FAQs
Do I need a GP Referral?
No, you do not need a GP referral to access counselling sessions. However, you are eligible to claim a Medicare rebate for individual clinical psychology sessions if you have a referral letter and Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP.
How long are the sessions?
Sessions are generally 50 minutes. However, every client if different and depending on your personal situation, a longer session maybe recommended.
What is the cost of sessions?
The fee for a 50 minute couples or family counselling session is $235. The fee for a 50 minute individual counselling session with a Psychotherapist is $180 and with a Psychologist is $220.
Can I get a Medicare rebate?
Unfortunately Medicare does not rebate individual counselling sessions with a Psychotherapist. However, the fee structure is comparable to the ‘out of pocket’ or gap payment when using a Mental Health Care Plan.
Medicare does offer a rebate for individual counselling sessions with a Psychologist if you have a referral letter and Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. The referral should be addressed to Simone Novak.
Please note that Medicare does not rebate couples or family counselling, even if one or both clients have a Mental Health Care Plan.
Do you accept private health insurance?
Private health insurance claims can be made through the following funds: Bupa, Emergency Services Health, HCF, Phoenix Health, Police Health and St Luke’s Health. Check with your health insurance provider to confirm coverage.
Do you accept payment via third-party insurers?
No, we do not see clients via third-party insurers such as Workcover, TAC, Victims of Crime, NDIS.
How many sessions will I need?
Every client is different so the number of sessions you will need will depend on your individual circumstances and needs. We will discuss the estimated number of sessions after the initial assessment.
Does online therapy work?
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has seen a significant increase in demand and uptake of online counselling services (Mohr et al., 2019). Research shows that online counselling is as effective as face-to-face counselling (Simpson et al., 2021).
What should I expect from my first session?
The initial session is focused on getting to know you and understanding the issues and challenges you are experiencing. We will talk about your background and life in general. A respectful and empathetic approach is adopted to support you during this session.
Do you have a cancellation policy?
As session times are in high demand, we require at least 48 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, or a cancellation fee of $115.00 will be charged.
If you cancel the day of your session or fail to arrive for a session, inclusive of forgetting it was scheduled, the full session fee will be incurred. Day of cancellations impacts both clients waiting for a session and the Therapist’s preparation time to prepare for the session.
For any appointments on Mondays, notifications of any reschedules are to be received by the latest the Friday prior. Weekends are considered out of hours.