Information for new clients
Booking an Appointment
Mike is currently accepting new clients and has appointments available. To make an enquiry or book an appointment please use the contact details available here. Mike is in sessions for much of the day and is often unable to answer the phone. Please leave a voicemail or send an email with your contact details and he will get back to you as soon as possible.
Mike provides individual therapy and works with GP-referred Mental Health Care Plans (MHCP) and private health insurance. You do not need a MHCP to access services but they do provide a partial rebate on therapy fees for up to 10 sessions per year. If you do not have an existing MHCP and want to claim the Medicare rebate for sessions, you will need to book a long consult with your GP, who will discuss your concerns and provide you with a new plan or a review.
What to Expect
First Session
It is normal to feel uncertain or nervous about starting psychology sessions. Talking to a stranger about challenging or personal aspects of your life is never easy. You may wonder whether you really need help or if psychotherapy is right for you. If there are things impacting your mood, thoughts and actions that are hard to change on your own, then talking to a psychologist about them can often help. Your psychologist's job is to help make talking comfortable and to help you make sense of the things that you're experiencing and express your goals for yourself and then to be alongside you in achieving those goals.
Your first session is an opportunity to tell your story. Sometimes there are questionnaires and guided questions that can help to make this easier, but it can also be useful to spend a little time before your first session thinking about what you'd like to say and possibly writing down some notes that you can bring to the session. Think about what's happening in your life at the moment, important events from your history, other things that have or haven't helped in the past, and what you'd like to get out of psychology sessions. You can discuss all of this in the first session.
Ongoing Sessions
Based on your personal needs and goals, sessions may take place weekly, fortnightly or less frequently. Each session will focus on developing an in-depth understanding of your current situation and the role that your thoughts, emotions and choices play in that situation, with approaches to change the things that need to change in order to reach your goals. There is often homework that comes with each session, either recording experiences or practicing and reflecting on new strategies. The most important part of therapy is what happens outside of the psychologist’s office!
The number of sessions that you will need will depend on the type of concerns that you’re experiencing. Similarly, the frequency of your sessions will vary and will also be guided by your concerns and preferences. Generally sessions will be more frequent at the start of therapy and may become more spaced out over time. This will form part of your treatment planning and will be a conversation between you and Mike. Although Mike will provide guidance based on evidence-based practice, therapy is your choice and needs to be manageable for you.
Sessions are approximately 50 minutes long, followed by a few more minutes to finalise payment and book future appointments. It’s good to allow an hour for each session.
Fees and Rebates
A standard session runs for 50 minutes and costs $250. Fees are payable at the time of the consultation by EFTPOS or credit card.
A Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) can help with the cost of sessions. As of July 2024, the Medicare rebate is $141.85 per 50 minute session for up to 10 sessions in a calendar year. You will need to book an appointment with your GP to discuss obtaining a MHCP. Let the clinic know the reason for your visit when you book as developing a MHCP typically requires a longer appointment.
You may be eligible for a rebate through your private health insurer dependent on your level of cover. Please check with your private health insurance provider if you intend to make a claim. It’s not possible to claim a private health rebate for a session that has been rebated through Medicare.