A clinical psychologist undergoes specialist training by completing postgraduate studies (usually a Masters or Doctorate degree) and then completes two years of work as a registrar fulfilling requirements by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) before they can receive their endorsement to be called a “clinical psychologist”.

No you do not need a referral from a doctor to make an appointment. However, if you wish to claim a portion of the session fee through Medicare, you will need to obtain a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP. Please bring this paperwork to your first appointment.

A Mental Health Care Plan is a plan that your GP will prepare for you that allows you to access up to 10 medicare rebates for psychology consultations per calendar year. Your GP will discuss your needs and do a brief assessment of your functioning in order to make the appropriate recommendations and/or referrals. Once you receive your plan you will be able to get a rebate for 6 sessions and then you will need to go back to your GP to have a Mental Health Review done where you will be able to gain access to the remaining 4 sessions for the calendar year.

Please note that you cannot claim your session back on both medicare and private health, it is one or the other. Most clients tend to access their 10 medicare sessions and then claim subsequent appointments via private health.

It is very normal to feel uncomfortable before your first session. For the most efficient and effective treatment, the first session generally involves a detailed assessment of your current life situation, your difficulties and any related factors and history. You can ask any questions that you may have and, if time permits, we will discuss a plan for your therapy.

Beyond blue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ Lifeline https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Suicide callback service https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/ Headspace https://headspace.org.au/ Reachout https://au.reachout.com/ Mental health line http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/Pages/contact-service.aspx The black dog institute https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/ Relationships Australia https://www.relationships.org.au/ Australian Psychological Society (APS) https://www.psychology.org.au/ Project air https://www.projectairstrategy.org/index.html Menshed https://www.mensheds.org.au/