Appointments, Opening Hours, Fees & Rebates

Appointments

Matching you to the right therapist

Our Matching session achieves better results because it identifies the psychologist that you will work best with. It is a 30-minute session – or 40-min for couples – which can be done face-to-face, by phone or online.

You can get a Medicare rebate for matching sessions but most people prefer to save the rebate for their full therapy sessions. Private health cover may also apply. You can speak to our reception about this on 1300 161 639.

Direct appointments

Direct appointments are for those people who prefer to choose their own psychologist from our website; or have been referred directly to a particular psychologist by a GP or a friend; or they just want to get started straight away.

You can speak to our reception about this on 1300 161 639.

How many sessions will I need?

The best outcomes in therapy come from regular sessions which reinforce behaviour change. Just like going to the gym, regular and consistent work – with out long breaks - will increase your chances of success.

For initial treatment we recommend up to 6 sessions either weekly or fortnightly sessions. Longer intervals reduce the effectiveness of counselling and also waste valuable time in the session on recapping the intervening weeks’ events.

Once the initial behaviour changes are in place, on-going maintenance can be done at monthly intervals. We also recommend a 6-month Mental Health check up to alert you to any major changes in your mental health. You can read about our 15-minute Mental Health Check.

How to make an appointment

• You can call Reception on 1300 161 639 and speak to one of our friendly staff
• You can email by using the Contact Us form on our website or email us at info@psychologymelbourne.com.au
• You can send a text message by replying to the reminder SMS we send you 48 hours before your appointment
• You can also use our Chat messenger on the website

Confidentiality & Informed Consent

Confidentially is crucial aspect of counselling because a person must feel free to talk about their innermost thoughts and feelings in a safe place. Our psychologists need to collect personal information to assist in assessing, understanding or treating your concerns.

However, Confidentiality is not absolute and Psychology Melbourne is legally obligated to disclose information about you to the appropriate authorities, with or without your consent, in the following circumstances:

• If your psychologist has reasonable grounds to believe that you are likely to harm yourself or another person.
• If your psychologist has reasonable grounds to believe that a child under the age of 17 years is at risk of being abused or neglected.
• If your counselling record has been subpoenaed by a court of law.
• If you disclose that you have been sexually abused by a regulated health professional.

Psychology Melbourne is committed to keeping your personal information confidential and we safeguard that information using secure passwords, firewalls and specialised protection programs related to information and communication technologies.

Opening Hours

Psychology Melbourne is open 6 days a week and has a large team of over 35 psychologist psychologists at the CBD and other locations, and we make every effort to offer appointments to all enquiries.

• Same day appointments are available for urgent requests and wait lists can provide earlier appointments following cancellations
• Daytime appointments (between 9 am – 5 pm) are generally available within 7 days 
• After-hours appointments (before 9am or after 5 pm) are generally available within 7 - 14 days
• Cancellations can provide earlier appointments on wait lists 
• Reserved appointments are kept according to your treatment schedule – usually weekly or fortnightly - to ensure your treatment runs smoothly. 

Counselling Hours

Many people need after-hours-appointments and our psychologists work before and after our reception closes (see times above). 

Appointments held outside reception hours must be pre-paid and sometimes attract a surcharge. Access to the building will be fully explained by reception.

We are closed on public holidays but some psychologists may be working

Reception Hours

Full reception is open at our main office in the Melbourne CBD for six days a week from Monday – Thursday at 8:30 am – 6:30 pm; Fridays from 8.30 am – 6 pm; and Saturdays from 9 am – 3 pm

Appointments for all our other locations are made through our main office, unless otherwise arranged. 

Fees and Rebates

• Standard fees vary for daytime and after hours sessions but Medicare covers approximately 50% of the fee, leaving you out-of-pocket for approximately $130 per session
• The initial matching session is $170, with a Medicare rebate of $63.55, under the Mental Health Care Plan. Private health cover may also apply.
• Low fees for people with financial difficulties are available in exceptional circumstances and if your GP requests it in their referral letter. This may also include secondary school students.
• We are registered with many other private health and government insurance agencies, too numerous to mention. You can ask our reception for more information on 1300 161 639 or email us at info@psychologymelbourne.com.au

Telehealth rebates

The following organisations have approved video sessions:

• Medicare - clients with a Medicare Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) are able to receive the same rebates for online counselling s they do for Face-to-Face counselling.
• Private Health insurance - all private health companies have approved funding for online consultations. You don’t need the GP referral for this.
• Employee assistant consultations (EAP) are available but first check if your company has a program with us and if they don’t, refer them to info@psychologymelbourne.com.au
• WorkCover - GP Referral and Insurer Approval Letter required prior to booking sessions. Initial Gap Fee: $50 reduced to $30 for ongoing sessions.
• TAC - GP Referral and Insurer Approval Letter required prior to booking sessions. Initial Gap Fee: $50 reduced to $30 for ongoing sessions.
• VOCAT - Fully Funded.
• NDIS - Fully Funded.
• DVA - Please contact Reception for further information.
• Other - please contact Psychology Melbourne for the latest organisations who have approved video sessions.

