Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)
What kind of psychologist are you? What are your qualifications?
I am a clinical psychologist. I have completed six years of formal tertiary psychology training plus a two-year clinical registrar program; A bachelors degree at RMIT, an honours year at Latrobe University, and a masters degree in clinical psychology at the University of Melbourne. I have just completed a three year core training course in Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) and have begun the three year advanced training course in ISTDP. I regularly recieve supervision from verious psychologists in addition to this.
Why is the first session longer (110 minutes) than subsequent sessions? (50 minutes)?
1st session: 110 minutes, $350 fee minus $136.35 medicare rebate (out of pocket cost $213.65).*
Subsequent sessions: 50 minutes, $235 fee minus $136.35 medicare rebate (out of pocket cost $98.65).
The first session is 110 minutes long and serves as a trial therapy, to allow adequate assessment of your problem and to give us the best chance of forming a shared understanding of the cause of your difficulties, and to make a plan together for how to help you. You can then decide if you would like to proceed together with further sessions.
Subsequent sessions are 50 minutes long.
What age group of clients do you see?
Ages 15 and up. All gender identities are welcome.
Who do I contact if I am running late or need to cancel?
Running late: text me on my work mobile 0472 – 678 – 465. Need to cancel? Call Tracey on 03 7068 5483. Please note the cancellation policy; within 24 hours before the session you are committed to paying the full fee whether you cancel or not, within 48 hours you’re committed to paying half, unless we manage to fill the spot or you are definitively too physically unwell to attend.
Do I have to answer all your questions?
Do I need a doctor's referral to come see you? How much of my session fee will Medicare pay.
You do not need a doctor’s referral, but it is cheaper for you if you have one. If you do get a mental health care plan from a doctor you can use it with any psychologist in Australia (doesn’t need a specific name or clinic on it). If you see a clinical psychologist like me, Medicare will pay you a $136.35 rebate per session, meaning the out of pocket cost is $98.65. You get 10 rebates per calendar year at the moment.
After this you can apply for an Enhanced Primary Care plan (EPC) with your GP, and get smaller rebates on another 5 sessions if you have a ‘chronic’ condition including a chronic mental health condition.
How much do sessions cost?
Subsequent sessions: 50 minutes, $250 fee minus $137.05 medicare rebate (out of pocket cost $112.95).
The first session is 110 minutes long and serves as a trial therapy, to allow adequate assessment of your problem and for us to make a plan together for how to help you, so you can see if you would like to proceed together.
Medicare will give you a $137.05 rebate per session for ten sessions each calendar year if you get a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP.
Do you see people with eating disorders? Can you offer the Medicare eating disorder rebated 40 sessions per year?
What difficulties don’t you treat?
I don’t have the specialist training required to treat schizophrenia, Bi-Polar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder (though often we can get some good change happening using ISTDP style therapy [see Therapeutic Approaches]), eating disorders. I don’t offer cognitive assessments or in-depth autism or ADHD assessments, nor couples or family therapy. For ADHD management specifically, I suggest going to an ADHD coach. I recomend Rody at https://divergentcoaching.com.au/
What is your cancellation policy?
48 hours-notice is required to avoid paying for half the session, and 24 hours notice to avoid paying the full session fee, unless you are too sick to attend/have covid. Hopefully it doesn’t happen but if I have to cancel a session within 48 hours (double booked, etc) I will bulk bill you the next two sessions, fair is fair! Unless I am very sick/have covid, once again, fair is fair.
Do you bulk bill clients?
No. But if we are already working together and suddenly you lose your job or can’t work, and are struggling financially, then we can work out a reduced rate as a temporary measure.
I am a vegan, do you have a non-leather chair for me to sit on?
Is my information kept confidential with you?
Still have questions?
If you cannot find answers to your question in the FAQ, you can always contact us. We will reply shortly.
Contact us at +613 7068 5483
