Knowing What to Expect
You Ask - I Answer
What are the fees and the length of each therapy session?
The Australian Psychological Society recommends $300 for a standard therapy session. However, the practice aims to charge a reasonable rate at $250 per session with Jasmine (2024-25 FY). Please email the practice for information on assessment sessions. Each session is 55 minutes long. The clinician will then use 5 minutes after the session to tidy up session notes or reset the therapy room. All fees are to be paid in full on the same day the therapy sessions are conducted.
Are there any rebates available for the therapy sessions?
Jasmine is a Medicare registered provider. If you are referred to Jasmine Loo Psychology under a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP), you may receive partial rebates from Medicare for up to 10 sessions per year. The rebates are generally $96.65 per session (from 1 Jul 24) but if you have reached the Medicare safety net threshold, you may be eligible for a higher Medicare rebate. Please make sure that you request for a GP referral letter and have it emailed or faxed (please do not post via mail) to the clinic prior to your first therapy session. Please ask your GP or Paediatrician for further information or visit https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/medicare-safety-nets
For those eligible for MHTP rebates, Medicare will pay for the rebates into your nominated bank account after you have paid for your session and if the claim is successfully processed. For more information, please visit https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-ba-fact-pat
Telehealth sessions are now permanently covered by Medicare, in exactly the same way that in-person sessions are being covered using a Mental Health Care Plan. Telehealth used to be funded under Medicare only if you lived in rural or remotes regions specified by Medicare.
Do I have to get a GP referral letter?
Yes, if you would like to receive Medicare rebates for your sessions, as above. Otherwise, no, you do not need a GP referral/Mental Health Care Plan to be able to make an appointment with a psychologist if you're planning to pay privately.
Can I use my/my child's NDIS funding for the sessions?
The clinician at this practice/the practice is NOT a NDIS registered provider. Jasmine can see some clients with self-managed NDIS plans but you would need to confirm with your NDIS coordinator that you can claim the session fees back from your funding. The clinic will not be taking on clients who are using (third-party) plan-managed NDIS funds at present. Fees are to be paid in full by the client after the session on the day. After that, you can lodge a claim with NDIS using the receipt.
Can I use private health insurance?
If you have private health funds, please check with your private health insurance provider regarding your level of cover and procedures whereby you can claim rebates. Clients are expected to communicate with their own insurance providers as necessary for all relevant information and to process their own claims after payments are made. In general, clients would only need to upload the pdf of the paid invoice sent to them by the practice onto the app of their private health insurance provider to make a claim.
Is there a cancellation fee?
As a standard practice in most private practices, we do have a late cancellation/ non-attendance policy. If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please make sure that you provide at least 48 hours of notice in advance, in order to avoid being charge a late fee. This will also allow me some time to offer your appointment time to someone else on the waitlist.
After you have been booked in for a session, you will receive reminders in both the form of an email and a text message (SMS) 3 days before your appointment time, then another reminder in both forms 2 days before your appointment. More information can be found in the consent form that will be emailed to you before your first appointment.
What training and qualifications are required for psychologists?
Psychologists are mental health professionals who are trained in the ways that humans think, feel, behave, and learn, as well as the complex relationships between all these areas of human behaviour. All psychologists who went through the higher degree pathway have a minimum of 6 years of university education, including supervised practice, before becoming fully registered. Upon becoming fully registered, some psychologists are eligible to, and choose to continue on their 2-year full time registrar training in their approved areas of practice and become endorsed (e.g., Educational & Developmental Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist). Some may also choose to go on and complete a PhD (though this is not a requirement for a practising psychologist in Australia).
The title ‘psychologist’ is a legally protected title in Australia that can only be used by those who maintain registration with the national regulatory and governing bodies, and abide by the requirements for ethical and professional standards, in addition to engaging in ongoing professional development. Hence, as a regulated profession, psychologists must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) under the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and renew their registrations annually. This is in contrast to terms, such as therapist, counsellor, or clinical psychotherapist, which are not legally protected titles or regulated, and can be used by anyone who wishes to.
How are a psychologist and psychiatrist different?
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who goes on to complete their specialist training in psychiatry, and so is able to prescribe medications. Psychologists do not have medical training and cannot write prescriptions. The evidence-based best-practice recommendation for many mental health conditions is often to combine psychotherapy and psychopharmacological treatments (*case-dependent), which is why if deemed appropriate, psychologists may recommend that clients also be under the care of a psychiatrist, and vice versa.
Ultimately, as humans, all our different systems come to work together as an integrated whole to influence our physical and mental health and wellbeing. Therefore, in thinking of mental health care, it is important for professionals from different backgrounds to think holistically from different angles and collaborate with each other to have a chance at achieving best client outcomes.
Can I use any other types of funding?
Currently, the practice only takes on clients intending to use Medicare rebates/NDIS self managed/private funds for their sessions because we are a small, self-sustaining practice trying our best to streamline our admin processes, so we can focus as much of our resources on providing our best care to our clients. Therefore, we will not be able to take on clients intending to use fundings such as, TAC, WorkCover, VOCAT, NDIS Plan/Agency managed etc.
Crisis Management Resources
危机管理资源
If you're really struggling right now please call a helpline:
Lifeline: 13 1 1 14
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Headspace: 1800 650 890
Suicide Callback Service: 1300 659 467
If it is an emergency, please call 000 immediately.