1. What clinical treatment services do we offer?

• Anxiety, depression, stress 
• General psychological distress 
• Trauma 
• Experiencing violence 
• Interpersonal relationships & sexual behaviours 
• Complex PTSD / childhood trauma 
• Anger / aggression

1. What forensic treatment services do we offer?

• Treatment for offending behaviours: 
  • sexual offending – including use of child exploitation material (CEM) 
  • violent offending
  • general offending 

1. What treatment therapies do we use?

• Schema therapy 
• Forensic schema therapy
• Cognitive behaviour therapy
• Trauma-informed cognitive-behavioural therapy 

1. Who do we work with?

• Individual adult clients, aged 18 years and over
• General Practitioners
• Other health professionals, psychiatrists
• Government departments / tribunals
• Non-government organisations and agencies
• Lawyers / barristers

1. What clinical treatment services don’t we provide?

• ADD / ADHD
• Autistic spectrum disorders
• Intellectual disabilities
• Specific learning disabilities
• Couples’ counselling
• Drug and alcohol-specific treatment
• Gambling specific treatment
• Eating disorder-specific treatment
• Sexuality / identity issues
• Sex therapy-specific treatment
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Workplace rehabilitation

1. Who don’t we provide services for?

• People aged under 18 years of age
• Bulk Billing clients
• Individual private clients organising forensic reports – all instructions for a forensic report must be provided by a lawyer
• Private treatment in a prison/travel to prisons to provide private treatment
• Legal Aid
• Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA)
• Insurance companies
• Mental Health Court
• Community corrections

1. What types of forensic assessments do we do?

• Risk assessments
• Mitigation / pre-sentence assessments
• Capacity to protect children from sexual harm / parenting assessments
• Forensic psychological assessments (inc. personality / mental health evaluation)
• Criminal compensation

1. What do we assess?

• Sexual offending
• Violent offending
• General offending
• Victims of crime

1. What types of assessments and reports don’t we provide?

• Family court reports – for solicitors or private individuals
• Neuropsychology or cognitive testing as a stand-alone evaluation – this testing can be completed in conjunction with another assessment eg:  risk assessment/parenting, but we do not provide them as a stand-alone assessment service
• Parenting assessments that aren’t Capacity to Protect

1. What is the purpose of an assessment?

The main reason for an assessment is to guide a decision, such as treatment, compensation, behaviour management, disability support, child custody, child protection, sentencing, deportation or guardianship.

1. What happens when you have an assessment?

Assessments are carried out using different methods depending on the specific needs of each report. An assessment may involve:

• Online assessments
• Paper-pencil inventories
• Test batteries or structured observations

In most cases, the assessments are completed by the client being assessed, however they may also include ratings from family members, teachers, support workers, managers or the psychologist.

1. How long does an assessment take?

Times to complete the assessment process vary depending on the individual report. A time estimate is provided with each quotation. As a guide, times can range from 30 minutes up to 20 hours or more for complex requirements. Many assessments occur over several weeks and will be conducted on-site at FCPC or other settings as required or as suitable.

1. How much do assessments cost?

We provide a quotation for every assessment detailing the hours and total cost. Generally assessments are not eligible for rebates. Our payment options vary depending on the report circumstances, however in all instances we require the full balance of the assessment to be paid before we release the report unless payment is being made from a government institution.

1. How long will it take to receive a response to my assessment report enquiry?

Response time varies depending on how much information we have received, whether your enquiry is a service we offer and what capacity we have at the time to complete your assessment report. We therefore are unable to guarantee a standard response time for enquiries but do our best to get back to you as soon as possible. Please provide as much information as possible when you are submitting your enquiry.

1. What is the waiting time for an assessment appointment?

We have a waitlist time that varies depending on circumstances at any given time.

Depending on the assessment required, an adjournment for your court or tribunal date may need to be sought by your lawyer as we don’t have availability to take on new assessments immediately with the demand for these services. An average wait time can be up to 3 months to schedule the first appointment.

