Frequently Asked Questions

At Caitlin Wright Psychology, fees are $240 for a 50‑minute appointment. If you would like a longer appointment, 90‑minute sessions are available, with fees adjusted accordingly. A 90‑minute appointment is $360

Yes. If you are eligible for a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), Medicare rebates are available for up to 10 psychology sessions per calendar year.

Currently, the Medicare rebate for a 50‑minute clinical psychology session is $145.25 per appointment.

To access a MHCP, you will need to visit your GP and let them know you would like to see a psychologist for support with your mental health. Your GP can recommend a psychologist or you can request a referral specifically to Caitlin Wright Psychology.

An initial referral usually covers up to 6 sessions. After these sessions, your GP can provide a subsequent referral for the remaining 4 sessions, giving a total of 10 rebated sessions per calendar year.

We ask that all clients provide at least 24 hours’ notice (one business day) if they need to cancel or reschedule an appointment.

As a small private practice, appointment times are specifically set aside for each client. When sessions are cancelled with short notice, it is often not possible to offer that time to another client.

As private health insurance policies vary, clients are encouraged to contact their provider directly to enquire for eligibility psychology services. A receipt will be provided to support your claim.

Wait time: 1–2 months
If you’d like to join the waitlist, start by filling out the enquiry form. We’ll have a quick call to see if I’m the right fit for you. If it feels like a good match, we’ll add you to the waitlist and be in touch as soon as a spot opens up.

We also encourage you to continue your search for a therapist in the meantime, as there are many wonderful therapists available.

You can also explore other wonderful psychologists on Psychology Today.

I offer in‑person appointments in St Leonards (Sydney), as well as online sessions for clients located anywhere in the world.

I also work from other practices; however, appointments at those locations must be arranged directly with the relevant practice.

Therapy is a collaborative process where you work with your psychologist in a safe and confidential space to better understand what you’re experiencing and what you’d like to change.

Together, you’ll identify goals, explore patterns in thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, and develop practical strategies to support your wellbeing.

Each therapy experience is tailored to your individual needs and goals, using evidence‑based approaches that are considered gold‑standard for the challenges you’re facing.

Short‑term therapy usually refers to focused, goal‑directed work over a limited number of sessions. Research shows that for some specific anxiety difficulties, such as single (specific) phobias, evidence‑based approaches including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy can lead to meaningful improvement within approximately 6–12 weekly therapy sessions, when treatment is specifically focused on the phobia.

Research also suggests that a greater number of sessions can predict slightly more favourable outcomes. For this reason, we often encourage continued attendance even when some improvement has already occurred, to help consolidate gains and support longer‑term change.

If you are working on multiple areas, have more complex or long‑standing concerns, or would like broader support (for example, alongside anxiety, trauma, mood, or relational difficulties), therapy typically takes longer.

This can be discussed collaboratively, with your treatment plan reviewed and adjusted over time to best support your goals.

This depends on your therapy goals, the approach used, and your individual circumstances. Some people attend therapy for a short period to work through a specific concern, while others benefit from longer‑term support. We encourage you to discuss this with your psychologist so that your treatment plan can be adjusted accordingly and continues to meet your needs over time.

Therapy works best when clients attend consistently and feel safe and understood.

At Caitlin Wright Psychology, we place strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship. Research consistently shows that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of positive therapy outcomes, as well as a key factor in whether people remain engaged in therapy. For this reason, we strongly encourage weekly sessions, particularly at the beginning of therapy, to support relationship‑building and therapeutic momentum.

Research also indicates that remaining engaged in therapy is important for meaningful progress. Attending regularly allows sufficient time and continuity to work toward your goals and to implement and review your therapy plan collaboratively.

When therapy is in its active phase, such as working toward goals, building the therapeutic relationship, identifying and challenging unhelpful patterns, and making behavioural changes to support a more meaningful life - research suggests that more frequent sessions early on can support stronger momentum and better outcomes for many people.

That said, we are also realistic. Weekly therapy is not always feasible, even when it is preferred. Where possible, we encourage starting with weekly sessions and then transitioning to fortnightly sessions as things stabilise and skills are consolidated.

