How do I book?
You can now book an appointment online through The Psychology Hut by clicking here. Alternatively, you can send us an enquiry via the Contact page and we will give you a call to book in a time that suits. Please note that we are not an emergency/crisis service and we do not constantly monitor contacts from the webpage due to attending to other clients. Please call crisis numbers (such as Lifeline 13 11 14 or call 000) if you are in a crisis.
Will I get a Medicare Rebate?
If you would like to receive a Medicare rebate (currently $98.95 for each session), you will need to first make an appointment with your GP doctor and receive a Mental Health Care Plan and referral. This will entitle you for 6 rebated psychology sessions with us. After the 6 sessions are completed, we will write to your doctor to provide them with an update on our progress. At this time, if more sessions are required, your GP will refer you for another 4 sessions. This means for any calendar year, you will receive up to 10 rebated psychology sessions from Medicare. As we are not a bulk billing service, you will be responsible for paying the gap fee for our services. We will bill you for the full amount for your session and then receive the rebate directly from Medicare.
Do you offer face-to-face sessions?
Certainly! We offer face-to-face appointments at the beautiful The Psychology Hut suites at 861b (level 2) Waverley Road, Glen Waverley in Melbourne’s southeast.
What can I expect from my first session?
It is really our intention to provide a welcoming and comfortable environment for you to continue therapy. The first session will be mainly focused on making you feel comfortable, rapport building, introductions, information gathering about key areas you’d like to work on and collaborating on therapy goals.
Ahead of time, we email you a consent form and payment details form for you to complete. We may also email you some psychometric questionnaires ahead of time to fill out to further understand where your mental health is sitting at the moment. If your appointment is via telehealth, you will also receive a link ahead of time.
How do telehealth appointments work?
Ahead of time, you will receive a link via email. On the day of your appointment, we ask you click on this link 5 minutes before your scheduled session time (to resolve any audio/visual/connection issues so it doesn’t eat into your session time) and then your therapist will start the meeting at your appointment time.
How should I prepare for my telehealth session?
Five minutes before your appointment time, please click on the link that has been emailed. For your comfort, ensure you are in a private and quiet area, with no outside distractions. You may wish to bring a non-alcoholic beverage such as tea or water with you. It’s also recommended you bring tissues in case they are needed.
Is the information we talk about confidential?
Mace Counselling & Psychology is committed to providing you with the highest level of professional counselling/psychological services. The information is gathered as part of the assessment, diagnosis and treatment process and is seen only by the counsellor/psychologist. Mace Counselling & Psychotherapy will not disclose your personal information to anybody else without your consent unless we are required to do so by law (see our consent form for full information). The information is retained to document the content and process of sessions and enables the counsellor/psychologist to provide a relevant and informed counselling service.
What happens if we see each other outside of the therapy space?
It is possible that we may encounter each other in a public setting outside of our scheduled appointments. To protect your privacy and confidentiality, it is best not to discuss anything to do with your situation or what we cover in our sessions, where privacy and confidentiality is guaranteed. In fact, our contact in these situations may be limited to a polite smile or hello. Please understand that this is not a reflection of my opinion toward you, it is purely for both of our protection.
Are you a crisis service?
We are not an emergency or crisis service and we do not offer crisis intervention. If you are in crisis and require crisis intervention, you will need to seek an alternative service arrangement and make use of crisis services. We recommend utilising this website to locate the psychiatric triage service for your area (if in Victoria).
How long are the sessions?
Sessions run for strictly 50 minutes. Unfortunately, if you arrive late for an appointment the appointment will still finish at the scheduled time and cannot run over the original allocated duration due to inconveniencing other clients after you.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule my appointment?
We understand that things pop up or illnesses occur – we please ask that you give a minimum of one full working day’s notice if you are unable to attend a counselling session. Due to demand and difficulties filling appointments at short notice, we will have to charge you the full amount for the session if you cancel within a 24-hour notice period or don’t show up for your appointment. We cannot book further appointments for you if invoices are outstanding. Thank you for understanding!
What are your rates?
We value being able to provide a supportive and cost-effective mental health support service to our clients. Our current rates (subject to change with notice) are:
- Individual counselling/psychology: Monday – Saturday = $225/session (day rate) or $245/session evening/weekend rate (*Medicare rebate applicable)
- Couples counselling: Monday – Saturday = $250/session (*Medicare rebate not applicable)
- Tertiary Tutoring: $100/ hr
Mace Counselling | Psychology 