No, you do not need a referral to see a psychologist.  You can attend as a private paying client which means you need to pay the full session fee without receiving a Medicare rebate. 
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If you would like to claim a Medicare rebate, you will need to see your GP and obtain a referral for psychology under a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP). Medicare currently provides rebates for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. For more information about Medicare and Mental Health Treatment Plans, refer to this Factsheet from the Department of Health. The Australian Psychological Association also has additional information about the scheme here.

We completely understand you may be nervous or hesitant before your first session.  This is normal and we will spend a few minutes at the beginning of the session discussing this and any concerns you have.  We will then run through any important paperwork with you (eg. your referral, our consent form, procedural things like how to book and pay for appointments).  

The majority of the first session will be spent discussing the current issues that brought you to therapy and any relevant background history.  In collaboration with you we will then begin to help you understand more about what might be triggering and maintaining your current issues, culminating in the development of a personalized and flexible treatment plan for future sessions.

If time permits, the first session might also include a skills based exercise, such as introducing a relaxation technique or providing you with educational material about common psychological problems and how the brain responds to stress.

There is no simple answer to this as it largely depends on the reasons you are coming to therapy – this is something we will discuss with you in the initial session.  
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You may be coming in to develop some coping strategies to reduce or manage symptoms of a mental illness. This type of work can be short to medium term (eg. 6-10 sessions), and could also involve less frequent check-ins over a longer period of time to deal with setbacks or prevent relapse. You may be interested in understanding more about your long-standing patterns (such as relationship) that stem from experiences during your childhood, or to receive ongoing support. This type of work tends to happen over an extended period of time, although again, this is dependent on client preferences.
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You might be coming to therapy for a single or small number of sessions to seek support for a specific issue in your life. Although problems and challenges are typically what bring people to a psychologist (at least initially), therapy can also be a space for self-development and growth.We are very aware that accessing therapy is expensive – an investment in yourself - and we will provide you with resources you can utilise between sessions to strengthen and reinforce the knowledge and skills you will learn.

All psychologists, Registered and Clinical must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia and meet high standards in education, training, along with ongoing learning and development. All psychologists are professionally trained in the science of how people think, feel, behave and learn. 

Psychologists use talk-therapies to help people develop skills to manage challenges and prevent ongoing problems.
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A clinical psychologist has completed a six-year university degree and undertaken an equivalent of two years of supervised practical training. They have undertaken additional training and supervision to become endorsed in their area of practice.
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A registered psychologist is somebody who has completed a four-year university degree and has obtained either a post-graduate university degree or completed an equivalent of two years of supervised practical training to obtain registration as a psychologist. 
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Psychiatrists are medical doctors and have completed a medical degree and further training and study related to the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Psychiatrists specialise in the “medical model” treatment of mental illness and prescribe medications as their main form of treatment. Some psychiatrists combine medication with therapy.

Psychologists are bound by ethical guidelines, the APS Code of Ethics, which includes protection of your privacy by not disclosing the content of therapy. There are some limits to confidentiality in specific situations including:
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- If you are at risk of harm to yourself or someone else;
- If the psychologist is required by a subpoena or court order to release information. 
- If you disclose involvement or knowledge of a criminal offence or harm to a minor.
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If any of these situations become relevant your psychologist will discuss this with you.

Your confidentiality is maintained both in and outside of the therapy room. For this reason, your psychologist will not approach you or engage in a conversation if you see them outside the clinic. This is purely to ensure your privacy is maintained. If you choose to greet your psychologist, they will respond with a simple reply. If you see your psychologist in your own workplace, it best to treat them like you would any customer. If you feel uncomfortable about the interaction and would like to debrief, you are always able to contact your psychologist to discuss. Your psychologist will check-in with you at your next session to ensure you were feeling comfortable following the interaction.

We offer both online and telephone sessions if you are unable to attend in person.  If you opt for a telehealth session, you will receive a link for a Zoom meeting (or a phone number to call) for the session.  You will be requested to conduct the session in a private and quiet space where you are unlikely to be distracted and where you have no privacy concerns.  
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It's important to note that while Zoom and telephone sessions offer convenience and accessibility, they may not be suitable for everyone. Some individuals may prefer face-to-face interactions or find certain therapeutic techniques more effective in person. The choice of remote therapy depends on the patient's comfort level, technological access, and specific therapeutic needs.

At this time, we do not provide psychological services to clients under 16 years of age. We do not provide reports for court, legal, insurance or Centrelink purposes. We do not work with forensic clients or clients who require mandated counselling (e.g clients on parole or probation). We do not provide diagnostic assessments for adult ADHD or autism.

You will need to contact your insurer to check your level of coverage and if you are eligible to claim psychology sessions. If relevant, we will issue you with an invoice you can use to claim your rebate with your Insurer. We do not lodge claims directly with any Insurers. Please note, you cannot claim both a Medicare rebate and Private Health rebate for the same session.

We are registered to provide services under WorkCover, CTP, DVA and NDIS (for self and plan-managed clients). Please contact us to discuss suitability.