FEES

All of our psychologists are able to provide counselling services under Medicare referrals and Private Health insurance, which enables the client to obtain a rebate for the counselling session. A standard counselling appointment with DS Psychology Group is 50 minutes and there is usually a gap fee charged depending on the psychologist you see, and the time you attend. We also have provisional psychologists on our team who are engaging clinicians, have relevant clinical experience, life experience and who are available as a low cost option.

Please call 9872 6255 for the specific counselling fee and appointment options. The admin team will require a few minutes of your time to obtain the reasons for the counselling referral and ensure you are allocated the most appropropriate psychologist for your concerns.

For neuropsychological or child assessments then you will need to see one of our specific psychologists or Clinical Neuropsychologists who are experienced in assessments. Please also see the neuropsychological assessment section and/or the assessments for children and adolescents section for further information about what is involved.

If a 3rd party is funding either your counselling treatment or the assessment/report eg. Workcover, TAC, DVA, NDIS or Comcare then we will need time to confirm this with them prior to your first booking. Please contact us further if you have any specific questions.

Please call 9872 6255 to gain an estimation of the fee for neuropsychological or child assessments as they will vary depending on the complexity of the referral, the reason for the assessment (the referral question) and the time spent. Usually the time it takes for a neuropsychologist/psychologist to fully complete the assessment is about 7- 10 hours. The admin team have a comprehensive intake form for so this will need to be filled out by either a 3rd party or the admin team will need about 10 minutes to go through this with you and ensure they gain helpful information that the psychologist will need. For clients funding their own assessments an initial deposit is required to confirm your booking and a payment plan is possible. DS Psychology Group aims to keep costs for clients as low as possible to enable access to this valuable service, whilst also ensuring the fee and time spent for the neuropsychologist is accounted for.

Payment Options

Payment is expected at the time of consultation and can be made by cash, credit or eftpos; however Diners or American Express is not accepted. If you are unable to pay for your appointment on the day we would prefer you call our admin team prior to your appointment time. Further if you have trouble paying for your appointments please speak to our Practice Manager.

Cancellation policy

At least 2 business days is preferred for changes to all counseling appointments and appointments cancelled on the day will incur the FULL FEE. We do understand there are rare occasions you may need to change or postpone your counseling session. However for short notice cancellations we are rarely able to succeed in offering this appointment to a waiting client, and as a result the clinician’s time is also forfeited.

For Assessment appointments 5 business days notice is required for any appointment changes. This is due to the time and paperwork involved in booking and confirming assessments, and as a result the increased difficulty with filling short notice cancellations.

Your appointment is reserved for you so your treatment can stay on track. A text message is sent 3 days before your counselling appointment (5 days for assessments), and we appreciate prompt confirmation with a Yes.

Medicare

At present, Medicare’s Better Access program enables 10 sessions per calendar year.

To obtain a plan and the medicare rebate you must see a GP or psychiatrist prior to your first session with the psychologist and obtain a referral. The referral is at the discretion of the GP or psychiatrist and there must be a mental health diagnosis eg anxiety disorder or depression. Medical clinics like to be informed that this is the reason for your appointment as sometimes a longer appointment is required, so please advise the receptionist you are seeking this plan so appropriate time allocations can be made.

Please advise us of the referring GP or psychiatrist when you phone DS Psychology Group to make an appointment and whether you are being referred under the Mental Health Care Plan.

Depending on whether you can attend during the day or evening our psychologists charge a standard fee that is usually $70-$90 ($20 for group therapy) above the Medicare rebate so this is an out of pocket expense. We understand that some clients on a pension, unemployed or in difficult financial circumstances may not be able to afford this out of pocket expense. In these cases we would be willing to consider a Concession or a Bulk Billing arrangement where the gap is less, however there may be a waiting list depending on how many client sessions the organisation currently sees on a weekly basis.

For more information please review the APS’s Medicare rebates Fact Sheet.

Private Health Funds

Rebates are available for most private health insurers where comprehensive extras are part of the policy. The rebate is usually between $40 – $80, and for a limited number of sessions. We recommend you contact your insurer to check your level of cover and the rebate. Receipts can be taken to your insurer to claim the rebate. However it is not usually possible to claim both private health and Medicare for the one appointment so most clients choose to utilise their Medicare sessions first then claim through private health for further sessions if needed.