Many clients achieve effective results for a specific focussed issue within a time frame of 10 sessions or less.

Multiple or long standing problems (complex PTSD, severe trauma or developmental trauma) can take longer to heal.

Many clients with long term mental health issues fund their therapy with a combination of Medicare and Private Health Extras cover. Another option is to do blocks of sessions and return each year for a pulse of treatment. You can stop therapy at any stage.

The length of your therapy depends on many factors including:

• The severity and complexity of your problems
• How quickly you respond to treatment
• How much work you are willing to do in between sessions. Research shows that, irrespective of treatment method, practicing skills and homework activities enhances treatment effects
• Your awareness and ability to reflect on what is happening for you (mindfulness)
• Whether we can capitalise on any previous treatment or personal development work.

You may already have many skills and insights into what is holding you back from flourishing.

Typically, psychologists offer sessions of 50 minutes duration.

My standard session is 75 minutes for several key reasons:

• It allows enough time to review your progress and any challenges that have arisen since the previous session, and still have plenty of time to do substantial work.
• For people who have fortnightly appointments, it allows sufficient time to work.
• Traditionally the recommended time frame for EMDR sessions is 90 mins because it allows sufficient time for adequate processing of trauma targets.
• 75 mins matches the human “ultradian” biological rhythms of 75-90 mins for a complete cycle (e.g. sleep cycles). This means we can do the work justice, rather than skimming the surface or compromising on your review of progress plus allowing for planning on how you can continue the work in between sessions.

My standard appointments are 75 minutes in length. Please be aware of this when you are comparing my fees with those of other practitioners as they probably have sessions of 50-60 minutes only.   For 2024/25, The Australian Psychological Society’s recommended fee for 45-60 minutes is $311.

Unfortunately, the Health Minister has not granted a maximum of 20 possible sessions that were available during the pandemic years 2020-2022.  Currently, only a maximum of 10 sessions per calendar year can be rebated, if you have a valid Mental Health Plan (Referral) issued by your GP.  Medicare increased the rebate of Better Access to Mental Health sessions in July 2024.

Therapy for couples (on going couples therapy or occasional sessions where a partner attends) is not covered by Medicare. A standard 75min session for couples is $375.  Unfortunately I no longer see clients with third party payments e.g. TAC,  Workcover, NDIS, DVA etc.

For individual and couple sessions, extra time is charged at $70 for every block of 5-15 mins.

The consultation fee is due on the date of service. For non-attendance, cancellations and rescheduling with less than 48 hours notice, the full fee will be charged.  Medicare does not rebate non-attended or late cancelled sessions.  A late cancellation impacts 3 people: (1) the client who potentially loses therapy momentum and delays therapeutic progress; (2) another client possibly on a wait list, who could have benefited from that session time; (3) a psychologist who spent time preparing for the session.

Many clients with long term mental health issues fund their therapy with a combination of Medicare and Private Health Extras cover. Another option is to do blocks of sessions and return each year for a pulse of treatment. You can stop or pause therapy at any stage, assuming you are stable enough to do so.  If we are not a good fit as client-therapist, you are free to change to another psychologist at any stage.   If I feel that I am not a good fit for you as a therapist (e.g. do not have the experience or skill set necessary, or good interpersonal fit), I will also make a recommendation for another therapist for you.