Psychological Services

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Welcome to our website designed to make our communication as easy as possible and provide information for you on Mind and Body

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Psychological counselling available

Lisa and Terry are now accepting appointments for psychological counselling. Please contact us by telephone to discuss an appointment.

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Lisa and Terry are available for non-directive pregnancy counselling 

Medicate rebates are available following referral from a General Practitioner.

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What is a Psychologist?  
Psychologists work with a broad range of emotional and mental issues, they study human behaviour, often conduct research and apply well validated approaches to treat individuals and promote mental health. Psychologists are required by law to complete a 4 year degree majoring in Psychology with Honours or completing a four year Bachelor of Psychology program. In addition, Psychologists must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia to practice psychology, which involves an additional 2 years of supervised practice or completion of a two year postgraduate program in psychology.  

What is a Clinical Psychologist? (Lisa Newton and Terry Simpson are both Clinical Psychologists)  
A Clinical Psychologist is a specialist psychologist who has undertaken a minimum of 8 years formal training. This includes a minimum requirement of the completion of a 6 year university degree (masters or doctorate) that is comprised of training in a range of clinical environments and undertaking scientific research. In addition to the 6 years, the Clinical Psychologist must also undertake two years of supervised practice before registering with the Psychology Board of Australia as a specialist. Clinical Psychologists treat mental health problems and disorders with evidence based therapies (i.e. approaches that are well researched).  

What is a Counsellor?  
Counsellors help people by providing support, assist in exploring their options and working on problems that are impacting on their life. There are no formal qualifications required to be a counsellor, however, most counsellors have completed a degree or diploma in counselling, psychology or social work.  

What is a Psychiatrist?  
A Psychiatrist is a General Medical Practitioner who has specialised in mental, emotional and behavioural disorders by undertaking additional study in Psychiatry. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication and in order to practice must be registered with the Medical Board. Psychiatrists deal with more serious mental health problems such as psychosis, although clinical psychologists can also work with these presentations (often in consultation with a treating Psychiatrist).    

What usually happens in treatment?
The first consultation session usually involves describing what is troubling you. In some cases you will be asked to complete some simple psychological tests which will help to get a clear picture of what is happening for you. Sessions normally run for approximately 50 minutes. Together we work out a plan of what to work on in future sessions. Most often we encourage clients to commit to at least three sessions to begin with.

 

Fees
All fees due must be paid on the day of the consultation. We accept cash, cheque,  eftpos and major credit cards. Please note that we do not have cash on the premises so we would appreciate the correct change if you are paying via cash. The fee schedule is as follows:

Type                 Length of Session           Fee                   Medicare Rebate (if applicable)            

Individual           50 minutes                     $165.00                          $124.50                        

Chronic Dis.        30 minutes                     $82.50                            $52.95

Pregnancy          30 minutes                     $82.50                            $62.20

Pregnancy          50 minutes                     $165.00                           $62.20

 

Medicare Clients – Mental Health Care Plan
Rebates are available through Medicare with an accompanying Mental Health Care Plan from your General Practitioner (GP). You will receive a receipt for your payment in full and will need to take it to your nearest Medicare office to claim the rebate. Medicare rebates are available for up to 10 individual psychological services in a calendar year (January to December). After an initial group of six services, the referring GP will conduct a review of the need for further services before a further four services may be provided.

Medicare Clients – Enhanced Primary Care Initiative (Chronic Disease Management)
If you have a chronic disease you may also be eligible under the chronic disease scheme. Chronic medical conditions that may be covered by the scheme must have been present, or are likely to be present, for six months or more. The conditions include, but are not limited to:

•  Asthma
•  Cancer
•  Cardiovascular Illness
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Mental Disorders
• Arthritis
• Musculoskeletal Conditions

The initiative allows a person with a complex and/or chronic illness to claim a Medicare rebate for up to five visits (in total) to certain allied health professionals (including psychologists) within a calendar year. To access this initiative you will also need a referral from your GP.

Non-Directive Pregnancy Support Counselling Service

This psychology service offers pregnancy support counselling to assist females who have any personal concerns related to a current or recent pregnancy within the past 12 months, whether it has been full-term or part-term (including a planned termination). The pregnancy support counselling Medicare Item covers up to three 30 minute+ sessions with a psychologist per pregnancy. You will need to have a referral letter from your GP to access this service.

Further information about Medicare rebates can be found on the Australian Psychological Society website.

 

Private Health Insurance

 If you do not have a Mental Health Care Plan or have already accessed your sessions for the calendar year through the Mental Health Care Plan, you may also be eligible for a rebate from your private health insurance fund. Please call your fund directly to find out your individual entitlements. If you would like to make an appointment or require further information about our psychological services please contact either Lisa Newton or Dr. Terry Simpson.

 

Cancellations

 It is appreciated if at least 24 hours notice is given for cancellations or rescheduling of appointments. We try to remind you of appointments via email or SMS. You will be asked which reminder method you prefer when you check in for your first appointment.

 

After Hours

 Some after hours or early morning appointments are available for full time workers. Please note however that we are not a crisis service and for any immediate support required please call Lifeline 131114, attend your nearest emergency hospital, or call the Psychiatric Emergency Team on (08) 9224 8888. 

 

Confidentiality and Privacy

As part of a psychological service to you we will need to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your situation. Your records are kept secure and are not released to a third party without your approval unless this arrangement is part of the referral agreement. Note that all Medicare referrals require a brief report on progress which is forwarded to your referring GP. On completion of the first six services, the psychologist must provide a written report to the referring GP, which includes information on:

• assessments carried out on the client
• treatment provided; and
•  recommendations on future management of the client's disorder

A written report must also be provided to the referring medical practitioner at the completion of the second set of four services provided to the client. If you have questions about this area please discuss them at the first session.  

 

For more detailed information on our privacy policy please refer to our statement.