Location, Fees, and Appointments
Location and Accessibility
Location/transport: My practice rooms are located in Northcote, accessible via train, 11 tram, or 86 tram. There are bike racks nearby, and free on-street parking available in surrounding streets.
Premises: There are all gender bathrooms on site, and one stair at the building entrance. My room does not have harsh overhead lights, I do not use incense/oils/scents, furniture is all vegan, and I have some sensory/fidget toys.
Comfort/accessibility: Stimming, pets, soft toys, blankets, etc. are welcome in sessions. If you have any specific sensory, communication, or accessibility needs/questions, please let me know; I value accommodating these wherever possible.
You don't need to e.g. make eye contact, sit, dress, or communicate in a specific way. I prefer you do what's most comfortable for you, and won't evaluate/interpret such things through a neuronormative, cisheteronormative, or ableist lens.
COVID safety: For all in-person sessions, please wear a P2, N95, or higher quality respirator mask. If - on the day of, or leading up to your appointment - you feel unwell (including COVID or cold/flu symptoms), have tested positive for COVID in the past 14 days (including asymptomatic), and/or are a close contact, please let know; we can shift your appointment to telehealth. In terms of other protection, I wear a respirator mask in sessions, have an air purifier, CO2 monitor, and hand sanitiser in the therapy room, regularly do tests (RATs and PlusLife PCRs) prior to work, air out the therapy room after in-person sessions, nasal spray and gargle pre- & post-session, and nasal saline rinse at the end of work days. I also maintain these layers of precaution in my personal life. I'll also shift things to telehealth if I'm symptomatic and/or a close contact, and will take time off from work (in-person and telehealth) to allow for rest/recovery and safety, if I test positive to COVID or am unwell with another illnesses. If you can’t access a mask for in-person sessions, I have some spares available on-site.
Fees and Rebates
Session fee: Appointments are $275 per session for individual therapy. I have set my standard fee below the Australian Psychological Society recommended rate for individual therapy ($311), to try to support financial accessibility.
Session duration and rebate: A standard appointment goes for 50 minutes. For folks with a valid Mental Health Care Plan or Eating Disorder Plan, and referral letter from their GP, a Medicare rebate of $141.85 per session (approx 50% of session fee) is available. The Medicare rebate can be used for up to 10 Mental Health Care Plan sessions per year, and 40 Eating Disorder Plan sessions per year. Concession rates may be available upon request and discussion.
For reference, the session fee covers your 50 minute session, alongside time spent on case notes, treatment/session planning, case consultation, overheads, and admin between sessions, and is before any tax I pay is deducted.
Cancellation policy: If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please provide at least 48 business hours (Mon-Fri; does not include weekends) notice. In absence of exceptional circumstances, if you cancel or reschedule fewer that 48 business hours/2 working days before the appointment, or do not attend your session, the cancellation fee will need to apply.
Missed session policy: In absence of unique circumstances, if you miss a session, the scheduled session fee will apply. The session will need to be classified as a “no-show” if you haven’t arrived (in-person or online), or answered the phone, within 10mins of the scheduled start time. It will need to be classified as a “no show” if you do not attend at all. If you know, in advance, that you will be delayed/are running late, please tell me as soon as possible, so that we can figure out what to do.
Appointments and Booking
My practice hours for therapy are 10am-4pm Mondays & Tuesdays. To discuss appointments, please contact me via email, with a brief message outlining what you’re seeking sessions for (i.e. key themes/areas of focus/goals/etc), your availability, and your preferred session frequency. We may then have further discussion of relevant initial information, answer any questions, and make sure I’m the right practitioner for what you need at the moment.
Please note, my books are currently closed - I am not accepting new therapy clients/referrals, and am not operating a waitlist at present.
Please note that I do not provide crisis support. For those seeking urgent support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Emergency Services on 000, or attend your nearest Emergency Department.
Due to my own disability and chronic health/illness, there are times when I need to cancel/reschedule sessions, or shift in-person sessions to telehealth. I will always provide as much notice as possible, however such changes are often at short notice (e.g. the day before, or on the day of appointments). This is a necessity for me, so that I can continue working in a sustainable way, and I appreciate your understanding.
Document Completion
If you are requesting documents such as a report or support letter, please note that there is a fee attached to these. The Australian Psychological Society recommends a standard rate of $300 (incl. GST) per hour for psychological work. I endeavour to ensure documents are accessible for folks amidst this, and cost things in 15 minute increments rather than 60 minute blocks.
As these documents can take some time to supply, please ensure you give at least 10 days advance notice when requesting such documents. I want to be able to help you with these documents, but if they're requested at short notice/urgently, they may incur additional fees, or I might not be able to complete them due to time constraints.