1. What specific information is required for a Child Safety assessment report quotation?

Please provide at minimum a Terms of Reference (TOR) which is a brief providing information about the assessment and details of the case.

1. What supervision services do we offer?

• Schema therapy supervision 
• Schema therapist accreditation

1. What supervision services don’t we provide?

• Provisionally registered psychologists
• Assessment and report writing
• General (non-schema) treatment supervision
• Work experience or volunteer work

1. Do we supervise undergraduate or postgraduate students?

No, we do not supervise or provide professional development for university students, only fully registered and practicing mental health professionals.

1. Do we offer work experience placements for school students?

No, we do not provide work experience placements for school students. Our clinical environment is not suitable for children.

1. What Industry training and professional development services do we offer?

Topics we present on:

• Forensic assessment & treatment
• Sexual offending assessment & treatment
• Working with special populations (psychopathy, personality disorder)
• Risk assessment – how to
• Forensic case formulation
• Forensic schema therapy

Professional training services:

• Schema therapy
• Forensic schema therapy

1. What consultancy services for organisations do we offer?

• Assessment and management of sexual risk
• Assessment and management of institutional violence
• Understanding forensic populations
• Working with people with challenging needs
• Safeguarding governance frameworks and methodologies – specifically addressing Royal Commissions’ recommendations

1. For all other types of psychological services, please search for a qualified provider from the Australian Psychology Society provider database here:

Find a Psychologist – Australian Psychological Society

In addition to attending your appointment with us, many non-billable out-of-session duties are routinely required to provide your service.

These include:

• session preparation
• record keeping
• scoring assessments
• writing letters to referrers or service providers
• correspondence with clients and stakeholders
• case-management and crisis-care
• research
• administrative and other professional duties

We must also provide professional premises and tools, therapy and assessment resources and experienced support staff to assist you.

To be registered to practice and meet our business obligations, we also incur costs for mandatory professional registration and insurances, ongoing training and supervision, professional memberships and superannuation and taxes.

Thus our services fees account for your time with a psychologist and these additional business needs to ensure we can provide you with the highest possible professional and ethical service.

In the case of an emergency, please call 000 immediately.

1. Do you offer urgent appointments?

No, we are not a crisis service. If you require urgent assistance, please contact one of the following services:

• contact your GP
• attend your local hospital
• call one of the following telephone helplines:
  • Lifeline: 13 11 14
  • Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
  • Parentline: 13 22 89
  • Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

1. What times do you offer for appointments?

We offer appointments at various times from Monday-Friday between 9-6pm via face-to-face at our Paddington practice, secure telehealth service or by telephone. Please call the practice on 07 3162 0611 to discuss availability.

1. Can I book an appointment online?

Existing clients can book, reschedule, pay for and cancel appointments using our online client portal – please click here.

If you are a new client please call the practice on 07 3162 0611 to discuss availability and times.

1. Do you provide appointment reminders?

Yes, clients receive an SMS confirming appointment details then another SMS as a courtesy reminder 2 days prior to the appointment.

Clients are however responsible for remembering appointments. Please reply to confirm your appointment and attend your scheduled appointment on time.

1. What is your cancellation policy?

As a private practice we rely on appointments for our livelihood and therefore apply a full fee cancellation rate to all appointments cancelled within 24 hours of their scheduled time, or if you fail to show up for your appointment without notice.

1. Do you accept referrals?

Yes, we accept referrals from a wide range of sources such as private citizens, medical professionals, allied health professionals, lawyers, government departments and justice agencies, training agencies, corporate organisations etc.

We also accept referrals from 3rd parties on behalf of mandated clients.

1. How do I make a referral?

To submit a referral please use our online form or send an email to practicemanager@psychclinic.com.au
Please note – we do not have a fax number

1. What are your standard fees?

Our standard consulting fee for 1 hour of clinical treatment is $220 per session, which is more than 15% below the industry recommended fee of $267 per hour.

Standard consulting fees for 1 hour of forensic treatment is $250 per session.

Assessment fees are quoted individually according to the needs of each assessment.

