FAQ’s
Can I make an appointment to see a psychologist without a referral?
You do not need a referral for any of our services – individual or group. A referral and/or mental health care plan is required if you wish to make a claim through Medicare. It may be also possible for you to claim a rebate through your private health insurance depending on your level of cover. Please make enquiries with your insurance company prior to your appointment if you require information regarding your eligibility.
Does MindWare Psychology Bulk Bill?
At MindWare Psychology we believe mental health treatment should be accessible to everyone, so if you have financial hardship please feel free to discuss this with your individual treating psychologist. We do not however promote ourselves as a bulk billing service as we encourage you to take a joint investment in your psychological wellbeing.
Can I access a Medicare Rebate?
Sessions with our psychologists attract a Medicare Rebate when the appropriate referrals are in place. Your GP is the person that can provide you with a Mental Health Treatment Plan and as such it needs to be discussed with them directly. If you meet the requirements for a referral under this program you will then be referred to us by your GP or can request to be referred to us by your specialist (Psychiatrist or Pediatrician) under a Mental Health Treatment Plan. The rebate available for the service varies depending on whether you see a Clinical Psychologist or a General Psychologist. At MindWare Psychology we believe in valuing the ability of all our Psychologists and so we are committed to keeping the gap payment the same between our psychologists.
What is a Mental Health Treatment Plan?
A GP Mental Health Treatment Plan enables a client to attend a session with a psychologist and then claim a partial rebate for the cost of the service from Medicare. A Medicare rebate will be available for a maximum of 10 individual AND 10 group therapy sessions per calendar year. A Mental Health Treatment Plan allows for a collaboration between your treating doctor and our psychologists to provide a coordinated response to meet your holistic health needs. This does mean that our psychologists will provide reports to the government and to your treating doctor to outline your access to our services and your progress.
What is the cost per appointment?
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGIST
INITIAL Individual Therapy Appointment (New client first session) $190.00
INITIAL Individual Therapy Appointment – Concession* (New client first session) $170.00
SUBSEQUENT Individual Therapy Appointment $175.00
SUBSEQUENT Individual Therapy Appointment – Concession* $155.00
Medicare Rebate (for clients with an eligible mental health care plan) $96.65
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
INITIAL Individual Therapy Appointment (New client first session) $230.00
INITIAL Individual Therapy Appointment – Concession* (New client first session) $210.00
SUBSEQUENT Individual Therapy Appointment $215.00
SUBSEQUENT Individual Therapy Appointment – Concession* $195.00
Medicare Rebate (for clients with an eligible mental health care plan) $141.85
*Pension Card/Health Care Card Holders
PLEASE NOTE that these are our standard fees, however, the cost of your consultation may vary depending on your treating psychologist or if an alternate agreement has been made. If you feel there is a financial hardship, please advise your treating psychologist as you may be able to negotiate alternative payment options to meet your needs.
Unless an alternate agreement has been made, payment is required on the day of the appointment. We accept cash, cheque, EFTPOS, and major credit cards.
Cancellation Policy
We understand there may be times when you need to cancel or postpone your scheduled appointment.
MindWare Psychology is a busy practice, we aim to provide a quality service for all clients, including providing earlier appointments to those asking to be on our cancellation lists. Therefore, if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, we kindly ask that you let us know at least 2 days prior to your scheduled appointment.
If you cancel or reschedule your appointment 2 or more days prior to your scheduled appointment, you will not incur any cancellation fees.
If you cancel or reschedule your appointment on the day prior to your scheduled appointment you will be charged 50% of the consultation fee.
If you cancel, reschedule, or fail to attend on the day of your scheduled appointment, you will be charged 100% of the consultation fee.
We will provide you will courtesy reminders, however, it is your responsibility to manage your appointment times.
Please be aware that cancellation fees are unable to be claimed through Medicare and you will be responsible for payment of the cancellation fee without rebate. Clients that are under an arrangement where session fees are paid by a third party will be responsible for payment of the cancellation fee unless there is an agreement with the third party that they will pay on their behalf.
Can I claim private health?
If you are eligible, you can claim directly to your health care provider by mail, online or on your smart phone. We can provide you with a receipt, but do not have HICAPS facilities onsite.
Can I claim Medicare Rebates for your Group Programs?
If you have a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan that includes approval from your doctor to attend group programs you could be eligible to claim a rebate for our group programs.
Can I use NDIS funding?
MindWare can work with NDIS participants who are plan-managed and self-managed.
What to Expect
Appointments with your psychologist will generally last 50 mins. The initial appointment may be a little longer than this depending on who you are booked to see. During your first appointment, you will have an opportunity to explain your current concerns from your perspective. We will also provide you with information regarding your privacy, treatment plan and what you can expect from us. Where couples and families attend, each person will be given the opportunity to speak with the psychologist individually. It is important to understand that we are unable to see any person without a signed consent/ permission form. For young people under the age of 16 years we ask that a parent provide the consent for this. In the case of young people over the age of 16 years we ask that parents provide young people with the consent/permission to access our services privately and respect their right to confidentiality. We are however committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all clients whether they be children, adolescents or adults. However, should your safety or that of your child be of concern then we will advise you as the parent and also link you into services that can best support you at that time. It is important to know that we are not a 24 hr service and as such are not able to provide you with emergency or after hours care. Should this be an issue we will refer you to a service that can adequately meet your needs. Throughout this process you will always be treated with the utmost respect and your psychologist will discuss and reach agreement with you regarding your treatment plan and the expected number of sessions. To ensure that we offer a high quality service all of our psychologists are registered with AHPRA, Medicare Australia and are committed to ethical practice as outlined by the Australian Psychological Society code of ethics. You might like to watch this short video, where Veronica briefly explains what to expect on your first session.