Fees
The initial appointment will include a comprehensive assessment. Your psychologist will work with you to discuss your goals, expectations and the best way to manage and improve your situation and gain a detailed understanding of you and your needs. It is very normal to feel uncomfortable about talking to a new person about personal things. At Advantage Psychology we take a relaxed and supportive approach to put people at ease.

We will provide the opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have.

Fees for the initial assessment depend on which clinician you see.  For an initial appointment the fees can range between $145.00 and $180.00 for a 1 hour consultation.

In subsequent sessions, therapy progress will be reviewed, with reference to your goals and you will be encouraged to provide feedback to ensure that your needs are met.

Fees for subsequent therapy sessions, range from between $120 and $150 per session.  These fees are significantly lower than the recommended rate of $200 per hour put forth by the Australian Psychological Society.

Advantage Psychology offers a concessional rate for individuals with a current Centrelink issued Health Care Card.  If you obtain a GP Mental Health Care Plan referral, there is a small initial payment and the subsequent 6 sessions will be bulk billed. These sessions are available between 9.00 a.m. and 1.00 p.m. only.

Please feel free to contact either practice to discuss the fees with us.

The full fee needs to be paid at each session.  Fees can be paid by credit card, EFTPOS or cash.

We do not accept personal cheques.

Please ensure you arrive on time as we are unable to extend sessions past the pre-booked hour

Rebates

MEDICARE:
If you have a GP Mental Health Care Plan referral, (provided by your GP, a Psychiatrist or a Paediatrician), you may be eligible for up to 12 Medicare rebates in a calendar year.  The Medicare rebates range between $78.45 and $115.05 per 50 minute consultation.
At Advantage Psychology, you will be able to receive your Medicare rebate immediately into your bank account when paying for your session by cash, EFTPOS or credit card.  In most cases, your money will be transferred into your cheque or savings account almost immediately, saving you time and inconvenience of queuing up at a Medicare office.

PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE:
If you have private health insurance cover, you may be able to claim part of the fees back from your health fund. In many cases, this can significantly reduce the cost of sessions. Since the amount you can claim back varies from fund to fund, and from cover to cover, we suggest you speak with your health fund directly regarding your entitlements.

You are only entitled to claim back a rebate from Medicare OR your private health insurance.  You cannot claim from both parties for the same session.

FOR INSURANCE CLAIMS:
For clients with an accepted Worker’s Compensation, CTP or Comcare claim, there is usually no fee to the client as we will invoice the insurer or payer directly.  We will require a referral from their GP and we will follow up approval from the insurer prior to commencing therapy.

Cancellation Policy

We value your time and ours and our policy requires clients to change or cancel more than 48 hours in advance of your appointment. This allows us time to offer your appointment to someone else who may be waiting.

Appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours notice will attract a cancellation fee. We will enforce this.

Things we don’t do
Please note, Advantage Psychology do not specialise in:
•    providing reports for courts, such as family court or in relation to sentencing matters
•    working with people who have sexually assaulted minors
•    emergency or crisis management
If you are in crisis please call Lifeline on 131 114 or see you GP or go to your nearest local Hospital Accident and Emergency Department.