1. How and when do I pay?

Payment is due at the time of therapy appointments. We accept direct deposit, Mastercard and Visa for payments.
Please note – credit card transactions attract a surcharge.

Assessment payment terms are detailed in the individual quotation, however it is standard that we require an upfront portion of the fee to commence the assessment then full payment of the fee upon completion of the report before it will be released.

1. Can I claim psychology sessions with Medicare?

Medicare offers rebates for clients who are eligible for a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP). Please speak to your GP or medical specialist about your eligibility to gain a referral for treatment.

1. Can I claim psychology sessions using private health insurance?

Most private health funds offer rebates on psychology services, however the amount of rebate provided depends on your particular policy. Please contact your health fund to check your policy entitlements.

1. Do you offer bulk billing services?

No, we do not offer bulk billing for any services.

1. When do I receive my rebate?

Medicare claims are made at the time of payment. The rebate amount is generally credited to your bank account within 24 hours of the claim. For private health we provide a receipt after your appointment for you to claim with your private health fund.

1. What are the Medicare rebates for psychologists when I have a MHCP?

You will receive $129.55 when you see a clinical psychologist and $88.25 when you see a general psychologist when referred with a MHCP.

1. How many psychology sessions am I eligible for with a MHCP?

A mental health treatment plan lets you claim up to 20 sessions with a mental health professional each calendar year.

1. Do I need to have a hard copy of my GP MHCP?

We require a copy of your MHCP to claim your rebate for you from Medicare after your consultation. We can accept an electronic or paper plan.

1. Do I receive a reminder when my MHCP sessions are completed?

No, as you can use your plan with any registered health provider it always remains your responsibility to know how many sessions you have left.

1. When does my MHCP need to be reviewed?

As per Medicare rules, you will need to see your GP to review your plan after every 6 sessions.

1. What is Telehealth?

Healthcare delivery or related activities that use any form of technology as an alternative to face-to-face consultations. It includes videoconferencing, internet and telephone.

It does not refer to the use of technology during a face-to-face consultation. Email, online chat and text messaging also do not constitute a telehealth session.

1. Do you offer telehealth appointments?

Yes, we offer secure telehealth services for suitable clients, including those who need or choose to self-isolate during COVID-19.

1. Are rebates available for telehealth appointments?

Telehealth rebates are available for rural and remote clients and to all Australians during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Please see our clinical psychology page for eligibility details.

1. What are the benefits and limitations of using telehealth?

Benefits:

• Improves your access as a patient to health care services
• Removes the time, expense and inconvenience of travelling to a health care facility
• Allows greater flexibility and convenience for both you the patient and the health care professional to schedule and attend sessions
• Enables a highly discreet environment for you to attend mental health care sessions
• Enable use of interactive technologies and online materials

Limitations:

• Access to the right technology
• Service is vulnerable to disruption, eg internet connection etc
• Not everyone likes remote therapy, such as feeling confident using the technology, preferring face-to-face interaction, having a suitably private or safe space for the consultation

1. What telehealth videoconferencing software do you use?

We use the Coviu platform, which is also the Australian Government’s video telehealth platform of choice. The secure system is specifically built for health services to meet strict confidentiality and privacy requirements.

1. What setup requirements do I need for a telehealth session?

To be ready to use our telehealth service please ensure you have the follow the setup:

Connection:

• You will require an adequate connection to either the internet or the mobile data (4g) network depending on the device you intend to use

Hardware:

• You can access Coviu software from a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer
• The device you use will require audio and video capability – speakers and webcam

Software:

• Mac, Windows or Android desktops or laptops: please use the latest version of Google Chrome for best performance
• iPhone or iPad devices: please download the Coviu app from the Apple app store prior to your appointment
• Android mobile or tablet devices: please download the Coviu app from the Google app store prior to your appointment

1. How often do I need to complete the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (Dass21) test?

Once every 6 months.

1. Who is my personal information shared with?

Your personal information is confidential and accessed by staff at our clinic on a needs-only basis. You can request to have your personal information released to other parties by signing our consent form detailing your instructions.

What do your fees pay for?