FAQs

According to the Department of Health, a valid Medicare referral for psychology must include the following information. It is your responsiblity to ask your doctor to include this information on your referral letter. 

• Date of referral and doctor's signature
• Medicare diagnosis
• Patient's Medicare number
• Patient's name (correct spelling as it appears on Medicare records)
• Patient's date of birth
• Patient's residential address
• Presenting problem and previous diagnoses
• Up-to-date list of medications
• Number of rebates (a maximum of 6 rebates in the first referral, followed by a re-referral for 4 additional rebates)
• Doctor's provider number

If you bring a referral letter, you are automatically giving consent for the psychologist to communicate with your GP. As per Medicare requirements, psychologists must provide a brief letter to your GP with their clinical opinion.

The session fee is settled at each session, and receipts are issued only after payment. Your private insurance provider is responsible for advising you on your level of psychology coverage. Insurance reimbursement is not guaranteed and depends on your individual policy.

You can request an appointment at Hawthorn psychology and Belgrave psychology using the form, and I will return your call within a day to confirm a time. No referral is needed, and there are no wait times, as I run my own practice. We can typically find an initial time to meet and then discuss the details of our treatment agreement and weekly sessions when we meet. If you prefer, you can call me at 0433 781919 or send a WhatsApp message, which is especially helpful if you're contacting from outside Australia or find it more convenient.

Psychoanalysis Melbourne & Psychodynamic Therapy: The duration of a session isn't fixed but follows the principle of variable-length sessions according to lacanian psychoanalytic theory. The psychoanalyst ends a session when something significant emerges, a shift, or a moment that touches at the core of your unconscious. The session respects the subjective rhythm of your unconscious, rather than clock-time, allowing the work to unfold in a way that highlights the symbolic aspects to progress the treatment.

I don't need a referral to see you in Hawthorn and Belgrave. It's optional. Furthermore, you do not need to be diagnosed with a psychological disorder to undertake psychological treatment. Some people are aware of a problem and want to address it. We can discuss your concern in the sessions. However if you do opt to use Medicare, your doctor is required to document a diagnosis in your file (I don't have access unless you give me a referral) and it appears in your health records. If you give me a referral I have to write back to the GP at some point and give a summary for your public medical records. If you do not give me a referral, my notes stay with me and aren't shared. As a psychoanalytic psychologist I do not give categorical diagnoses, unless individuals specifically see me for a clinical report.

In Australia, Medicare gives $96 and only for six therapy sessions. This program was created to encourage Australians who haven't tried therapy before to give it a go. That said, the six-session limit isn't based on scientific evidence. The duration of treatment is not determined by a fixed number of sessions or a predetermined timeline. Instead, it is based on the subjective experience of each person in treatment.

Most psychological treatment in Australia happens in private practice and isn't adequetly funded by public or private insurance. With psychoanalysis Melbourne, it's important to understand that it's a long-term weekly commitment. It's about working with the unconscious knowledge, which is based in transference taking time to develop through free association, dreams, and other unconscious formations (See the interactive section: Why seek psychoanalytic treatment?). Gradually uncovering how you might be contributing to your own suffering without realising it. While it takes dedication, the insights and changes that come from this mode of working together are worthwhile and liberating.

To access Medicare rebates for seeing the psychologist in Hawthorn and the psychologist in Belgrave, you'll need to ask your GP to create a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) for you based on a diagnosed mental health condition. In addition to the MHCP, you must also request a valid referral letter from your GP to see a psychologist. The referral letter must include a valid Medicare diagnosis and specify the number of rebates (typically, Medicare rule allows an initial 6 rebates, followed by 4 additional rebates after a GP review).

Please note that the Medicare rebate amount and eligibility for various services are set by Medicare, not by the psychologist. To ensure you meet the requirements, it's important that your referral letter from your GP aligns with Medicare's guidelines. It is your responsibility to schedule the necessary reviews with your GP for further rebates. 

If you are unwell and unable to attend a session in person, we can arrange a video session at short notice. Please notify me a few hours in advance so I can provide the link. If you are too sick for a video session, we can reschedule for later in the week or make up the session the following week. If you do not notify me and miss the session without rescheduling, you will be liable and have to pay for the missed session.

When we agree to work together at a frequency (e.g., two sessions weekly), you are required to pay for those sessions regardless of whether you come or not, as these times are reserved in my diary. However, if you have a planned change (e.g., work commitments, childcare, travel) and need to adjust the time or switch to an online session, please inform me in advance so we can find an alternative time. If you miss your session and no rescheduled time is arranged within the same week, you are still liable for the payment of your reserved timeslot. If you are sick, please refer to the relevant FAQ for further information.

For child FAQs refer to the child psychologist services page, and see the FAQs section

All electronic data and information will be handled according to the Australian government regulations, Business Victoria standards, and best practice guidelines for private practice psychologists and psychologist in Hawthorn and psychologist in Belgrave. You can find more information about my privacy practices. I am also happy to answer your questions.

To discuss any inquiries, whether about treatment or a report, you will need to book a session. I will address your problem or question during the session; you can also review the patient information page. The brief phone call we have is solely for the purpose of scheduling an appointment, and not for answering questions about your treatment or providing opinions over the phone.