Recommended fees are set by professional organisations, such as the Australian Association of Psychologists incorporated (AAPi): eg the recommended fee [2024-25] for a Psychologist is $315 (AAPi) for a standard consultation of 45-60 minutes.
Recommended professional fees are a guide only, and private professional fees are set at the discretion of each provider and/or clinic. Our clinic receives no government funding, and we rely entirely on our private fees.
Counsellor
$175/hr
Employee Assistance Program
$315/hr [AAPi recommended fee]
Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
$330/hr
Psychiatrist
Please refer to Dr Tejas Golhar's information directly.
Psychologist
Consultations: $280/hr [$300/hr as of 1/7/25]
Assessments & Reports: $300/hr [$330/hr as of 1/7/25]
Notes:
- hourly rates apply to consultations of 46-60 minutes
- pro-rata rates apply in increments of 15 minutes (eg 1-15 min, 16-30 min, 31-45 min, 46-60 min, 61-75 min, 76-90 min)
- for assessments of 2+ hrs' duration, a 50% deposit is required at the time of booking, and full payment is required 48 hours prior to the assessment date
- assessment reports may take 4-6 weeks to complete
- for telehealth consultations with Lucy Walls, psychologist, full payment is required 48 hrs prior to the scheduled appt
- full payment must be made for all onsite consultations, on the day
- payments can be made by cash, EFTPOS, or direct deposit.
We invoice the private fee, and on receipt of payment, we process Medicare Patient Claim online.
Medicare rebates for psychology services remain at less than 1/3 (33%) of the recommended professional fees. Our clinic receives no additional government funding, therefore we are unable to bulk-bill psychology and allied health services.
If you need fully government-funded and/or bulk-billed services, please speak to your referrer and discuss your options: eg the local Area Mental Health Service and/or other government-funded mental health services in the Murray Primary Health Network (PHN).
Required: GP referral with Mental Health Plan, or Paediatrician’s or Psychiatrist’s Referral. The referral should clearly identify the eligible reasons for referral, and the number of sessions the patient is being referred for [eg 6 or +4].
Number of sessions: maximum 6+4 consultations per calendar year.
Medicare Rebates:
$141.85 [50+m][clin psych]
$ 96.65 [50+m][psychologist]
Notes:
1) There are no Medicare rebates for services provided by Provisional Psychologists.
2) Medicare's Better Access provides differential rebates for the services provided by psychologists with or without clinical endorsement. This is not reflective of the individual clinician's level of academic training [eg holding a Master's Degree or PhD], competencies, expertise, scope of practice, and/or the quality of services provided. All registered psychologists are qualified to provide assessment and therapy services, within their scope of practice.
Required: Referral by a Paediatrician or Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
Assessments: max 4+4 sessions for assessment, up to 25 yrs of age.
Management: max 10+10 sessions for treatment, up to 25 yrs of age.
Medicare Rebates: $ 96.65 [psychologist]
Allied Health Practitioner Case Conference
Medicare Rebate: $135 [40+ min]
Required: GP Referral & GP Management Plan & Team Care Arrangements
Individual Consultations: 1-5 sessions / calendar year
Medicare Rebate: $ 60.35 [20+ min]
Allied Health Practitioner Case Conference
Medicare Rebate: $135 [40+ min]
Required: NDIS #, NDIS Plan starting date & duration; NDIS goals, & signed Service Agreement with GVDC.
Assessment, Recommendations, Therapy & Training: support hours and travel hours [if applicable] as per signed service agreement.
NDIS Fees [2024-25]:
-Psychologist: $222.99
-Provisional Psychologist [Counsellor Rate]: $156.16/hr
Notes:
1) Our clinic is no longer registered with NDIS. This means that we are not able to provide supports to agency-managed participants.
2) For self-managed participants, our standard private fees apply, and they or their nominees/guardians are invoiced directly. See above, for details of our independent private billing.
Psychology & allied health services are GST-free if they are delivered by a Medicare-eligible provider, and either attract a Medicare rebate, or are generally accepted by the profession as being necessary for ‘appropriate treatment’.
Clinical reports are also GST-free where these conditions apply.
For all other services, assessments, and assessment reports, GST is added on, or included.
For more detailed information about GST, please refer to the ATO website: https://www.ato.gov.au/business/gst/in-detail/your-industry/gst-and-health/?page=2#Medical_reports
We ask for GP, Paediatrician, or Psychiatrist referrals for clinical reasons, for relevant Medicare rebates to apply, and to determine that the service is GST-free.
We do accept self-referrals, where this is preferred and/or when a medical referral cannot be obtained. In these instances, the private fees apply, with no Medicare rebates, and with GST most likely to be added on.
More than 1 week's notice is required for cancellations of standard consultations.
More than 2 business days' notice is required for cancellations of assessments and/or consultations of 2+ hours' duration.
Non-attendance of psychology & counselling appointments will be invoiced at 100% of the scheduled fee [incl GST].
After 2 consecutive short-notice cancellations and/or non-attendances, we cancel all scheduled appointments.
If your invoice is overdue for payment, we will:
1. email you an Overdue Notice with the outstanding invoice, requesting immediate payment
2. call you to take payment via EFTPOS telephone order
3. send you a letter of Final Notice
4. refer your unpaid invoice to our debt collection agency.
Our clinic is a small business with no government funding. We rely on invoices being paid promptly, and in full.