To make, change or confirm an appointment or for any general inquiries, please get in touch with the following:

SMS: 0488 811 884
P: 07 4767 7093
F: 617 2000 4411E: admin@selfpsychology.com.au

Practice addresses:

Hyde Park
Inside the GMB Financial Building [formally known as AMP Financial]
5 Woolcock Street, Hyde Park
Corner of Woolcock and Church Streets
The building entrance is on Church Street
Free parking available under the building or along Yeatman or Somer Streets.

North Shore General Practice (inside the GP surgery)
1/50 North Shore Boulevard, Burdell
Free parking available onsite

Referrals and access:
You can make an appointment to see Melissa by calling 07 4767 7093, SMS 0488 811 884 or emailing admin@selfpsychology.com.au

Please leave a message if your call cannot be answered immediately, and Melissa will get back to you.

If you are referred by your GP with a Mental Health Treatment Plan, your doctor can Fax or email a referral letter and copy of the MHTP. This will mean you can claim part of the cost through Medicare.

Face-to-face and telehealth appointments are available.

Melissa sees clients under a variety of funding models, including:

MHTP/Medicare funding. Melissa is also registered to deliver perinatal non-directive counselling and ASD assessments with a paediatrician referral

Private paying/private health

NDIS (plan and self-managed plans)

Stepped Care for low-income and concession card holders (requires a GP referral through Connect to Wellbeing)

How many sessions will I need?
The number and frequency of your sessions will vary. For most people, the best outcomes for therapy occur from attending regular sessions. Initial treatment usually involves six weekly or fortnightly sessions. If there are long breaks between sessions, therapy may be less effective. After initial treatment, many people need less frequent sessions.

Melissa recommends you book between three and six sessions to start your therapy journey.

Credit card policy:

In an effort to streamline our appointment system and provide the best service to all our clients, Self Psychology has implemented the following policy regarding appointment confirmations:

Credit Card Details Requirement: Upon scheduling an initial appointment, clients are required to provide valid credit or debit card details to secure and confirm their appointment time.

Confirmation Window: Clients have a 24-hour window from the time the initial appointment is made to provide these details. An intake form will be sent to you so that you can complete your details.

Automatic Cancellation: If the credit card details are not received within the 24-hour window, the appointment will be considered unconfirmed and will automatically be cancelled. Clients will need to reschedule and provide the necessary details if they still wish to work with Self Psychology.

Privacy Assurance: Please be assured that all credit card details will be handled with the utmost security and confidentiality. All card details provided will be stored securely and will not be shared with unauthorised third parties. Your credit card will not be charged unless specified under the cancellation policy, or upon payment for your appointment.

Cancellation Policy: The Self Psychology cancellation and no-show policy will be applicable once the appointment is confirmed with credit card details. Please refer to the cancellation policy for further details.

The standard therapy fee is $185.00 per session. If you have been referred via a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate of $92.90 per session for up to ten sessions per calendar year (subject to medicare policy).

If you are a private paying client, the session fees are $185.00. You may be eligible for a rebate under your private health insurance, depending on your level of coverage. Check with your private health insurance provider for more information.

The NDIS client fee is $214.41 per session, and Melissa provides NDIS-funded therapy for agency and self-managed plans.

Melissa also provides services under Connect to Wellbeing, funded by the Department of Health through NQPHN. A GP referral is required; however, you may not be allocated to Melissa under this referral pathway.

You will receive a courtesy reminder text or email before your appointment.

Medicare rebates

Mental Health Treatment Plans
A GP referral is needed after completing a Mental Health Treatment Plan to claim your fee rebate from Medicare. When you make an appointment with your GP, let the receptionist know this is what you are coming for so they can make an appropriate length appointment.

Your MHTP gives you access to ten individual and ten group sessions annually. After the sixth session, your GP will be advised if you need the remaining four sessions. To receive these, you will need to visit your GP before the seventh session for an MHTP review/re-referral. This is a Medicare requirement.

Perinatal Non-Directional Counselling
Melissa has completed further training to be able to provide perinatal non-directional counselling, which attracts additional Medicare rebates.

A person who is currently pregnant or who has been pregnant in the preceding 12 months, and who is concerned about that pregnancy, may claim Medicare benefits for up to three (3) non-directive pregnancy support counselling services (in total) per pregnancy. This includes women who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss. A GP referral is required to access Medicare rebates

What is non-directive counselling?

This is a form of counselling based on the understanding that, in many situations, people can resolve their own problems without being provided with a solution by the therapist.

