Queensgate Psychology Centre

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Counselling?

Counselling involves the development of a relationship between a client and a trained professional (e.g. a Psychologist) that focuses on the client’s concerns and difficulties. It is a process in which individuals have the opportunity to improve upon their understanding of themselves. This includes understanding their patterns of thinking, behaviours, feelings, and the ways in which these may be problematic in their lives. Counselling also provides individuals with opportunities to examine how to use their existing resources and skills or develop new ones to enhance their lives and relationships. Counselling is a collaborative effort as it involves the client and Psychologist working together to clarify the client's goals and develop the skills required to achieve them.

Who can benefit from Counselling?

People seek counselling for many reasons. Psychological counselling may be useful if you:

Have a persistent feeling of sadness or depression
Often feel stressed or anxious
Would like to improve your relationships with others
Lack self-confidence or have difficulty being assertive
Feel suicidal
Have thoughts of harming yourself
Are struggling to balance work and family commitments
Are having difficulty making an important decision
Are worried about the health or wellbeing of someone close to you

When is Queensgate Psychology Centre open?

Our practice offers appointments from 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, and Saturday from 8:00am - 12:00pm. Our friendly Reception staff are available to answer your queries or schedule appointments on 08 6102 6662.

What can I expect during my first appointment?

When you arrive for your initial appointment, our receptionist will ask you to read & complete a few forms which provide you with information regarding our services and enable us to obtain your consent and contact details. We suggest you arrive 5 minutes early for your first appointment, so you can complete these forms and maximise the time available for discussion with your Psychologist. If you have any difficulties or concerns about completing the forms, your Psychologist will be happy to assist you with this during your session. If you have a referral letter or Mental Health Care Plan from your doctor, please bring these to your appointment, along with your Medicare card and provide this information to our receptionist when you arrive.

During the session, the Psychologist will briefly explain important aspects of our service, such as the privacy and confidentiality of any information discussed in your sessions. They will then give you an opportunity to discuss why you have decided to attend counselling and what you hope to change or improve upon as a result of your sessions. The Psychologist will also be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the counselling process. After discussing your concerns in some detail (which may take more than one session) you can expect the Psychologist to provide you with information about how counselling may assist with the difficulties you are experiencing and what would be involved in any future sessions. If for some reason the Psychologist believes there is a more appropriate practitioner or organisation to assist you, they will explain this to you and with your permission they will help to co-ordinate a referral.

What is a 'Parent Intake Appointment?'

This initial appointment is a parent-only session, a chance to get to know your chosen psychologist and chat openly about the challenges your child is facing.

We will ask you questions about developmental history, emotional regulation, social skills, sensory concerns and learning. We can also provide age-appropriate advice for talking to your child about what to expect when they meet us.

The information discussed during this session can determine any need for assessment and guide future appointments.

Please note that Medicare rebates are also available for parent intake appointments , if a Mental Health Treatment Plan in place.

What are the fees?

Individual counselling sessions are approximately 50 minutes in duration and are charged from $220 with one of our Registered Psychologists and $250 per session with our Clinical Psychologists.

If a Parent Intake appointment is required for your child by their psychologist, a fee will incur of $230 for an approximate 50 minute session with Medicare rebates available.

At the time of making your appointment, a Pre-Booking fee of $100.00 is taken. This remains on your file for the duration of your appointments and will be reimbursed in full at the conclusion of sessions. This fee is not used for any late cancellations or non attendance of appointments.

The deposit will be refunded back to you when you decide to conclude your visits provided you have met the requirements.

Please note that accounts must be paid on the day of your session. Fees are subject to change with 4 weeks notice and any changes will be published on this site. Additional fees may apply for medical reports if required.

Fees for insurance related services (eg: RiskCover, WorkCover, ICWA) are based on the relevant price/fee guide. Please call our reception team on 08 6102 6662 or contact us via email for more information

Do I need a referral from my Doctor?

No, you do not need a referral in order to visit a Psychologist. However, you will be unable to claim any Medicare rebate without a Mental Health Treatment Plan and referral from your GP or referral letter from a psychiatrist or pediatrician.

Can I get a rebate from Medicare?

Yes, providing you have a referral from your General Practitioner (GP) with a completed Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP).

Your GP will assess whether you are eligible for a MHTP referral, most GP's require you to book a longer appointment to assess and discuss the process.

You can also obtain a Mental Health Treatment Plan and referral letter from a psychiatrist or paedatrician.

If a Mental Health Treatment Plan and referral letter have been completed by your doctor, you will be able to obtain a Medicare rebate of $93.35 if you are seeing one of our Registered Psychologists and $137.05 with one of our Clinical Psychologists.

How can I obtain my Medicare rebate?

We offer Medicare online claiming, which allows you to claim your Medicare rebate on the spot and Medicare will deposit the funds directly into your bank account (providing you have previously registered your banking details with Medicare). Alternatively, you can take your receipt and claim your rebate from Medicare in person or online at home.

Can I claim a rebate from my private health insurance fund?

Many private health insurance funds provide a rebate for services provided by psychologists. We encourage you to contact your health insurance fund prior to your appointment to find out whether your policy covers services provided by the particular psychologist you are scheduled to meet with. Our psychologists are registered as providers with most private health funds. We do not offer HICAPS electronic claiming at our practice.

What is your Cancellations Policy?

Should you need to cancel your appointment - enabling this to be offered to another client, we ask that you provide a minimum of 48 hours notice. You will receive an SMS reminder 48 hours prior to your appointment. We kindly ask that you reply (YES), to confirm your attendance. If you do need to cancel or rebook your appointment, you must contact our rooms on 6102 6662 to advise directly.

If you cancel at short notice (less than the 48 hours), and we are unable to fill the appointment slot, this will incur a late cancellation of $100.00. Should you fail to attend your appointment without notice, this will incur a non attendance fee of $100.00. We will contact you for payment of this (which must be paid prior to any further appointments proceeding).

Appointments cannot be cancelled via our online booking system within 48 hours of your appointment time. Should you need to cancel your appointment within the 48 hours time frame, please contact our reception team directly on (08) 6102 6662.