I am not covered under medicare as I am a counsellor and not a psychologist. However my prices are in line with the average out of pocket expense you’d have using a mental care plan with a psychologist. A session with me is $90 and it’s 50 minutes. The Australian Psychological Society recommended hourly fee for Psychologists in 2018 is $241 per consultation hour. And there’s a medicare rebate of $86 for a psychologist and $124 for clinical Psychologist. So, the out of pocket expense ranges from $95 – 160.

The first session is a gentle start, simply to get to know each other. You’ll be asked some general questions about yourself and you can talk a little about why you’ve chosen to chat with a counsellor. It’s a chance for you to ask any question you would like, and see if you’d like to work together.

I use Zoom and Facetime . You’ll receive an email when you book and a reminder text 24 hours before your session with the link. Please jump online a few minutes before your session to check your sound and internet connection.

We will just have a chat. It’s conversational rather than clinical. We focus less on what’s wrong with you and more on what strengths and skills do you already have, then we build on those over the course of therapy! 

Yes, absolutely. Cry as much as you like, or not at all. It’s a safe space, and it’s all ok!

The first session is 1 hour and 15 mins, and the following sessions will be 50 minutes. If you require longer, that’s ok too. We can work that out as we go! 

We talk. I’ll ask you questions, and hear you. I’ll listen. I’ll sometimes hear things, and see patterns in your life that you may not have noticed and we’ll discuss that. It’s all very gentle and guided by you. We work together to understand you, and I provide you with the space to change and grow.

Ideally when we start working together, it will be weekly and then drop down as you need it. However, we can have irregular check up sessions if you prefer. It’s up to you. We’ll talk about what works best for you.

The standard cost for a 50 minute session is $90.00. Following our session, you will be issued with an invoice for a direct bank transfer. You then have 7 days to pay the invoice. Payment plans will be considered based on individual circumstances.

Absolutely. In addition to this, as I’m not under Medicare – your session is completely private and isn’t registered on any government systems.

The fine print:

Confidentiality is maintained for clients as far as possible but when a person or persons are at risk, confidentiality must be waived and the appropriate authorities or family members notified. Such situations include the following:

1. The client is at risk of serious self harm or of considering suicide,

2. Of harming another person or committing homicide,

3. Abuse of children is a mandatory reporting offence which I am required by law to report.

Where confidentiality cannot be maintained the counsellor will take all possible steps to first inform/discuss their intention with the client.

By booking a session, you acknowledge that you have read the above and understand the counsellor’s social and ethical responsibility to make such decisions where necessary. You understand and agree to these conditions concerning confidentiality.

I require 24 hours notice, otherwise you will be charged the full fee. You will receive a text message to remind you of our session. Where there are genuine extenuating circumstances, this fee may be waved. 

A good therapist/client relationship is one where you as the client feel that you are safe.  A feeling of safety is imperative if you are going to be able to achieve your goals in therapy because you must believe that no matter what you bring to the counselling session, your therapist is going to be non-judgemental, caring and actively listening, to gain a deep understanding of you and your needs.  That does not mean however, that you won’t find the relationship at times difficult or anxiety provoking, as with change, come challenges.  But as long as you know your therapist is there to meet your needs first and foremost, then you will feel supported through these challenges.

There are many benefits to counselling; some are listed below:

• learn skills that help you manage and work with anxiety

• increase resilience to stress by fostering emotional strength and flexibility

• promote emotional regulation

• promote better communication and social engagement

• strengthen relationships

• present new opportunities and potential.

If you’re having difficulty deciding whether to see a counsellor or psychologist, hopefully this can make it a bit easier for you.

A psychologist tends to specialise in a key area such as sports psychology, organisational psychology, mental disorders etc.  For example they may treat certain disorders such as ADHD,  mood disorders, personality disorders or they may be engaged as school counsellors or to motivate people in business and elite sport.  If you have been given a mental health plan by your GP then they will have referred you to a psychologist who specialises in a relevant area that meets your needs.  If you have a mental health plan you will get a rebate back on Medicare, however the cost of a psychologist is commonly twice as much as a counsellor.

A counsellor is generally someone who has been trained in ‘talk therapy’.  The counselling profession is not regulated in the same way psychology is.  However there are professional bodies such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).  So if you are looking for a fully qualified counsellor then it is a good idea to check that they are registered with one of the above associations. My PACFA Registration number is 26711.

A counsellor will essentially be trained to listen and help with any broad presenting issues.  They tend to listen in a deep way that can help you make decisions to lead the life you want.  They may also have specialist postgraduate training in particular areas such as depression, anxiety, different therapy modalities, and some are more interested in a long term approach with clients commonly referred to in Australia as psychotherapy (although anyone can call themselves a psychotherapist).

A counsellor is not registered with Medicare, and therefore cannot offer rebates or bulk billing like a Psychologist can.  However, generally a counsellor may charge anywhere between $80 and $150 per session, whereas a psychologist will charge a lot more.