Psychotherapy has been shown to improve emotional and psychological well-being and is linked with positive changes in the brain and body. According to the Australian Psychological Society: therapy ‘has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms related to a wide number of common mental health disorders, including but not limited to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, and Anxiety-related disorders’.

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The American Psychological Association (APA) notes a 75% success rate for those receiving psychotherapy. Research done during the COVID-19 epidemic showed that after seeing a therapist, 86% said that it helped them cope with what they were going through. Most studies show that psychotherapy leads to improved emotions and mood, wiser actions, and positive changes overall in mind and body. This may result in fewer sick days from work, fewer medical problems, and increased satisfaction in life.

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Success in therapy is dependent on a number of factors including motivation and readiness for therapy, the skills of the therapist, a good client-therapist fit, and seeing things through to completion.

A number of factors will determine the answer to this question – sometimes it comes down to the urgency of seeing someone, and that will depend on the available openings that different psychologists might have for new clients. Alternatively, a very good idea is to go to our Practitioner page to get an overview of the therapists and their areas of interest. For more information, click on the specific profiles of each practitioner.

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A good fit is determined by feeling that one could relate to a specific therapist as a person, combined with the therapeutic approaches they favour and the types of concerns they specialise in.  If you are still unsure, feel free to contact our lovely Reception team for more advice at 08 7006 5225.

The main difference is that a psychiatrist is a medical doctor with specific training in prescribing medication for mental health concerns such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and complex mental illnesses. Psychiatrists are trained in both medicine and mental health, while psychologists focus solely on mental health.

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Psychologists are professionals who have advanced degrees in psychology, but they are not medical doctors and cannot prescribe medication. Psychiatrists therefore often focus on medication management for mental health conditions, while psychologists primarily provide therapy and counselling services. Psychiatrists and psychologists often work together as a team to provide support to clients, with a difference in emphasis on how they help.

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While psychiatrists are physicians and as such treat patients keeping in mind the patient’s medical background in addition to mental health support, psychologists focus on therapy for mental, behavioural, relationship and health concerns through a variety of therapeutic techniques such as CBT, EMDR, Schema Therapy, Mindfulness, ACT, and in-depth psychotherapy.

There are significant overlaps with different psychologists with a variety of specialisations and expertise, with commonalities in training and slight variations in master’s programs. In Australia the distinction is mainly significant as a Medicare category arrangement and a way for Medicare to differentiate billing and rebates, etc. Sometimes clinical psychologists may also have more interest in complex or severe cases.

We usually suggest fortnightly appointments depending on personal factors. A good rule of thumb is to speak to your practitioner in the first session regarding how frequently you should be seeing them. However, please keep in mind that there are only 10 Medicare-subsidised sessions per year, so one may like to space appointments out a bit if urgency is not a concern. 

Clients have a number of options available to them, depending on their preferences and personal circumstances:

Obtaining a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from a GP means that Medicare will subsidise a portion of the fee for therapy for up to 10 sessions in a calendar year. You may be eligible for a MHCP if you have a mental health diagnosis (such as depression, anxiety, etc), a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, as well as a referral letter from them. Your doctor may recommend a psychologist to you that they know, but, ultimately, the choice is yours who you prefer to see, even if the referral is to a specific psychologist.

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A client with Private Health may be able to have a portion of their therapy paid by their Private Health without a MHCP, depending on which plan they are on. Clients may also use their Private Health to pay for some of their sessions in addition to Medicare sessions, or after they used up the ten sessions provided for by Medicare. Please note that payment for a therapy session can only be supported by either Medicare or Private Health, not both on one invoice.

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A person may also opt to pay all sessions privately, with or without utilising their Private Health.

Depending on your practitioner, a gap of between $134.80 - $150.35 will apply if you have a GP referral and a Mental Health Care Plan. Afterpay is available at our practice for your convenience.

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Some clients may have sessions subsidised by Employee Wellness Programs or other institutions. Please note we cannot accommodate DVA, MVA, WorkCover, or insurance claim clients.

Just as with GP’s and other practitioners, there is a difference between those who ‘bulk bill’ – in other words, there is no expense to you, and those in private practice where one pays a ‘gap’ in addition to the Medicare rebate. Our psychologists are a specialist service with extensive training and experience and there is a gap payment associated with psychology services. Medicare only provides a rebate (or a subsidy) rather than covering the cost of the entire session. It is a common misconception that the government pays for 10 free sessions a year.

Medicare subsidises 10 ‘rebated’ sessions per calendar year, and you are required to have a review with your GP after 6 sessions, before you can claim your Medicare rebates for the remaining 4 sessions in the calendar year.

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If you have used say, 4 sessions in one calendar year, you can use the remaining 2 sessions in the new calendar year, before needing a review of your Mental Health Care Plan. Because this is a ‘review’, the GP can only give you a further 4 sessions on the MHCP, whereafter you may see your GP again for the remaining sessions for that calendar year. It seems a bit confusing, but basically comes down to ten rebated sessions a calendar year, and our Reception team will guide you through the process!

Unfortunately not. Medicare does not provide rebates for couple's therapy, but you may be covered for it under your private health insurance. We recommend checking with your private health insurance directly and quoting item number 300 for sessions with a clinical or registered psychologist, or item number Y300 with a senior mental health clinician.

You do not need a referral to make an appointment - you will just not be entitled to a rebate from Medicare without a referral and Mental Health Care Plan from your GP.