LEARN MOREFrequently Asked Questions

People often feel anxious and apprehensive prior to their first session. You don’t need to prepare a coherent narrative or story to tell your psychologist. Just show up, and your psychologist will help guide you through the process.

In the first session, your psychologist will want to know what’s brought you to therapy. They may also ask about other important facets of your life, such as who you live with, what you do for fun, and what interests you.

Your psychologist may also discuss what therapy will look like and any next steps forward.

Don’t worry! There’s no pressure to talk about anything you don’t feel comfortable talking about.

It’s difficult to say how many sessions you will need with your psychologist, and many clients and families find that they attend therapy for a much shorter, or longer, period of time than they initially expected. Every individual brings their own unique experiences and challenges to therapy, and ultimately it is up to you to decide how long you will need. Your psychologist will work with you to determine when it is the right time to end therapy.

A standard session lasts for 50 minutes and your first session will last for 60 minutes. Your clinician may ask you to schedule a longer period of time for specific sessions (e.g., family sessions) in which case a higher fee will be incurred. Your clinician will inform you if/when a longer session length is needed, and whether this will impact the standard session fee.

Don’t feel bad – even we still get confused sometimes!

The main difference between psychologists and psychiatrists is that a psychiatrist can prescribe medications. Psychologists, on the other hand, specialise in talking therapies.

Both types of treatment have shown to be effective for mental health issues. And studies demonstrate that talking therapies are just as effective at treating common mental health disorders than medication.

Fees differ for each clinician and may be higher for the initial session or for joint family sessions. Fees for a standard session range from $260 to $280 per session. You will be informed of fee structures for your chosen clinician prior to commencing your first session. The APS National Schedule of Recommended Fees 2023-2024 for Clinical Psychologists is at $311.

Before your first session, your clinician will send you an intake form to collect payment details. Ensure to include your credit/debit card details as well as your bank account details when you complete this form. If therapy is for your child/family, ensure you list yourself as a ‘claimant’ so that you can claim the Medicare rebate.

Yes, with a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP you can claim money back for your first 10 sessions every year. You will need to get a GP to write a referral with your psychologist’s name on it prior to your first session, and you should bring this referral to your first appointment. After the first 6 rebated sessions, you will need to visit your GP again for a referral for the final 4 sessions.

The current Medicare rebate for therapy sessions with a Clinical Psychologist is $131.65, so there will still be a gap fee for Medicare-rebated sessions.

Our convenient billing system will claim your Medicare rebate for you and send it straight to your nominated bank account. No need to fill out any complicated forms!

You will sometimes be able to find parking along Help St or Brown St, otherwise Chatswood Westfields has free 2 hour parking and is a 10 minute walk from our clinic. We are also conveniently located less than a 5 minute walk from Chatswood train station.