Thinking about starting to work with a Psychologist can make you feel hopeful and nervous, as sometimes it requires you to step out of your comfort zone. This page may have answers to questions that will help you learn about this process and feel more comfortable to start.
What is a Clinical Psychologist?
A Clinical Psychologist is a psychologist who is endorsed by the Psychology Board of Australia “after having undertaken specialised APAC accredited training in the assessment, diagnosis, formulation and psychological treatment of mental health and emotional disorders across the lifespan. The education and training of clinical psychologists takes eight years”. Source: ACPA
Do I need a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) to see a Psychologist?
While a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) is not essential to consult with a Clinical Psychologist, an MHCP from your GP allows you to access rebates from Medicare for 10 attended consultations. An initial MHCP is valid for 6 consultations after which I am required to communicate with your GP, and you would need to see them for a renewal of the plan to access 4 additional sessions for that year.
If you are getting a Care Plan for eating disorders (EDP) it allows for 40 rebatable consultations in a calendar year. A review would need to be undertaken by the GP after every 10 sessions.
How do I get a MHCP?
Should you want to get an MHCP, please communicate it to your GP clinic and they would recommend you book a longer appointment for the GP to asses you and to complete the paperwork. Your GP will give you a MHCP as well as a Referral to bring to your consultation with your psychologist. You can also claim rebates through Private Health if you are eligible under “Extras”.
What is the Medicare Rebate when I see a Clinical Psychologist?
When you have an eligible Mental Health Care Plan from a GP or Psychiatrist you will be eligible to receive a Medicare rebate of $137.05 for each attended session for a total of 10 consultations. After your payment has been processed, Medicare advises that funds will be in your designated account within 2-3 business days.
What is the rebate for Private Health Insurance?
If your private health insurance included Psychology as extra cover then you may be eligible for a partial rebate. It is advisable to contact your individual insurance provider for information about your individual coverage.
How do I make an initial appointment?
You can book an appointment using this link or call 03 94197172.
When you book you will be asked to provide some information regarding:
1. Personal details such as your name, date of birth, and contact details.
2. What is bringing you in/your chief concerns/what you would like to work on in the therapy? This is to ensure that I am the right fit for you and have experience in the area that you want assistance in.
3. Whether you have a referral and a Mental Health Care Plan from a GP or Psychiatrist and the contact details of the referrer.
4. How did you hear about this practice?
5. Any preferences of days and times that you might have with regard to making an appointment.
6. Whether you would prefer an in-person appointment or a Telehealth appointment.
You will also be informed of the cancellation policy that requires you to provide 48 working hour/ 2 business days notice to reschedule so that the time can be allocated to a person on the waitlist and that they have time to reorganise their schedule to be able to attend the appointment. If a notice of 48 working hours is not provided then you will be charged for the time.
Once you have shared this information and made an appointment time you will receive an email confirming the appointment time, location and date.
You will also be sent some paperwork detailing confidentiality, cancellation policy and what paperwork to bring to the appointment.
What happens in the first consultation?
Once you make your first appointment, an email will be sent to confirm the date, time, and location (in person or via Telehealth). The email will also include details about fees, rebates, and the cancellation policy. If you haven't already provided your Mental Health Care Plan, please bring it to your first consultation to be eligible for a Medicare rebate.
During the initial consultation, we will briefly go over the necessary paperwork, including confirming your personal information (name, date of birth, address, contact details, emergency contact) and the consent form covering confidentiality, fees, rescheduling, and cancellation policy. We will also discuss the process of Medicare rebates if you have an eligible Mental Health Care Plan.
I will explain my approach and ask about your goals and preferences, ensuring we have clarity as we embark on this journey together.
Following this preliminary conversation, the focus will be on understanding the concerns that brought you to therapy. We will explore the history of your concerns, family background, developmental history, social relationships, and work history. This will provide insight into your experiences, coping mechanisms, values, goals, aspirations, and strengths to build upon.
The goal of this initial history and assessment is to create a formulation that enhances our understanding of what might be hindering your progress towards your desired direction. The aim is to gather information and establish a safe and collaborative environment for working towards your therapeutic goals.
In the first consultation, it is important for you to also assess me. Feeling safe, respected, and comfortable is crucial for you to be able to share, be vulnerable, and embark on this journey together. I will take notes during the consultation.
How long is a consultation?
A consultation is approximately 50 minutes long.
How do I pick my Psychologist?
Making a decision regarding who to see and work with can be a challenging one. Some pointers I would get you to consider when choosing your psychologist are:
1. Does the psychologist have experience in the area I am looking to work on?
2. Do I want a Clinical Psychologist or another type of psychologist?
3. Do I have a gender preference?
4. Does the Psychologist work with the therapies and modalities that I would like to work with? E.g. CBT, Mindfulness-based therapy, more experiential work like Emotion Focused Therapy, Schema Therapy, EMDR etc.
5. If you have worked with a psychologist before and know what treatment frameworks don’t work for you that is also something to consider while looking at the therapeutic approaches the Psychologist you are considering uses
6. If you would like to work with a more non-confrontational style of therapist or someone who is more empathically challenging or directive. It is also good to talk about your preferences in the initial consultation with your psychologist.
7. Does the Psychologist's availability work with my availability?
8. Does the Psychologist work with the type of referral I have (Mental Health Care Plan, EAP, Workcover etc.)
What if my Psychologist does not feel like the right fit for me?
Finding the right psychologist can be hard at times. When starting out I would encourage you to communicate with your Psychologist what you are looking for, your goals of working together along with what is important to you in terms of approach. They in turn will also share their approach to therapy. This would be helpful to establish if you are on the same page and move forward on a journey of collaboration.
I would encourage you to give feedback to your psychologist if something does not feel right if even after that it does not feel like a good fit please raise it with your Psychologist. It would then be good to have a discussion about what is working and not working, build a profile and ideally your psychologist would be able to refer you to a psychologist who may be better suited for you at the Practice or externally in another practice.