Medicare rebates

• All our psychologists are registered with Medicare, allowing clients with a referral and a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from their GP to receive a substantial rebate.
• To obtain a referral & MHCP, make an appointment with your GP and they will be able to assist you with this process. Be sure to tell their reception this is what you are coming in for.
• The MHCP entitles you to Medicare rebates for 10 individual and 10 group sessions in a calendar year. After your 6^th session, your psychologist will advise your GP if you need the extra 4 sessions. 
• To receive the extra sessions, you will need to visit your GP again for a Mental Health Care Plan Review (MHCPR), which you need to bring in before your 7^th session. 
• Medicare does not provide rebates for Testing and Assessments.

Other rebates

• Our psychologists are also registered with Private Health Insurance companies, such as Medibank Private, BUPA, AHM, HCF, NIB, & Australian Unity. You will have to check with your own provider to find out what your entitlements are.
• Our psychologists are also registered with many Government Insurance agencies such as CoHealth, VOCAT. TAC, WorkCover, and DVA.
• We are also registered with other Australian Government agencies including Comcare, and Defence. 

Employee Assistance 

• Psychology Melbourne offers Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) to small and medium sized companies, who care for their employees’ health and well-being. 
• If your company is listed with us, you may be eligible for 3 – 5 fully funded counselling sessions 
• If you would like to enquire about our EAP, you can speak to our Office Manager, Joanne Siriopoulos on 1300 161 639 or email her at joanne@psychologymelbourne.com.au.

Cancellation Policy

Our psychologists dedicate almost an hour to each session, with an additional 5 minutes to document notes, making it challenging to fill appointments on short notice. To ensure we can offer your spot to someone in need and help you maintain consistency in your therapy, we have established the following cancellation policy:

• 48-Hour Notice: We kindly ask for a 48-hour notice if you need to cancel your appointment. This allows us to offer your time to someone on our waiting list.
• Appointment Reminders: To help you manage your schedule, we send a text reminder three days before your appointment. You can easily confirm or cancel by replying Yes or No.
• Confirmation at Visits: We also recommend confirming your next appointment each time you visit the clinic to help avoid any unexpected cancellations.
• Maintaining Consistency: Our policy not only helps those on the waitlist but also keeps you on track with your therapy. Consistent attendance is vital for your progress, and your psychologist's availability may be limited.
• Transfer to Waitlist: If payment is not received, your appointment may be transferred to a waitlist, ensuring others can benefit from the available time.
• Late Cancellations: For cancellations within 48 hours of the appointment, a 50% fee is charged. Cancellations within 24 hours are subject to a 100% fee.

Note: For Telehealth appointments, practitioners will wait up to 15 minutes for you to join. If you fail to attend within this time, you will have missed your appointment.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. This policy helps us to provide the best care for all our clients.

Billing 

At Psychology Melbourne, we make your invoicing, rebates and billing as easy as possible for you. 

• We process Medicare rebates directly on same the day and the rebate is applied within 24 hours. We also have a HICAPS machine to process your private health rebate immediately.
• Most payments are processed by credit card and your card details are securely stored in SecurePay and receipts are emailed to you immediately. 
• You can also pay by direct debit on receipt of an invoice sent out to you prior your appointment. You can also pay cash.
• As new client, we require full payment in advance to secure your first appointment. 
• Appointments after 7pm must also be pre-paid and will be processed 24 hours before your appointment. You will receive an email advising when payment has been processed.
• Refunds are always available in appropriate circumstances.
• If your appointment is at one of our other locations, your payments will be processed by our CBD reception, on the day of your appointment, unless your psychologist notifies us otherwise.

Medicare Safety Net

The Medicare Safety Net is designed to support people who require a lot of medical services in a calendar year.

If you have significant medical expenses, and plan to see a psychologist regularly, your visits to your psychologist could cost you a lot less.

Medicare Safety Nets have thresholds. When you spend certain amounts in gap and out of pocket costs, you’ll reach the thresholds. Once you’ve reached the thresholds, you’ll start getting higher Medicare benefits. This means you’ll get more money back for certain Medicare services.

The threshold amounts are set each year from 1 January.

Only Medicare can track the threshold for you. They provide a specific code when you have begun to tap into your threshold. You need to contact Medicare yourself on https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/medicare.

Eligible medical expenses that contribute to the threshold include seeing a doctor or specialists, some tests and scans like blood tests and CT scans.

Only verified payments count towards the threshold. Verified payments are when you pay for your health professional service in full, before you make a claim. If you have unverified payments, you’ll need to pay them before they count towards your threshold.

Individuals will automatically get the higher rebates as soon as the threshold is reached, but couples and families need to register with Medicare (even if you are all on the same Medicare card) to allow Medicare to keep track of all your expenses.

You can check your threshold amount at any time through either your:

• Medicare online account.
• Express Plus Medicare Mobile app.
• Call the Medicare program on 132 011 7 days a week 24 hours a day.

How do I know if I've reached the Medicare safety Net?

1. If you're using a computer, login to myGov and select Medicare. Alternatively, if you're using the myGov app, open it and enter your myGov pin.
2. Select 'Safety Net' from the Services menu.
3. Select the 'year' you want from the dropdown menu.