Fees and rebates

Appointment structure and payment process

As a Clinical Psychologist and registered Sex Therapist Selma van Diest offers psychological therapy according to the standards of the Australian Psychological Society. As Selma is not a medical professional she won't physically examine you. If she thinks this is necessary, she will discuss this with you and refer you to your local GP or another medical professional. 

The first appointment of your therapy process is a very important one. In this appointment Selma would like to get a good understanding of the problems you've been struggling with, the methods and strategies you might have already tried and your aims and goals for treatment. In this first session Selma would also like to get a sense of you as a person, your background and history, and the values and perspectives that make you 'you'. This is why Sex Therapy & Psychology would like to offer you a slightly longer appointment as your first visit (75 minutes) to be able to discuss all of the above but more specifically to be able to offer you at the end of this session a professional reflection on your problems and a description of the tailored treatment approach Selma would like to offer. 

Your subsequent appointments will consume one hour unless you would like to book the longer appointment time for ongoing treatment sessions as well. You are welcomed to discuss your preferences with Selma in your first session.
It is dependent on your type of problem and your personal preference whether you would like to visit Selma individually or as a couple. 

If you can't physically visit the practice for any reason, we can offer Skype or telephone consultations. Please contact us to discuss the options.

Initial sessions will be charged at $240, follow up appointments of one hour sessions will be charged at $200. There is a surcharge for after hour appointments (starting from 5 pm). We offer lower fees for pension card holders. 

Payment 
After your session you will be requested to pay the full fee for the psychological service delivered. If you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you might be eligible to receive Medicare rebates (see below). In this case you will be asked to first pay the full fee to then be reimbursed by Medicare (into a savings or cheque account). You can provide payment by either card (preferred) or cash. 
If you are using your private health funds we will first swipe your private health card to discover the rebate they will provide and we will just claim the gap amount on your preferred payment method.

Cancelling and rescheduling

Things can happen, so you might need to cancel or reschedule your booked appointment. We would like to inform you that we have a cancellation policy that requires a 48 hours (2 days) notice for cancelling or rescheduling to avoid cancellation fees to be charged. If you do need to cancel or reschedule we would like to inform you that you can only do this during business hours by phone. We will provide you a copy of these terms and conditions at your first visit to the practice. 

Rebates
Medicare

Selma van Diest is a Clinical Psychologist and a registered Medicare provider. This offers the opportunity to receive rebates from Medicare under the Better Access initiative for your sessions with Selma. To be eligible to receive these Medicare rebates for sessions with a Clinical Psychologist you need to be referred by your GP based on a Mental Health Treatment Plan. In order to set up a Mental Health Treatment Plan your GP will do a first assessment of your problems to decide whether your problems can be covered under a Mental Health Treatment Plan. If your problems are eligible for this plan, your GP will register this item with Medicare. A copy of your plan needs to be provided to the practice. 
With the compliance of your GP and this plan you are eligible to receive the Medicare rebates of $124.50 per session for 6+4 sessions each calendar year. After completion of 6 sessions Selma will provide a detailed report to your GP stating assessment, treatment outcomes and recommendations. If you would like to continue your sessions with Selma you have to visit your GP to discuss the options for a review of your Mental Health Treatment Plan which can provide you rebates for an additional 4 sessions. 
For more information about the Medicare rebate system please click on this link to go to the fact sheet about the Better Access initiative. 

Private Health funds

The cover for psychology sessions can vary dependent on the type of your private health insurance and your cover. Please check your insurance policy or give them a call to discover your optional rebates. If your doctor has set up a Mental Health Treatment Plan you can't claim your private funds at the same time. You can claim additional sessions with your private health insurance if you have used up your rebates of Medicare or if you don't have a Mental Health Treatment Plan. 

Make an appointment

If you would like to book an appointment with Selma van Diest we would like to direct you to our appointment page where you can find all the information about the different options to make an appointment.