Monthly sessions are more complex. Current evidence generally supports monthly sessions only during a maintenance phase, after meaningful progress has been made. At that frequency, sessions tend to function more as structured check‑ins rather than active therapeutic work, and are not typically recommended as a starting point for therapy.

For this reason, we also do not offer one‑off or irregular sessions. Opening up difficult experiences or vulnerabilities without adequate continuity and support can increase distress, and may be unhelpful or counterproductive for most people.

Our priority is your wellbeing. If regular attendance is not possible at this time, we are very open to discussing alternative options, including referrals to services that may be more suitable for your needs (for example, different fee structures, after‑hours availability, or weekend services). We would always prefer to help you access support that is sustainable and effective for you.

This is very common and completely okay. Many people start therapy feeling unsure about what to say, where to begin, or whether their concerns are “important enough.” Therapy is not about having the right words prepared.

Your psychologist will help guide the session. Not knowing what to talk about can often be useful information in itself, and sessions can focus on what you’re noticing, how things have been feeling recently, patterns that come up in your life, or even the experience of being in therapy. Sometimes the most helpful work begins when there isn’t a clear agenda.

You are also not required to talk constantly or have something new each session. Therapy is a collaborative process, and together we will gently make sense of what feels relevant at your pace.

It’s very common for therapy to feel uncomfortable at times. Therapy often involves reflecting on difficult experiences, noticing patterns, or sitting with emotions that may have been avoided or managed in other ways. This does not mean therapy isn’t working - in fact, some discomfort can be a natural part of meaningful change.

That said, therapy should never feel unsafe or overwhelming. Feeling supported, respected, and able to move at a pace that feels manageable is essential. Your psychologist will regularly check in with you and adjust the approach if something feels too much or not quite right.

If therapy feels uncomfortable, you’re encouraged to talk about this openly. Discussing discomfort can be an important part of the therapeutic process and can help ensure that therapy continues in a way that feels safe, collaborative, and supportive.

Yes - we offer both online and in‑person sessions.

At Caitlin Wright Psychology, sessions can be provided via secure telehealth (online) or face‑to‑face, depending on availability and what feels most appropriate for you. Some clients attend exclusively online, some in person, and others use a combination of both.

Yes. What you share in therapy is confidential, and protecting your privacy is taken very seriously. Your psychologist will not share information about you or your sessions without your consent, except in specific situations where there is a legal or ethical obligation to do so.

There are a small number of limits to confidentiality, which include situations where there is:

• A serious or immediate risk of harm to you or someone else

• Disclosure of abuse or neglect of a child, elderly person, or other vulnerable person

• A legal requirement to release information (for example, a court order or subpoena)

• As required by law, including under the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW)

We discuss confidentiality and its limits during the initial appointment and invite any questions or concerns you may have about these exceptions.

If any of these situations were to arise, your psychologist would aim to discuss this with you openly and respectfully wherever possible.

Confidentiality is central to therapy and allows it to be a safe space to talk honestly. If you have any questions or concerns about privacy or confidentiality, you are encouraged to raise them at any time.

There are a small number of limits to confidentiality, which include situations where there is:

• A serious or immediate risk of harm to you or someone else

• Disclosure of abuse or neglect of a child, elderly person, or other vulnerable person

• A legal requirement to release information (for example, a court order or subpoena)

• As required by law, including under the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW)

Your information (clinical records and personal details) are stored electronically and securely using Halaxy, an Australian‑based practice management system commonly used by registered health professionals. Halaxy is designed specifically for healthcare and meets Australian privacy and security standards.

Access to your information is limited to your treating psychologist and is used only for the purpose of providing your care, unless disclosure is required or authorised by law. 

If you would like more information about how Halaxy manages data security and privacy, this can be discussed with the founder at any time.

That’s okay - and you’re not doing anything wrong. Feeling comfortable and understood by your psychologist is an important part of therapy, and not every therapeutic relationship is the right fit for every person.

If at any point you feel that things aren’t quite working for you, you’re encouraged to raise this openly. These conversations can be helpful and may lead to changes in approach, pace, or focus. Sometimes, though, it may be more supportive to explore other options.

If we’re not the right fit, we can discuss referral options to help you find a psychologist or service that may be better suited to your needs. Our priority is that you feel supported and receive care that is right for you.