FAQs

Appointments are available between the hours of 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday [last booking at 4:00 pm]. It is advisable to arrive a few minutes early for your initial appointment to allow time to complete necessary administrative forms.

A session usually runs between 50 and 60 minutes.

Occasionally, a psychologist may choose to offer an appointment time outside of our normal office hours. At times, limited sessions are available of an evening or Sunday afternoon. This can be discussed directly with your psychologist.

Whilst our clinic is a dedicated perinatal psychology practice, we also offer generalised psychological therapy outside of the perinatal space.

Perinatally we work with families who are experiencing:

• antenatal or postnatal depression and anxiety

• fertility issues

• birth trauma

• perinatal loss

• difficulties feeling bonded with their baby

• relationship stress

We are also qualified and experienced in providing the 8-week Circle of Security Parenting Program.

Additionally, Brighter Beginnings offers support to bariatric patients undergoing weight loss surgery. We offer psychological assessment, intervention and support to patients both pre and post-surgery.

Our psychologists specialise in an array of psychological therapies including, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Schema Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EDMR), and couple’s therapy.

Initial session: $250

Subsequent sessions: $220

A Medicare rebate of $93.35 will be applied to up to 10 sessions within a calendar year, when a Mental Health Treatment Plan and GP referral is provided.

Following payment of the full cost of the session, those eligible will have their Medicare Rebate processed and provided to you using Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) within 3 business days.

An initial assessment ensures we get a good understanding of your personal situation to ensure we can set appropriate mental health goals for you and your ongoing therapy. This process covers a range of areas, including; your current mental health symptoms, any risk issues, current functioning, any co-occurring conditions, treatment and recovery history, social/environmental stressors and family supports.

Please complete all client intake forms that will be emailed to you prior to your initial appointment.

Please also provide a copy of your referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan if you are seeking to claim any Medicare rebates.

A mental health treatment plan is for people with a mental health condition.

The plan in developed in partnership with your GP and identifies:

• treatment options

• support services available

• what goals you and your doctor have agreed on

Having a mental health treatment plan can help cover the cost of seeing a specialist mental health professional.

A GP referral is not required to access our service, although is a requirement of receiving any Medicare Rebates (see fees and rebates).

A referral from your GP does not expire after a specific period of time, rather when the referred number of sessions have been completed. Clients can access Medicare Rebate for up to 10 sessions per calendar year, with an initial referral of up to 6 sessions and a further referral of up to 4 sessions following a review of your Metal Health Treatment Plan with your referring doctor.

Depending on your private health insurance provider and level of cover you may be able to claim the full fee or portion of your fee through your insurance provider. Please contact your insurance provider directly for more details.

Please note: You can not claim both a Medicare rebate and private health insurance on a single session, so please advise your psychologist of whether you are seeking to claim a Medicare rebate under your MHTP or through your private health insurance.

Whilst the mental wellbeing of our clients is extremely important to us, Brighter Beginnings is not a crisis response service. If you or someone you know is in immediate need of mental health support, please contact your local mental health crisis team for assistance.

Canberra/ACT: Access Mental Health Line – 1800 629 354

Gold Coast: Acute Care Team – 1300 MH CALL (1300 64 22 55)