The service involves the therapist undertaking a safe, confidential process that helps you explore concerns you have about your pregnancy. This includes providing unbiased, evidence-based information about all options and services available to you (including terminations), where requested. Your partner may attend therapy sessions, with consent.

Rebates are available for up to three (3) non-directive pregnancy support counselling services per patient, per pregnancy. The Medicare rebate is $68.10 per session.

Referral Process:

Any GP may refer eligible clients to Melissa via a signed and dated letter or note. A Mental Health Treatment Plan is not required for this support. GPs do not need to have completed non-directive pregnancy counselling training to make referrals.

A new referral is required for each pregnancy or when the client wishes to be referred to a different provider.

Payment methods
After making your first appointment, an intake form will be emailed to you by Melissa’s administration team, where you’ll be asked to store your credit card details securely. This is required to secure your appointments. Your credit card will be charged the next business day following your appointment, and your Medicare rebate will be completed (for eligible referrals).

You can also pay for appointments ahead of time via online banking Direct Credit. Cash or debit/credit cards may be used for face-to-face appointments if you prefer to pay on the day.

A cancelled appointment hurts three people: you, your therapist and another client who could have potentially utilised your time slot. Therapy sessions are scheduled in advance and are a time reserved exclusively for my clients. When a session is cancelled without adequate notice, Melissa is unable to fill this time slot by offering it to another current client, a client on the waitlist, or a client with a clinical emergency. It is not possible to bill your insurance company or Medicare for sessions that are not attended.

The following cancellation rates apply:

Cancellation with less than three (3) full business days notice = $55.00

Cancellation with less than two (2) full business days notice = $110.00

Failure to attend without notice = full session fee.

Cancellation fees do not attract a medicare or insurance rebate.

NDIS client cancellation policy is in line with NDIA guidelines and subject to change based upon NDIA adjustments.

You can cancel your appointment by calling, texting or emailing Melissa’s administration team through the contact details below:

SMS: 0488 811 884
P: 07 4767 7093
E: admin@selfpsychology.com.au

The only time Melissa is able to waive this fee is in the event of serious or contagious illness or extreme weather, at Melissa’s discretion. If you are unsure, please make contact for further guidance.

In the event of lockdowns or isolation requirements, or if you’re not able to attend your face to face appointment, you will be offered a telehealth session. The above cancellation rates will still apply if you do not wish to change to telehealth. Phone and video consultations are available through telehealth.

Appointment reminders are sent as a courtesy to assist clients in recalling their scheduled times. However, clients are responsible for managing and remembering their commitments, and decisions about attending should not rely solely on receiving these reminders.

I strive to offer a personal and attentive service, and part of this includes sending out reminders about upcoming appointments as a courtesy. These reminders aim to help you recall any existing appointments amidst the hustle and bustle of life.

The reminders are meant to be a gentle nudge, a helpful memo about your upcoming appointment. They are not, however, meant to influence your decision about keeping or cancelling a previously scheduled appointment. When we schedule a meeting, I reserve that slot exclusively for you and prepare myself to provide the best possible service during that time.

As a sole practitioner, I count on each client to responsibly manage and remember their commitments. The decision to attend an already arranged appointment should not be reliant on receiving a reminder. I deeply appreciate your understanding and your active role in managing your appointment schedule.

Please understand that therapy should be viewed as any other important medical appointment. While it is a time commitment, this is for your personal betterment and consistency is key in order to achieve this. That being said, three consecutive missed appointments without first reaching out, attempting to reschedule, or otherwise indicating a clear commitment to treatment, can result in termination of the therapeutic relationship. Your case may be reopened; however, you may be placed on a waiting list if there are other clients waiting to use your time slot. This is standard practice with therapy and private practice providers.

As part of providing a psychological and/or therapeutic service to you, Melissa will need to collect and record personal information from you that is relevant to your current situation. This information will be a necessary part of the psychological assessment and treatment. You do not have to give all your personal information, but psychological services may not be provided if you don't.

The information is gathered as part of the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of the client’s condition. It is seen only by Melissa unless you provide permission for Melissa to share information with others. The information is retained to document what happens during sessions and allow Melissa to provide a relevant and informed psychological service.

At any stage, you as a client are entitled to access the information about you kept on file unless the relevant legislation provides otherwise.

All personal information gathered by Melissa during the provision of the psychological service will remain confidential and secure, except where:

1. It is subpoenaed by Court; or

2. Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at serious and imminent risk; or

3. Your approval has been obtained to:

   provide a written report to another professional or agency (i.e. GP, school, lawyer); or

   discuss the material with another person (i.e. parent, employer); or

4. Disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law

Please see here for Melissa’s policy for the management of personal information.