No, you can make an appointment to see a psychologist and pay privately. However, if you are referred by a GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician under a Mental Health Care Plan, you are eligible for Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual sessions and 10 group sessions per calendar year.

Individual sessions of up to 50 minutes are $230 for a clinical psychologist and $170 for a generally registered psychologist. Medicare rebates of $137.05 (clinical) and $89.65 (general) are available to clients with a Mental Health Care Plan, for up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year, so the out of pocket fee is around $93 per session.

Group sessions typically cost $100 per session for 90 minutes, with a Medicare rebate of $47.40 per session, for up to 10 group sessions per calendar year, so the out of pocket cost is around $52 per session.

Concession sessions may be available if you are experiencing financial hardship. Please discuss with your individual clinician.

Cancellation fees of 50%-100% of the fee are applicable if you cancel your appointment within 48 hours of the scheduled time.

Private health insurance may cover some of your session fee if you have extras cover that includes psychology. You must choose whether to apply for the Medicare rebate or private health cover rebate, you cannot receive both. The rebate for Medicare is typically higher so people generally use their Medicare sessions first and then use private health insurance once their Medicare sessions have run out.

Before your appointment

Jess manages all the administration for Grace Clinical Psychology. She will send you an online form to complete before your session. This is from Halaxy, which is the client management software we use. Please complete the form within 48 hours of receiving it as it expires after this time. Please also check your spam for this email. You will receive an email from Jess confirming the time of your appointment and you will receive a telehealth link in this email for your session. You will also receive a text message reminder two days before your session. Please email Jess your Mental Health Care Plan prior to your appointment.

During your first appointment

Your psychologist will hear your story and ask questions to clarify your difficulties. At the end of the session, your psychologist will share their impression of your difficulties and you will discuss therapy goals, therapy approach, and the frequency of sessions. Some people only need a few sessions, others require 6-10 sessions or more to see improvement.

Subsequent sessions

You will work collaboratively with your psychologist on your concerns using evidence-based approaches. Sessions usually focus on your goals but also issues that present at the time.

Jess will send you an invoice after your session with bank details to transfer payment for your session. Once Jess has received payment, she will process your Medicare rebate for you. You will receive a receipt by email which includes the Medicare claim receipt. Payment is due on the day of your appointment.