Refugees, asylum seekers and other patients with special circumstances are bulk billed. Otherwise, the standard fees are shown below. As a courtesy, invoices are issued in arrears at the end of each calendar month, when payment falls due.

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Referral. Please note that it is your responsibility to clarify the duration of your doctor’s referral with your referring doctor. You have to note when your referral will need to be renewed (usually in 12 months if the referral comes from a  GP). You have to get a renewal of your referral before that time elapses, otherwise Medicare will not provide you a rebate for your fees for an appointment after a referral time has lapsed.

Your GP can provide an "indefinite referral" that continues indefinitely.

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About the Medicare rebate and safety net For the first few sessions, you might find that the rebate from Medicare is significantly less than the fee charged.

Once you reach the relevant threshold, the Medicare Safety Net will provide a higher Medicare benefit for all eligible services for the rest of the calendar year. For more information, see Safety Net.

While you have no Medicare safety net (as applies to everyone from 1 January each year), you would be out of pocket by at least $250 for each individual appointment and by $100 for each group appointment. However, the Extended Medicare Safety Net (EMSN) starts to kick in once you have been out of pocket by $2,249.80 since 1 January (this is the threshold in 2022). By that time (which usually takes a couple of months of therapy), you should get back at least 80 per cent of the fee.

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You can search the Medicare Benefits Schedule on line.

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For individual sessions of at least 45 minutes duration, Item 306 applies (the temporary COVID-19 item 91830 is the equivalent).

• From January 2023, the fee charged for Item 306/91830 is $475. (Once you reach the Medicare Safety Net, you should be out-of-pocket by roughly $70-80 per session)

 

For group psychotherapy, sessions of at least one hour's duration  Item 342 applies (the temporary COVID-19 item 92455 is the equivalent).

• From January 2022, the fee charged for Item 342 is $160. (Once you reach the Medicare Safety Net, you should be out-of-pocket by roughly $30 per session)

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Other Items apply for family therapy (Item 346 or 92497) and couples therapy, consultations at home and other locations, and initial assessments.

 

Psychotherapy is a commitment by the patient to their own treatment, and by the therapist to the patient. Patients are expected to attend sessions - unless ill or due to non-negotiable work commitments or on compassionate grounds. Cancelled or missed appointments will be charged. If payment needs to be recovered, costs will be borne by the patient.

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Privacy and confidentiality

• All the information from you or your referring doctor is recorded in a handwritten or electronic file

• The data are stored securely, accessed only by myself

• The information I obtain and record is detailed personal background about yourself, your family and key others, as it is pertinent to your emotional health, and necessary for me to provide comprehensive psychiatric care

• The information you give me shall only be used to provide you with treatment

• To comply with the relevant state and federal privacy legislation, there are in policies in place. 

• My psychotherapy practice is office based, and I do not offer inpatient psychiatric care