Frequently Asked Questions

 Medicare

If you have a referral from a GP or a psychiatrist for a Mental Health Treatment Plan you will be eligible to receive a Medicare rebate of $141.85 (for a clinical psychologist) and $96.65 (for a general psychologist) per individual session for up to 10 sessions per calendar year.

After we have processed your payment we can process your rebate for you via our online system. Medicare advises us that these funds will appear in your bank account within 2-3 business days.

Private Health Insurance

If you have private health insurance that includes psychological counselling as extras cover you may be eligible for a partial rebate. It is recommended that you contact your individual insurance provider for further information about your individual coverage.

No, you do not need a referral. You can make an appointment with our psychologists without a referral from your GP or a psychiatrist. If you decide to do this you will need to pay the full amount for your sessions out of  pocket.

If would like to see whether you are eligible for referral under a Mental Health Treatment Plan you will need to speak with your GP or a psychiatrist prior to making your first appointment.

 You will need to make an appointment with your GP who will assess whether you are eligible for a Mental Health Treatment Plan.

 After making your first appointment you will be sent an introductory email confirming your appointment date and time. This will also outline information about fees and rebates, and details about the location of Mind Brew Psychology. If you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan you will need to bring along this paperwork to your first appointment.

At the beginning of your first session your psychologist will briefly run through important paperwork with you. This will include completing a form with basic personal information (such as your name, date of birth, address and contact details) and a consent form that cover issues such as confidentiality, fees and other important information about sessions. If you have been referred by a GP or psychiatrist, we will discuss the details of your Mental Health Treatment Plan at this point.

After completing paperwork the remainder of the session is usually spent discussing the issues that have brought you into therapy. As well as developing a thorough understanding of your concerns, your psychologist will explore relevant background history, for example, information about your family, social relationships, work history and any past counselling that you have done. Based on this information we will begin to help you to understand more about what might be triggering and maintaining your current issues. If time allows we will also work with you to develop a collaborative and flexible plan for future therapy sessions.

Sessions at Mind Brew Psychology are approximately 50 minutes in length. 

Every person has a different journey through therapy. This is largely dependent on the nature of why they are coming in and what it is that they are hoping to get out of sessions.

At Mind Brew Psychology we tailor therapy to suit each of our client’s needs and preferences.

Some people come to therapy to develop coping strategies to reduce or manage symptoms of mental illness. This type of work can be short to medium term, but might also involve checking in less frequently over the longer-term to deal with setbacks or prevent relapse.

Other people come to therapy to understand long-standing patterns (such as relationship issues) that stem from experiences during their childhood, or to receive ongoing support. This type of work tends to happen over an extended period of time, although again, this is dependent on client preferences.

Sometimes people come to therapy for a one off session or just a handful of sessions to speak about a specific issue in their life or to talk through a particular concern.

 All information that you disclose in your session with a psychologist is confidential. There are three exceptions to this rule. The first exception is if you are at risk of harm to yourself or someone else. The second exception is if we learn about harm to a child or an older person. The third exception is in relation to court orders. If any of these situations become relevant your psychologist will discuss this with you. 

 You can book an appointment by calling us over the phone or contacting our email.

Whichever way you book, we will ask you about:

• Some brief information about what’s bringing you in. This helps us to ensure we’re matching you with a psychologist who is experienced in the area you’re seeking assistance with. If there is nobody on our team who is suitable we will provide you with some external recommendations.
• Details like your date of birth and contact information.
• Whether you have a Medicare referral and the details of your GP.
• Any preferences you have around a specific psychologist on our team, location, days or times you’d like to be seen.

We will send you a welcome email outlining your appointment time, date and location, as well as a few other useful bits and pieces, like how to find us and what to bring to your first appointment. You will also be sent an SMS reminder 72 hours before your first appointment.

Psychologists are health professionals who work in a range of areas including clinical, health, neuropsychology, sports, forensic, organisational and community settings. To become a fully registered psychologist you must undertake an undergraduate degree, an Honours degree and at least two years of supervised training and further education in the field of psychology (either a Masters or Doctorate degree).

Psychologists assist people with everyday concerns such as stress and relationship difficulties, as well as mental health issues. Psychologists use “talk therapies” to help people to develop skills to cope with difficulties and to prevent on-going issues. There are a large number of research studies supporting the effectiveness of psychological therapy.

Psychiatrists have completed a medical degree and further training and study related to the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Psychiatrists specialise in the medical treatment of mental illness and can prescribe medication. Some psychiatrists combine medication with therapy.