Psychological Services

FRUSTRATED WHEN YOUR CARE TEAM AREN'T COMMUNICATING?

The mental health team of In Balance strive to provide a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. We believe strongly in delivering effective evidence based Psychological based interventions in order to provide the highest quality of mental health care for you and our local community. We also understand that communication between all those involved in your circle of care is just as important. Clinicians within this practice collaborate closely with each other (only if they are involved in your treatment and with your permission) and with our community of GP’s, Psychiatrists and other Allied Health Professionals to achieve the best outcomes for you our clients.

EVER WONDERED WHAT WE DO?

Clinical Psychologists provide therapy for difficulties ranging in severity from treating complex psychological disorders, helping people navigate challenges such as the stress of dealing with losses, trauma or life stage transitions, through to enhancing their effectiveness, performance and wellbeing.

In addition to professional practice, clinical psychologists may be involved in research, teaching and supervision, program development and evaluation, public policy and other activities that promote psychological health.

Clinical psychologists are trained in the assessment and diagnosis of mental illnesses and psychological problems and are qualified to provide advice in clinical and compensation areas. Clinical psychologists use a range of techniques and therapies to treat mental health disorders. They hold particular skills to solve complex clinical psychology problems requiring individually-tailored treatment.

Research, teaching and evaluation are all integral to being a clinical psychologist. Research is often conducted on prevention, diagnosis, assessment and treatment. Clinical psychologists are involved in the design and implementation of treatment strategies in various settings (such as primary care, psychiatric and rehabilitation) and in the subsequent evaluation of treatment outcomes.

• Psychological management of chronic pain, chronic illness and health related issues
• Injury management and rehabilitation counselling
• Post-Traumatic Stress and other trauma and stress-related difficulties
• Mood disorders including depression, dysthymia and bipolar disorder
• Anxiety - phobias, panic, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, worry and generalised anxiety
• Disordered eating and body image concerns
• Bereavement
• Family and Counselling
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Concerns

APPOINTMENTS
Standard appointments are 50 minutes long. An initial assessment appointment may require up to 1 ½ hours.

REFERRALS
A referral is not necessary but is required to access Medicare rebates. No referral is needed if paying privately or through your private health insurance.

PRICING
Standard Fee $170

If you work full time, buy coffee, take away or visit restaurants on a regular basis, we ask you to pay the standard fee.

Reduced Fee $140

If you are a self-funding student, on Centrelink benefits or in financial hardship and the standard fee would mean not being able to attend as regularly as needed to achieve optimal health, then we will arrange a reduced fee (see table below). You should only need to ‘carry’ the rebate amount for 24 hours until Medicare deposits the funds in your account.

These fees are considerably lower than those recommended by the Australian Psychological Society to enable access to good quality psychology services to as broad a section of our community as possible.

TYPES OF FUNDING
Medicare
To be eligible for a Medicare rebate you will need a referral from your GP who will complete a Mental Health Treatment Plan and provide a referral letter. A psychiatrist can also refer under Medicare. The Mental Health Care Plan must be completed prior to your appointment with me otherwise you will not receive a rebate. The MHCP allows for up to 10 sessions in a calendar year. A review with your GP is necessary following the first 6 sessions.

For further information about the Better Access Mental Health Treatment Plans, including eligibility criteria, the Australian Psychological Society has a fact sheet for clients here
 

Medicare also has rebates available if you are referred by your GP under an Enhanced Primary Care referral. The Chronic Disease Management (formerly Enhanced Primary Care or EPC) this enables GPs to plan and coordinate the health care of patients with chronic or terminal medical conditions, including patients with these conditions who require multidisciplinary, team-based care from a GP and at least two other health or care providers.

A chronic medical condition is one that has been (or is likely to be) present for six months or longer, for example, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal conditions and stroke. Whether you are eligible for CDM services is a clinical judgement for your GP. Under an EPC/CDM referral you are eligible for up to 5 sessions within a calendar year with any Allied Health professionals. This may mean 3 sessions with a psychologist and 2 with a physiotherapist, for example. The rebates are much lower and therefore out of pocket expenses are greater for you.

Prior to your consultation date a text confirmation is sent to you. Please respond quickly to allow a minimum 24 hour notice if you need to make a cancellation, otherwise a non-attendance fee of $50 will be charged and must be paid prior to your next consultation.