Psychology Session questions Answered – FAQ
Setting up your first session at a psychology clinic can be daunting – we are here to help to answer your questions
psychology sessions at Personal Psychology
No, you can book and attend a session without a referral. You can get a referral from your GP after booking your session (but before attending) so you get a Medicare rebate – put simply, having a referral means cheaper sessions, but it is not required.
Yes, you can. A valid referral allows you to see any psychologist, not just the one it was originally made out to. If you start seeing a psychologist and later decide to switch, you can reuse the same referral with a different clinician.
The first session(s) are assessment sessions, where you will work together with your therapist to understand your concerns and how they are developed and maintained. Read more about how we create a formulation and treatment plan for you.
Setting your own goals for therapy with the help of your psychologist is also crucial during the first sessions. Your goals will help you and your therapist to stay focused on what is important to you right now.
Both initial and follow-up sessions are 50 minutes long. If a longer session is clinically necessary, your clinician will explain why and discuss the details with you.
If you have a referral from your GP, your session will be $138.15 ($280 fee minus Medicare rebate of $141.85). The fees are the same for online and face to face appointments.
If you don’t have a referral or ran out of your 10 sessions, your fee will be lower: $240 per session, but no Medicare rebate (private health insurance might cover it).
Ready to book? Book a psychologist online
Your session will be $300 (unfortunately, there is no Medicare rebate for couples’ sessions. Private health insurance might cover it)
Your session will be $300 (unfortunately, there is no Medicare rebate for family psychology sessions. Private health insurance might cover it)
It varies a lot between people. Some people make great progress in 6 sessions, some might need ongoing support.
We recommend initially meeting up weekly, and when things starting to get back on track, space it out a bit more. Attending infrequently and having gaps of 3 weeks of more between sessions substantially reduces the effectiveness of the therapy. If you cannot attend regularly, let your therapist know as soon as possible.
As many as you need, there is no upper limit. However, in each calendar year Medicare only subsidises 10 psychology sessions.
We offer both in-person and telehealth appointments at our psychology clinic in North Sydney. Let us know what you prefer.
This can be a tricky situation, as your therapist will know you in two different contexts. Let your therapist know that this is what you would want so they can discuss with you what the most efficient approach is.
Can’t find an answer?
You can book a psychology session with us online (above), or send the psychology clinic a message (below)