You are able to see a Psychologist without a referral from a Doctor. This means that your session is simply billed as a private paying client at the same rate as if you had a Medicare referral, however, you will not receive a rebate. You are able to claim the session fee using your private health insurance.

On 1 November 2006, the Australian Government introduced new Medicare items for psychological treatment by registered psychologists. This service allows better access to psychologists and affordable mental healthcare. Under the Medicare scheme (also known as a General Mental Health Care Plan), all registered psychologists who are endorsed by Medicare can provide treatment for mental health problems. A person who meets criteria for a General Mental Health Care Plan (assessed by your Doctor) is entitled to 10 psychology sessions per year.

The Medicare rebate differs according to the registration title of the Psychologist that you work with. The Australian Psychological Society recommended fee for 50-minute consultations is $267.00. At Bulimba Psychology our fees have been adjusted to reflect a more affordable and accessible service while still considering the productivity ratio of consultation time and administration time for each client.

When working with a Clinical Psychologist your Medicare rebate is $129.55. The full fee at Bulimba Psychology for a Clinical Psychologist is $245.00. This means that your out of pocket expense is $115.45.

You will receive your Medicare rebate immediately when you settle your account on the day of your appointment. The amount will go back directly into the bank account that you have nominated with Medicare. Please note, you cannot receive your Medicare rebate back onto your credit card account.

You will need to make an appointment with your Doctor first. When you call your doctor, please make sure you that you inform the practice receptionist that you would like to make an appointment to see your Doctor to be assessed for a General Mental Health Care Plan. This is important because your appointment time will need to be booked as an extended consultation. If you don’t let them know, you may miss out on being assessed on that day in order to get your referral to see a Psychologist. You can tell your Doctor which Psychologist you would like to see so your referral can be addressed specifically to that Psychologist.

Our Psychologists have different areas of professional interest and experience. Please see Our Team to read about our professional biographies to choose a psychologist that best aligns with your individual needs and presenting problem.

Once you have your referral and you know whom you would like to work with, please call Bulimba Psychology to arrange an appointment.

Many private health insurers cover psychological services, however, you will need to check the details of your policy. Please contact your private insurer for more information. Please note, that Bulimba Psychology does not have the facility to rebate private insurance claims on the day of your appointment. You will need to submit your online claim separately after paying the full fee on the day of your appointment.

In the same way that medical practitioners must be registered, all psychologists are legally required to register with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency. APS membership involves meeting standards in addition to this registration. Entry to the APS requires more university training than necessarily required by the Registration Boards.

Consulting an APS Psychologist ensures you receive expert psychological services of the highest standard. APS Psychologists follow guidelines about professional conduct, responsibilities and confidentiality that are set and monitored by the Society in the APS Code of Ethics, and it is compulsory that APS Psychologists engage in regular professional development and peer review. There are different levels of APS membership according to your psychologists sequence of education and training.

Yes, we have private parking at the back of the practice and you can enter the car park via the driveway on Apollo Road. Alternatively, there is usually some free street parking near by.

Sessions last for approximately 50-55 minutes for individual and couples sessions. If you are seeking treatment for couple therapy, extended session times may be considered.

Yes, you are welcome to bring a support person in with you for your session or that person can wait in our reception area until you are finished. If your support person comes into the session, they are not considered a client, rather, an Associated Party to your session. If you invite a spouse to your session as a way to gather more information about your circumstances, this person is also not considered a client, rather, an Associated Party to your session that your Psychologist has interacted with during the course of rendering psychological service.

We are currently experiencing a very high demand for psychological service. Unfortunately, our wait lists can be lengthy, however, we are striving to accomodate new clients as soon as possible.

Psychologists and psychiatrists both work in the area of mental health and often work together. However, there are some significant differences between the two professions in the following areas:

• A psychiatrist is required to complete a medical degree prior to specialising in mental health.
• A psychiatrist can prescribe medication; a psychologist cannot.
• Psychologists have specialist training in non-medical interventions but will work closely with general practitioners and/or psychiatrists.

Psychologists help people with emotional and psychological difficulties as well as helping people who don’t have these difficulties but wish to enhance their psychological wellbeing and functioning.

Bulimba Psychology has two female Psychologists only.

Yes, you can. Sometimes your Doctor or medical specialist will recommend that you see someone that he or she thinks will be helpful and a good match for what you are struggling with. Ultimately, the decision to work with a psychologist is 100% up to you and it’s not a “one size fits all” experience. Psychologists’ start with general training in mental health and as their education, training, and career develops; most psychologists begin to develop expertise in other areas in psychology. We recommend that you do your own research to find a psychologist that you think can help you. Most psychology practices have information on their websites that includes professional biographies about each team member. For information about the team of psychologists at Bulimba Psychology, please click here.