make yourself at home

Our mental health clinicians have different qualifications and therefore their set fees, and rebates, vary. We are not a bulk billing practice, and there is an out of pocket gap (between $70-110 dollars) per 50 minute session. There is an additional charge for evening (after 5pm) and weekend appointments. 

All clinicians (except for provisional psychologists) are registered to provide medicare rebates with a valid referral from a GP. All clinicians are eligible to make claims under private health insurance, should your policy support mental health interventions. 

Upon enquiry, our administration can confirm for you what the fee and rebate will be for your chosen clinician.

Provisional psychologists are offered at a lower cost fee. Our clinicians will consider a fee reduction if you find yourself in financial hardship, such as unemployment, full time university studies, disability, or for holders of a Health Care Card. Please enquire about this when you make contact prior to your first appointment.

The full consultation fee is due at the end of each session by credit card or EFTPOS. Receipts will be received via email. 

At our main hub at Red Hill, rebates for medicare and private health insurance can be made and processed at the point of sale. Medicare processes require you to first pay the full consultation fee, with the rebate then paid back into your bank account. Private health insurance is processed by paying the gap only. 

For Telehealth, we prefer a credit card transaction to be made on our practice software, hosted securely by Stripe. 

With referral from your GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician under a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP), you will be eligible for the medicare rebate.

2022 rebates are set at:

$79.05 for Mental Health Social Worker

$89.65 for Psychologist

$131.65 for Clinical Psychologist

Under this plan, your medical professional as above will undertake a detailed assessment and assess eligibility for the scheme.

The scheme entitles you to 10 sessions per plan, per calendar year. Inbuilt in the scheme, your progress is reviewed by the GP after the initial 6 sessions to identify if the psychological input is benefitting you as expected.

You will also be eligible for 10 sessions of group psychological intervention, if you are referred under a MHTP. At POP Psychology, we offer group sessions for adult, child and teen clients to compliment your individual sessions. See the section of this website titled "The Extras - For Clients" for information on our groups.

Your Private Health Insurance rebate will depend of your level of cover. Each health fund has it's own terms and conditions of eligibility for psychology sessions. Most plans with 'extras' will permit psychology, but it is important to check with your insurer first. 

We understand that life can get busy, and that it is difficult to keep track of appointments and commitments.

However, if you don't attend your appointment without giving prior notice, this disadvantages other clients who potentially could have benefitted from that spot.

Please provide notice at least 2 full working days before your scheduled appointment if you would like to cancel or reschedule. Non-attended appointments without notice due given will incur a fee or 50% of the full consultation fee and this amount is not rebatable under medicare.  

Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any concerns about fees and accounts. 

If you would like information on the industry standards for psychology consultations, please see the APS website. 

All Psychologists in Australia are required to register with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA), which is regulated by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA). This body is tasked with overseeing valid qualifications to provide services as a Psychologist, to ensure that psychologists meet commitments for Continuing Professional Development to further their learning and training, attend regular reflective professional supervision, and practice ethically.

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is the peak body representing psychologists of various sub-types (e.g., Clinical, Forensic, Educational, General). The APS sets out the Ethical Guidelines for practicing psychologists, provides advocacy and consultation toward government and other organisations, and facilitates training and the furthering of psychology as a profession.

The APS has set out a Charter for Clients of APS Psychologists, which is displayed in our clinic waiting room and can be found at the website. It sets out your rights and expectations when visiting an APS psychologist. 

Psychologists do not have to hold membership of the APS in order to practice in Australia, and some clinicians will choose to hold other professional memberships instead. 

The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) is the professional body for Social Workers, setting the benchmarks for professional education and practice in social work. Our Social Workers are members of the AASW and comply with their Code of Ethics and professional standards. 

Psychologists will often register with other specialist interest groups and peak bodies, to further their networking and professional development in certain clinical fields. For example, Dr. Rachel is a member of the Centre for Perinatal Psychology www.centreforperinatalpsychology.com.au, and the World Association for Infant Mental Health www.waimh.org.

Like any new relationship, it can take a while to build trust and rapport with a new person. If you feel that you want to explore other therapists, the Australian Psychologist Society has a useful tool where you can search registered psychologists by location and specialty.

APS http://www.psychology.org.au/findapsychologist/default.aspx 

There are some things you can try before our first session that might go some way to helping you manage difficult feelings. You might find it useful to experiment with some of these ideas and keep a list of the ones you’ve found helpful so you can refer back to them when you need to. 

There are some things you can try before our first session that might go some way to helping you manage difficult feelings. You might find it useful to experiment with some of these ideas and keep a list of the ones you’ve found helpful so you can refer back to them when you need to. 

There are a range of relaxation techniques that people find useful to reduce feelings of being overwhelmed. Some examples of relaxation techniques are: 

• Body scans. Also known as ‘progressive muscle relaxation’. Lie down or recline in a chair. Taking slow breaths, beginning with your feet tense the muscles for 10 seconds and then release for 15 seconds. Work your way up the different muscle groupings of your body.
• Breathing exercises. Find a comfortable position, and either close your eyes or focus on something in the room. Begin by taking a slow breath in through your nose, hold that breath, and then slowly release the breath out through your mouth. You may find it easier to concentrate on this by counting up to 3 or more slowly at each stage. 
• Using imagery. Spend some time thinking of a place, real or imaginary, where you would feel safe, relaxed and comfortable. 

Take care of your physical health. While it isn’t easy when you’re feeling so overwhelmed, eating well, maintaining a daily routine, trying to get good quality sleep and keeping active can all make an immense difference to your wellbeing. 

• Share the load by talking to someone you trust and who cares about you
• Choose people you can spend time with doing things  you would normally enjoy 
• Attend a support group, face to face or online
• Explore online resources from reputable sites like Beyond Blue

Your psychologist cannot be available around the clock, so for support between sessions, or if you are experiencing acute difficulties or are feeling unsafe, please call…

· LifeLine - 13 11 14 (24 hour, 7 days)

· Suicide Call Back Service - 1300 659 467 (24 hour, 7 days)

· Salvation Army Crisis Counselling Service - 1300 363 622 (24 hour, 7 days)

· Mensline Queensland - 1800 600 636 (9am – 12 midnight; 7 days a week)

If you need IMMEDIATE advice and support please call:

· An ambulance (for mental health emergencies) – 000

· The police (for a welfare check, or in a dangerous situation – 000

· Poisons information – 131 126 

We are always open to honest and transparent conversations about your goals and ensuring we are progressing in ways that are important to you. It is always ok to check in with your psychologist for feedback or to understand or clarify things such as diagnosis or the evidence for your treatment approach. We feel passionately that you need to explore what is going to work best for you, in the right relationship that challenges you to make meaningful change, but provides enough support to help you feel safe to do so.