What type of issues do you work with?

• Unhealthy or unhelpful relationships with food, movement and body image including eating disorders (e.g., Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, OSFED) and chronic/”yo-yo” dieting.

• Stress management

• Anxiety including health anxiety

• Low confidence/high self-criticism/”Imposter syndrome”

• Low mood and motivation including languishing

• Relationship issues (individuals therapy only)

• Health behaviour change and coaching

• Coping with health condition/s

• Grief and loss

• Coping with infertility and fertility treatment

• Pregnancy related issues including miscarriage

• Adjustment to life transitions including parenthood, retirement and other big life changes (note: I don’t do “parenting” work but rather focus on the individual’s coping with becoming or being a parent)

• Difficulties with goal setting and attainment

What age groups do you work with?

I work with people 18 years and over.

What type of therapy/approach do you use?

I will work with you to determine the approach we take together. I use a mixture of positive psychology, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/Training (ACT), Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. For the treatment of eating disorders I use Enhanced Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT-E). Depending on your situation and goals, I often suggest homework as I believe it’s what you do most days that matters more than what you only do in session.

What do I need to do before my first session?

Once the appointment is made you will receive an email with a link to my client information form and client intake form. Please make sure you complete the relevant forms and read the policies otherwise your first session may have to be cancelled or rescheduled.

If you want to claim a Medicare rebate you will need to get a referral letter (a Mental Health Treatment Plan or a Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plan alone is not sufficient, you must have a referral letter - see more information below) from your GP or psychiatrist. I recommend booking a long appointment with your GP to give your doctor enough time to discuss your concerns and complete the required processes.

It’s a good idea to think about what your goals are for working with me. If you have seen a psychologist or other therapist or coach in the past it could also be helpful to think about what you liked and didn’t like from those sessions.

What should I expect in my first session?

Some people feel a bit nervous if they haven’t seen a psychologist before and this is completely normal. The first one to two sessions are an opportunity for me to get to know you and to understand your experiences and challenges so I’ll be asking you a lot of questions. You don’t have to answer anything you aren’t comfortable to answer. Once I understand your goals and situation, we will work together to develop a plan to help you achieve your goals. Occasionally, I may assess that I’m not the right psychologist for someone. If this happens, I will be open with you and help you to find a psychologist that might be better suited to your needs and situation.

What if I see you and I don’t think you’re the right psychologist for me?

It’s really important that you feel comfortable with me. If you feel that something isn’t working for you, you can either speak to me about it and we can try to work together to improve the sessions for you or you are welcome to see a different psychologist.

Sometimes people disengage from the therapeutic process for a long time after seeing a psychologist that wasn’t the right fit for them and they may stay stuck in their challenges for a lot longer. As psychologists, we all have different styles, approaches and personalities. Different things will work for different people at different times - and that is totally okay. So if you think I’m not the right fit for you, I encourage you to find a psychologist you connect with as soon as possible.

How many sessions will I need?

This depends on your situation, motivation and goals. We will discuss a plan for sessions after the first or second session. For most therapeutic work, weekly or fortnightly sessions are a good start until you have some momentum with the strategies and skills. Weekly sessions are particularly necessary for eating disorder recovery.

How long do sessions go for?

Each session is 50 minutes.

What is your fee?

Each session is $210. Payment is to be made on the day of appointment via a Debit or Credit card.

Will I get a rebate for the session?

This depends. I recommend speaking to your GP to see if you are eligible for a Medicare rebate.

It can be confusing to navigate the Medicare system when accessing psychological care. Here is some of the important information that may be helpful for you that to the best of my knowledge is correct at the time of writing (January 2023).

For mental health conditions

Under the Australian Government’s Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative you may be referred to me by a GP or psychiatrist if you are diagnosed with a mental health condition.

This initiative allows for up to 10 rebated-sessions in a calendar year.

The rebate per 50 minute session is $93.35. There is a lower rebate that you can claim if your session goes for less than 50 minutes ($66.20). The sessions can be conducted face-to-face, by video call, or by phone call.

Please note: you must have a referral letter that is addressed to myself or another psychologist requesting that you are seen for psychological support if you want to claim this rebate. Your GP will also complete a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) as part of the referral process. While it is often helpful for me to have a copy of the MHTP, it is not essential. However, it is essential that I have a copy of the referral letter before I process your rebate.

For eating disorder treatment

You may be eligible for an Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plan (EDP) if you are diagnosed with an eating disorder. Depending on your diagnosis, you may need to meet other criteria as well to receive an EDP. Your GP will determine your eligibility.

This initiative allows for up to 40 rebated sessions in a 12 month period. The sessions can be conducted face-to-face or by video call.

The rebate per 50 minute session is $93.35. There is a lower rebate that you can claim if your session goes for less than 50 minutes ($66.20).

Please note: you must have a referral letter that is addressed to myself or another psychologist requesting that you are seen for eating disorder treatment if you want to claim this rebate. Your GP will also complete an Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plan (EDP) as part of the referral process. While it is often helpful for me to have a copy of the EDP, it is not essential. However, it is essential that I have a copy of the referral letter before I submit your Medicare claim on your behalf.

Pregnancy-related issues

A rebate is available for pregnancy support counselling to people who are currently pregnant or have had a pregnancy in the previous 12 months. This allows for up to 3 rebated sessions per pregnancy.

The rebate per session is $68.45. The sessions can be conducted face-to-face, by video call, or by phone call.

Chronic health related issues

If you have had a chronic health condition for 6 months or more (or a chronic health condition that is expected to last at least 6 months) you may be eligible for rebates under the Chronic Disease Management Medicare Scheme. This allows up to 5 rebated sessions in total to a range of allied health professionals, per calendar year. Your GP will provide a referral letter and prepare a GP Management Plan and Team Care Arrangements.

The rebate per session is $58.30. The sessions can be conducted face-to-face, by video call, or by phone call.

Can I claim the cost through my private health insurance?

Again, this depends. I recommend calling your health insurance company to find out if your policy covers some of the cost. Please note though that you aren’t able to claim both the Medicare rebate and a private health insurance rebate on the same session. Some people prefer to use their Medicare rebate sessions first because it tends to be higher than the private health insurance rebates.