Fees and FAQ

No, you do not.

Yes, I am a registered provider with Bupa, AIA, CUA Health (telehealth), Emergency Services Health Fund, BMHBA, Phoenix Health, Police Health, St. Luke's Health, Teachers Union Health and Westfund.

No, I do not. I am a counsellor, not a psychologist, and Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) rebates are not currently available to counsellors. However, I do reduce my rates for clients holding a pension or healthcare card to make my services affordable to low income earners. My reduced rates are similar to the gap you would pay when seeing a psychologist with a MHCP.

Obviously every counsellor and psychologist is different. With that in mind: 

• The training that counsellors receive is usually based in the humanistic framework, which holds that people have a deep inner drive towards wholeness, and that counselling involves creating the conditions that make it possible for people to heal themselves. Counsellors are trained to use various modalities to work with trauma and distress of many kinds. They are trained more broadly to provide a supportive space for people to explore their values, their goals and the things that get in the way of healthy growth. Counsellors may have spent less time earning their qualification than a psychologist, though their training will be focussed squarely on counselling. They often charge less and may be easier to get in to see.
• Psychologists are often trained using a more medical or scientific framework, studying the science of how people think and behave. Clinical psychologists are trained in diagnosis and assessment of mental illness, and often focus on working with people who have been given a particular diagnosis, e.g. schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder. The core training that psychologists receive is longer, though by default it has much less focus on the process of counselling. Many psychologists undertake additional training in a variety of more person-centred counselling modalities, however, some psychologists will have received much less training in counselling than some counsellors. 

Currently in Australia, counselling is not a protected title, which means that anyone can call themselves a counsellor. However, counsellors who are registered with a peak body like the Australian Counselling Association or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia will have met specified training standards, and will have to maintain their practice with regular professional development and supervision. I am registered with the Australian Counselling Association, and have completed a Masters’ Degree in Counselling.

You are welcome to have a chat to me about this, if you like. Some people come to counselling not because anything huge is wrong, but because they feel like not enough is right, or there are things they want to change, or growth they want to encourage in themselves. I will only suggest begining counselling if I feel it will be helpful for you, and I will encourage you to be looking to your own insights around this also. 

I do my best to keep my fees affordable for those with low incomes, but with the rising cost of living, counselling can seem expensive. If you can afford it, however, it can be well worth it, as it can help you to make decisions that improve many aspects of your life, both in the short and the long term. 

I do have suggestions on how best to introduce the subject of counselling to teenagers, and am happy to have a conversation with you about this, tailored to your situation. Feel free to book a free 20 min slot on the Contact page to discuss it. 

This is not unusual, though of course it can be very frustrating if you’re really worried about them. Teenagers are in the process of establishing their own identity, which can mean they’re pushing back around rules and even gentle suggestions made to them by their carers. Learning to manage your own frustration and accepting the limits of your influence is part of the challenge of parenting this age group!
Family counselling can be an excellent way forward in this situation - they may be more willing to come if they see you're willing to show up and acknowledge your part in any difficult dynamics between you. If they reject this, it can be useful to attend individually yourself: we can focus on ways to change the dynamic between the two of you by changing what you, as the adult, bring to the relationship.

Yes, you can. If your teenager is nervous and you have a good relationship with them, it may be a really good idea to offer to come along to the first session as support. Some teenagers feel this takes the pressure off them, and it also gives you a chance to see how the process works. However, if your relationship with your teenager is a bit complicated at the moment, it might be best just to stay for a few minutes so they’re comfortable and then head off for a cuppa in Eumundi. 

This is an option, and if the young person requests it then this can sometimes be helpful. However, once they have built a good rapport with me, it’s best not to sit in unless they request it. This gives them the chance to have the same confidentiality that adult clients find so important for full sharing. When you care so much, it can be challenging to accept that your young person may no longer want to tell you everything, but this is an important part of them growing into their own adult. Think about how you would feel attending counselling if your own mother or father were watching. Most people find this would limit what they were willing to share.

It’s really common that teenagers don’t feel comfortable telling their stories to a counsellor in the same way that adults often do. That’s absolutely fine. It’s one of the reasons that expressive therapies are so useful when working with young people. Expressive therapies can allow young clients (and clients of any age) to explore challenges they’re having without talking about them more than they’re comfortable.