FAQs

Seeing a psychologist for the first time can be a daunting prospect. At Protea Psychology we try to make the experience as comfortable as possible. When you arrive, you are welcome to have a cup of tea or a glass of water while you wait, and you may be asked to fill out a form with some basic information including your name, address and contact details. The first session is generally a time for mutual connection, that is, a time for your psychologist to learn about you, your issues and your goals for therapy, and for you to begin to get a sense of who your psychologist is, how they work, and whether they are a good fit for your needs. Once both you and your psychologist have a shared understanding of your current circumstances, together you will develop a collaborative treatment plan to support you towards achieving your therapy goals.

Generally, each session with a psychologist lasts for 50 minutes, but some psychological assessments and evaluations may last longer.

It is difficult to forecast how many sessions will be required as psychological therapy is a process that is tailored to the unique needs and goals of those involved. So, whilst some clients may only need a few sessions to resolve their issues, others may prefer to work on their psychological development on a long-term basis. Your initial consultations provide a great opportunity for you and your psychologist to discuss what you hope to achieve through therapy, as well as the anticipated treatment time frame, both of which can be reviewed as therapy progresses.

Yes. At Protea Psychology, we treat the privacy and confidentiality of our clients with the utmost respect, operating in line with the Ethical Guidelines set out by Australian Psychological Society and the National Standards of Practice for all Health Practitioners. This means that you can rest assured that the information discussed with your psychologist will remain private and confidential, unless you give written consent for information to be shared. It is important to note however, that some limitations to this confidentiality do apply. For example, if there is an immediate risk of harm to an identifiable person’s safety, or if a client’s file is subpoenaed by law, then a disclosure of information may be required. At Protea Psychology, we will also ask you to sign a consent form that allows us to contact a nominated person in the case of an emergency and to exchange relevant information with your referring practitioner. Feel free to discuss this with your psychologist in more depth prior to or at your first consultation.

Our fee for a standard 50 minute individual consultation is $195.00. If you have a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan and/or a referral from your GP, psychiatrist or your child's paediatrician, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate of $131.65 per session, leaving your out-of-pocket expense to be $63.35 per session. To find out more about this, or about our fees for couples or family counselling, psychological assessments or workshops, please contact us.

Yes. At Protea Psychology we believe that quality psychology services should be accessible and affordable to everyone. As such, we offer a limited number of concession rates and bulk billing to eligible clients who have a valid Health Care Card. Please discuss your eligibility for bulk billing or concession rates with us prior to or at your first session.

All fees are required to be paid in full at the time of the consultation. You can pay by EFTPOS, Mastercard, or VISA. Sorry, no AMEX or Diners.

You do not need a referral to see a psychologist at Protea Psychology. However, without one you will be unable to claim a rebate through Medicare. To access the Medicare Rebate, we suggest making an appointment with your GP to discuss your mental health concerns with them. If you are eligible, your GP will prepare a document called a Mental Health Treatment Plan with you that will entitle you to a rebate for up to ten sessions with a psychologist per calendar year. Please bring this document with you to your first appointment. If after six sessions, you and your psychologist decide that a further four sessions would be useful, you will need to visit your GP again for a review. Your Medicare rebates can be electronically reimbursed back into your nominated bank account when you pay at the end of your session, provided that you have linked your bank account to your Medicare account. Currently, the Medicare rebate is $131.65 per session. This means that if you are eligible for the Medicare rebate, a standard consultation at Protea Psychology will leave you $63.35 out of pocket.

Protea Psychology is registered with all major Australian health insurance providers, so, if your policy covers psychology, you may be eligible to claim a private health refund. The number of rebated sessions and the out of pocket fee will depend on the level of cover provided by your insurer. Please contact your health insurance provider for more information. If you are eligible for a private health refund, a receipt will be issued for you once your account has been paid, which you can take to your private health insurer to lodge a claim. Please note that you cannot claim a rebate from both Medicare and your private health fund for the same service.

Yes, our psychologists are registered to provide psychological services for eligible TAC, WorkSafe, Veterans’ Affairs, VVCS and Victims of Crime clients. Feel free to discuss your specific circumstances with us.

We currently offer appointments on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 10:00am and 6:00pm.

You can request an appointment by calling or texting us on 0451 899 880, emailing us at psychology@proteacentre.com.au, or by completing the enquiry form.

We understand that sometimes things come up and you may need to cancel or reschedule your appointment. If this happens, please provide as much notice as possible (we prefer at least 48 hours) so that we can offer this time to others who may require assistance. If you cancel with less than 24 hours notice, or do not attend a scheduled appointment, a cancellation fee will be charged (i.e., the full cost of a session). Please note that cancellation fees are not covered by Medicare, private health funds or third party payers (e.g., Employee Assistance Programs, WorkSafe, TAC, etc).

Yes, it is important that our services are accessible to all members of our community, and as such, our practice and toilet facilities can be fully accessed by wheelchairs and other mobility aids.