG-PSYCHOLOGY via the connect page.
How long are sessions with a psychologist?
Individual sessions are approx. 50 minutes per session.
How many sessions will I need and how frequently do I need to attend?
Everyone is different due to the nature of what brought them to therapy and what their goals are. However, most CBT style services require between 10-22 sessions.
Frequency and consistency is something to think about when booking. Research suggests that more frequent sessions over a shorter period of time are more beneficial than spacing sessions across the year or having bigger gaps in treatment. Committing to regular therapy is also important as it ensures that consistent progress is made and therapeutic gains are maintained. initially many people tend to attend on a fortnightly basis.
Does EG-PSYCHOLOGHY have a cancellation policy?
EG-PSYCHOLOGY has a 48-hour and 24 hour cancellation and rescheduling policy. This means that if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment you must arrange this 48 hours prior to your scheduled appointment time to avoid fees.
It’s important to note that many private practice psychologists, only earn income from direct sessions with clients. Sessions that the therapist will have spent time preparing for. A late cancellation fee covers your therapists time and helps to allow enough time for your therapist to offer your appointment to other clients.
Can EG-PSYCHOLOGY invoice through Workcover, NDIS or other third party organisations?
Workcover: Erin is registered with workcover however erin is not currently taking on any work cover clients.
NDIS: Erin is not a NDIS registered psychologist. However, if you are on a self-managed plan with the NDIS, you can choose to see any psychologist. Please note a letter is required from the NDIS that outlines how many sessions you are entitled to with a psychologist. This helps to ensure you stay on budget and the psychologist can bill the NDIS.
Private health insurance: some private health funds and policies do cover sessions with a psychologist; however each fund can vary with how much of the session cost they will cover and what your budget for psychological services may be. It is therefore best to always contact your insurer before booking in an appointment with erin. please note all invoices are paid in full on the day of your appointment and claimed back through your private health fund.
I’m unsure if in person or telehealth is right for me?
video conferencing - important things to consider
currently EG-PSYCHOLOGY is utilising Microsoft Teams, Zoom and COVIU. these platforms do not require you to create an account; and a direct link will be emailed to you prior to your session start time.
make sure you have your phone, earphones and laptop / charged.
use earphones or headphones during your session to maximise privacy
try to set yourself up somewhere with a static and somewhat plain background as the camera has difficulty buffering when there is movement in the background or patterns.
not all rooms are created equal when it comes to internet connection, so please check
your connection prior to your appointment.
try to avoid holding your session outdoors, as this can disrupt the connection and the sound and video quality.
at times the quality of the connection can freeze or drop out resulting in loss of video
or sound. have your phone with you so that your therapist can give you a call if the connection
doesn’t come back online.
it’s best to try and set yourself up in a private room to both minimise disruptions and
distractions.
if your location changes, please email your therapist prior to the session to confirm where you
are located and the contact details of a support person (i.e. partner, next of kin, GP) that will act as supports / emergency contacts for you (phone, email, address), should any issues arise.
limits to privacy - it is really important to understand that we are ultimately using an online platform and privacy and confidentiality cannot be 100% guaranteed (i.e. hacking or tapping into video sessions). it is also important to understand that this also applies to invoices and communications sent via email. if you are concerned about the limits to your privacy, please contact EG-PSYCHOLOGY.
it’s important to acknowledge that client’s have some shared responsibility for protecting their own privacy both online and with regards to where they chose to hold their session from.
research has shown that the quality of the therapeutic alliance (relationship between the therapist and client) and treatment effectiveness is comparable to face-to-face; however it is important to note that depending on your needs, a face to face appointment may be required to receive more effective treatment.
Can we just have a phone call?
There is also the option of having your session over the telephone; this has been found to be quite a good option, especially for those with an privacy or internet connection issues - when booking you will be given the option to select either a video conferencing session or a telephone session.
I’m not really vibing with my therapist, what can I do?
It’s really important that you feel empowered to change therapists if you feel the fit just isn’t working for you. This can be due to a number of reasons, some of which can be worked out if you raise them with your therapist. For example, perhaps you’re not really feeling their approach; would prefer more skills based interventions over talk based sessions; or perhaps you’re feeling the focus isn’t quite on point. with a little bit of feedback, the therapist will be able to adapt and adjust the sessions to better suit your preferences. However, sometimes it could be a bit of a personality clash and that’s okay too, EGP would prefer to help find you the right fit with another support than have you feel like things aren’t vibing or improving for you. So the key take away here is reach out and chat to your therapist if you have any concerns, and feel things just aren’t working!
Got any more burning questions?
if you have any further questions, please feel free to contact EGP on erin@eg-psychology.com