Fees & Policies

Our fees are intentionally set below the Australian Psychological Society (APS) recommended rates, to help make therapy more accessible.

Current APS recommended fee: $318 for a standard 50-minute session
Our fee: $240

Referrals: A referral from a doctor is not required unless you wish to obtain a Medicare rebate or required by your private health insurance.

How to Provide Your Referral:

To ensure your referral is valid, please send it prior to your appointment. This allows sufficient time for us to follow up with your GP or medical practice if any additional information is required before accepting the referral.

Please email your referral to: admin@caitlinwrightpsychology.com.au

If you are unsure whether your referral has been received or if it meets requirements, please feel free to contact the practice.

Referrals Accepted

– Mental Health Care Plan Referral

– Chronic Disease Management Plan

– Non-Directive Pregnancy Support Counselling Service (coming soon)

– WorkCover NSW (coming soon)

To understand which referral options may be available to you, the first step is to see your GP, who can guide you through the different options.

Reminders: Your psychologist will let you know during the initial session when you are due due for a new referral (e.g., in 6 sessions) and will remind you again as your current referral is coming to an end.

You will also be able to see how many sessions you have used on your referral on your invoice, which notes the number of appointments remaining under that referral.

If you are ever unsure about where you are up to with your referral, please feel free to ask – your psychologist or the practice can help clarify this for you at any time.

We accept referrals under a valid Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from a GP or psychiatrist for clients wishing to access Medicare rebates.

Medicare Rebate: Currently, the Medicare rebate for a clinical psychology appointment (50+ minutes) is $145.25 per session.

Obtaining a MHCP: Visit your GP and let them know you are hoping to see a psychologist for your mental health. Your GP can recommend a psychologist they think would be a good fit, or you can request a specific psychologist to be included in the referral.

Number of Sessions: For individuals eligible for a MHCP, Medicare rebates are available for a maximum of 10 sessions per calendar year.

A single referral can cover up to 6 sessions. Typically, GPs provide an initial referral for 6 sessions, and then a subsequent referral for the remaining 4 sessions can be requested, bringing the total to 10 sessions within the calendar year.

Valid MHCP: According to Medicare, a valid referral should include the following details:
- The patient’s full name
- Date of birth
- Residential address
- Presenting symptoms or diagnosis
- Any current medications
- The number of treatment services the patient is being referred for
- A statement confirming whether a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) or Psychiatric Assessment and Management Plan (PAMP) has been completed

If you are unsure whether your referral meets Medicare requirements, please feel free to check with us prior to your appointment.

As part of Medicare requirements, brief progress reports are shared with your referring GP after each referral period. These reports focus on progress and recommendations, and are shared only with your referring medical practitioner.

If you have any concerns or questions about this process, please contact the practice so we can discuss this with you.

The Chronic Disease Management Medicare items are part of a government initiative designed to support people living with a chronic or complex medical condition to access care from allied health professionals, including psychologists.

Under a CDM plan, Medicare rebates are available for up to five allied health visits in total per calendar year. These visits can be shared across a range of eligible allied health professionals, not just psychology.

A CDM plan must be arranged through your GP, who will determine eligibility and provide the referral.

For more detailed information about CDM plans and psychological services, you can visit: https://psychology.org.au/psychology/medicare-rebates-psychological-services/faq-chronic-disease-management-psych-services

Payments: All payments are taken through the booking system Halaxy on the day of appointment. Electronic payments processing is provided by Braintree/Paypal, which is protected by bank-grade encryption.

As a security measure, card details are stored through this partner and not stored through Halaxy directly, so payment data is not stored with patient records and Halaxy cannot retrieve card details. Your card details are not visibly to anyone within the practice of Halaxy.

We do not handle any cash.

Cancellation Fee:/No Show Policy Cancellation within 24 hours (1 business day) and no-shows incur full-session fee. Payment is required on the day.

We understand that circumstances can change. However, missed appointments and late cancellations significantly reduce access to care for other clients.

This fee is not eligible for Medicare or private health rebates, as the service was not provided.

If something unexpected comes up, we encourage you to let us know as soon as possible.

Full details of fees and notice periods are outlined in your consent and service agreement, which is provided prior to commencing therapy.