Frequently Asked Questions

As of 1st January 2025, the fee is $220 per 50-minute session.  As of the 1st of July 2024, the Medicare Rebate for a psychological session with a Registered Psychologist is $96.65. The out-of-pocket cost per session is $123.35. You will be required to pay the full fee of $220 on the day of your appointment. You will be provided a tax receipt on the day to submit to Medicare and you will receive your Medicare rebate refunded into your nominate account with Medicare. You should expect your rebate within 1-3 business days. Fees for Clinical Supervision are $150 plus GST for 50 minutes.

 You will need to provide a credit card to secure your first appointment, however no payment is made until the end of your session. If you choose to automate your payment, it will be processed via credit/debit card with a secure online payment system using Braintree/Paypal, which is protected by bank-grade encryption. Please note that a card processing fee will apply for all card payments. As a security measure, card details are stored through this partner and not stored through Halaxy directly, so payment data is not stored with patient records and Halaxy cannot retrieve card details.

Alternatively, you may make a direct deposit via PayID. This payment option does not attract a payment processing fee.

Is it very common to feel a little anxious about seeing a Psychologist. The aim of the first session is to get an understanding of what has brought you to seek help, the issues you are currently experiencing and what difficulties/if any you have experienced in the past, as well as coming up with a plan for your treatment. It’s also an opportunity to make sure that the psychologist is the best person to assist you and that you feel comfortable with them.

 Face to face consultations in Caroline Springs are available on Mondays and Thursdays. Telehealth appointments are available on Tuesdays and Saturdays. 

All sessions are 50 minutes in duration. Please note that if you arrive late to your session, your session duration will be shorter.

 Length and frequency of treatment depends entirely on your needs. Some people might only need 6 sessions, while others might need ongoing support over the medium to long term.

  As per the Australian Psychological Society’s (APS) Code of Ethics, confidentiality is maintained at all times, except in the following circumstances: 

1. Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at serious and imminent risk of harm;
2. Where there is evidence of child abuse or neglect (similar to school teachers and police officers, Psychologists in Victoria are mandated reporters of child abuse); or
3. Your file is subpoenaed by a court of law.

In these cases, wherever possible a discussion will be had with you prior to the release of information. Provision of information to another person (in circumstances other than the above points) will only occur if you provide permission. In some instances, I may ask you to sign a written consent form for this purpose. If you are referred by a health professional, it is normal practice and often a requirement to communicate with the referrer regarding your treatment. If you have any concerns about this please raise them with me.

If a minor (16 years or younger) is receiving treatment, confidentiality procedures will vary according to the particular issues and circumstances involved. An attempt is made to balance the provision of information to parent/s and or guardian/s, whilst ensuring a productive treatment environment.  The provisions of the Privacy Act are observed within my practice. 

 Reflections Psychology Melbourne is unable to offer support outside of your session time. If you are in crisis, please contact Lifeline on 131114, Kids Helpline (5 – 25 years) on 1800 55 1800, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, or 000 in an emergency.

 You can email or text your psychologist to make, change or cancel your appointments. However, you should not email or text personal updates or concerns outside of your appointments. Please make an appointment to discuss any concerns that you have. If you have urgent concerns about your safety or the safety of others, please contact an emergency support service. 

Under the Australian Government’s Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative, if you have a diagnosed mental health condition, Medicare rebates are available for psychological treatment by registered psychologists. To access Medicare-rebated sessions, you will need a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP), which will enable you to be referred to a psychologist. If eligible, your GP will need to create the MHTP. As such, the first step in seeking a MHTP is to Book an appointment with your GP. It is recommended to advise the reception staff that you are scheduling the appointment for a MHTP. This is to help in ensuring that your GP has enough time to discuss your concerns and to determine if you are eligible for the plan.

 No, you do not need a MHTP to see a psychologist. A MHTP enables you access to Medicare-rebates for psychology sessions. Alternatively, you may elect to see a psychologist privately, in which you would pay the full session fees at your own expense.

Please note that your Private Health Insurance may also include rebates/coverage for psychological services. As each Insurer and Policy is different, it would be beneficial to check with your insurance agency as to whether you are applicable for rebated sessions. Also note that you cannot claim both Medicare and private health for a session.

  If you have a MHTP, you can access up to ten Medicare-rebated individual psychology sessions in a calendar year. With regards to individual therapy session, you will not initially be eligible for the total 10 Medicare-rebated sessions at once. Rather, when you are first referred to see a psychologist, you will be referred for up to six sessions. After this time, your psychologist will prepare a summary letter for your GP and may recommend another four sessions. It is at this time that you need to see your GP for a Mental Health Care Plan re-referral or review. During this review your GP will ask about how you are progressing in your sessions and may grant you to have another four sessions. 

If you use all of your Medicare-rebated sessions, you may be able to access a rebate under your private health insurance, otherwise you can choose to continue sessions paying the full fee at your own expense.

If you have a MHTP, you will be eligible for Medicare rebates for psychological services, under the Better Access Initiative. As such, you will receive a rebate for eligible psychological sessions you have paid for. There are some psychologists who may bulk-bill, meaning that the psychologist bills Medicare directly for a service provided and accesses the Medicare benefit as full payment for the service. However, more commonly, the cost of a psychological session will be greater than the Medicare rebate. In these instances, you will pay the cost of the session and then be eligible to claim the Medicare rebate.   

Bulk billing is not available at Reflections Psychology Melbourne as it is a privately billed clinic.

 A MHTP does not expire and a referral is valid until the referred number of sessions have been accessed. From the beginning of the calendar year, the number of potential Medicare-rebated individual psychology sessions resets to 10. If you have a valid MHTP, you will be able to continue with your treatment without a new plan, so long as you have sessions available to you under a current referral.  However, any changes in your mental health may indicate that you need a new MHTP. Your treatment plan should be regularly reviewed with your GP, to ensure you have been referred to the most appropriate services.

Reflections Psychology Melbourne does not currently accept Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Health Cards, Workcover, NDIS or TAC referrals.

Reflections Psychology Melbourne does not provide court reports. If you require another report, Melissa will be able to advise you if she is able to provide this report and the associated cost. If you are referred by a health professional, it is normal practice and often a requirement to communicate with the referrer regarding your treatment. If you have any concerns about this please raise them. The provisions of the Privacy Act are observed at Reflections Psychology Melbourne. 

Sometimes you may need to cancel or reschedule your session so it is important to understand the cancellation policy. Reflections Psychology Melbourne has a firm 48-hour cancellation policy (in business days). This time is required to allow other clients who may be waiting for an appointment an opportunity to book in. Any sessions that are cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice will attract a 50% session fee and sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice will attract a 100% session fee. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment please contact Melissa via phone or email at your earliest convenience. Cancellation fees are not eligible for Medicare rebates.

Reflections Psychology Melbourne is located at 62 Commercial Road in Caroline Springs within Caroline Springs Wellness Clinic. Our practice has off-street parking available and is also accessible via bus.  There is a waiting room on the ground level, however clients will need to have the capacity to walk up to level 1 to reach the counselling room.