Seeing a psychologist can be nerve-wracking. Below is some information that may help you feel more at ease.
Frequently Asked Questions
Therapy can be considered a valuable tool to help you to:
- Find solutions to your problems
- Set and achieve goals
- Improve relationships
- Live a healthier lifestyle
- Teach you skills to manage stress and emotions, improve communication skills, and improve self-care
- Be happier and more relaxed
- Identify what is important to you (values)
- Create the kind of life and relationships you want.
People come to therapy for all kinds of reasons and, mostly, those that work with us are successful, high-achieving people who simply want to work through typical and everyday challenges that will improve their overall health and wellbeing.
Therapy with us is more than talking about issues. We want people to get back into life as soon as possible and this means focusing on change. We are results driven and our process looks a little like this:
- Assessment to understand what is happening for you and what your goals are
- Teach you skills and strategies so you can start feeling better
- Address the underlying causes of your issues and processing any distressing events that keep your problems going
- Review your progress and design a plan on how to maintain your changes and manage any issues in the future
We want the best for you. If we assess that we are not the right fit for you, we will provide you with alternative referral options. If we believe you have learnt the skills to manage independently or you have reached your goals… we say goodbye so you can get on with life.
When you arrive, you will be warmly greeted by our friendly receptionist and may be asked to complete some paperwork. Your psychologist will come to meet you and take you into one of our beautifully decorated consulting suites.
The first session is what we term as the initial consultation. It will begin by discussing confidentiality and how your privacy is protected at the practice, the process of therapy, and the interventions that will be used. We will then discuss the issues that have brought you to therapy, your history, and relevant information to develop a thorough understanding of your concerns so we can assess how we may be able to help you achieve your goals. This is a time to get to know each other and see if we are the right fit for you.
Sessions at Better Days Psychology are 50-60 minutes. Longer sessions are available and are scheduled in advanced. Additional fees apply.
Initially we meet weekly at the same agreed time. As you progress the sessions will be spaced out according to your treatment plan and goals. More comprehensive treatment plans may require you to attend sessions on a regular basis.
The number of sessions vary depending on the reasons for attending therapy, and the goals that people are hoping to achieve. Some clients may have a specific issue they want to work on and only require brief therapy, therefore attending from 1 – 6 sessions. Those will long-standing difficulties, such as trauma, may require longer-term therapy and may attend for up to 20 or more sessions.
Better Days Psychology has a 48-hour cancellation and rescheduling policy.
If needing to reschedule or cancel your appointment, this must be arranged no later than 48 business hours prior to your scheduled appointment time. This allows us to offer this time slot to someone else waiting on our waiting list.
In the case of a late notice, or not attending your scheduled appointment when it is not an emergency, you will be charged the full fee for the session. Medicare and private health insurance do not provide rebates for cancelled or unattended appointments.
We are unable to provide crisis or emergency support. If you are in crisis or need urgent care, please contact the following:
Emergency: 000 (24/7)
Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 (24/7)
Alternatively, go to the hospital emergency ward or contact your GP.
Rates & Rebates
Our fees are based on what is required for us to provide a high-quality psychology service for our clients. We do not offer bulk billing or reduced fee services.
We accept credit or debit card payments only, which are processed electronically at 8am on the day of your appointment.
You do not need a referral to see a psychologist. You may self-refer as a “private client” and request an appointment at any time without a referral from your GP or Psychiatrist. As a private paying client, you pay the full amount for your session.
You may be eligible to claim rebates through Private Health Insurers and Medicare to reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.
Private Health Funds
If you have private health insurance that covers psychological counselling, you may be eligible for a partial rebate. Contact your individual insurance provider for further information about your individual coverage.
Medicare
If you have a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) and referral from your GP or psychiatrist, you will be eligible to receive a Medicare rebate to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for up to 10 sessions per calendar year.
We can process your Medicare rebate electronically via our online system. Medicare advises us that the funds will appear in your bank account within 2-3 business days.
No. You are unable to claim Medicare and Private Health rebates at the same time.
Once you have finished using your rebates for one funding body you may then proceed to claim rebates from the other.
Unfortunately, we do not provide these services.
The choice to change is yours.
No one can do this work for you, but we’ll provide you with a safe path forward.