Information about counselling...
Why do people come to see us for counselling?
People come to see us for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes, people have a specific problem they want help in solving. For example they might be feeling anxious or depressed, have a relationship problem, be experiencing conflict with others, be feeling confused about a life event, have a suspected learning problem, have problems related to eating or diet or be experiencing difficulties dealing with a trauma, just to mention a few.
At other times, people come to see us, not because they have a specific “problem” per se, but simply because they want to improve their performance in some area, or manage themselves and their lives more effectively. For example, somebody might want to improve their study skills, time management, improve their motivation, get help with public speaking skills, learn how to understand people at work or improve their relationships.
Who will I see?
There are four psychologists who work at Innovate Psychology and Education, you can select one or we can recommend one to you. Information about each of our psychologists is found at About Us.
What will happen at the session?
You won’t be lying on a couch! We have casual and relaxed rooms which are designed to make people feel comfortable. We will talk to you about what you are hoping for from the sessions, ask you about your ideas about your problem and start to talk with you about how you might deal with it. We will ask lots of questions, take notes and probably ask you to think about something or do something related to your problem before the next session.
You are the expert on your own life and we certainly don't have all the answers. We are all on a journey and none of us "have it made". But we are experienced in helping people identify for themselves what it is they want to change - and then we can look at ways that might help that happen. Ninety percent of the work will be done by you, but the ten percent of guidance, information and support provided by psychologists can be extremely helpful.
People have different reactions leaving first sessions but most commonly people feel a bit relieved - and a bit drained (it can be tiring to talk about yourself for nearly an hour). We encourage people to take it easy after leaving the session.
How long will the session last?
Usually about 50 minutes (unless it is a formal educational/learning assessments). Usually we will try to finish within 50 minutes so that we can spend the last ten minute of the hour reviewing our notes. If possible, please arrive a few minutes early for your first appointment in order to fill in a brief form. We then ask people to arrive a few minutes early for each appointment after that. We run appointments strictly to time wherever possible.
When are appointments offered?
Our psychologists offer appointments at different times during the week. We understand it is not always possible to get time off work or study to come to appointments and therefore do offer some after hours appointments.
Where are the sessions held?
There are two locations for counselling.
Suite 3/16 Bartley Crescent, Wayville. This is a modern, 2 storey office environment with easy street parking.
Shop 3, Hub Professional Centre, Aberfoyle Park. This is a suburban centre 25 minutes south of the city in modern and comfortable rooms.
At Wayville: Matthew and Sonia consult.
At Aberfoyle Park: Kirrilie, Sonia and Penny consult.
What about fees?
The Australian Psychological Society recommended rate is currently $200 per session. This practice charges $160 per session, of which Medicare will currently pay $115 (if the client has a mental health care plan from their GP), leaving a gap of $45. We accept cheque, cash or VISA/ Mastercard/EFTPOS payments. For details about Medicare and private health rebates read on below.
Private Health Cover
Many private health funds do offer a rebate on psychological consultations. If applicable, please contact your own health fund for information about their rebates. As a rough guide, many health funds offer between $50-110 back from a psychological consultation.
Medicare
For many people, psychological services are now partially covered by Medicare. If you are referred by your GP (or psychiatrist or paediatrician) then Medicare will cover $115.00 of the fee, meaning there will be a gap of $45.00 for the client to pay (unless the client has a health care card, in which case the gap is $15). This gap cannot be claimed on private health cover.
The practice policy is for clients to pay upfront, however we have a "Mediclear" system whereby we will immediately reimburse the Medicare portion of the fee into the clients savings or cheque account. Alternatively, if the client prefers they can take their invoice to Medicare directly and be reimbursed in cash.
Kirrilie, Sonia, Penny and Matthew are all registered as Medicare-approved Clinical Psychologists and offer the maximum gap for psychologists via Medicare. Please call our office if you have more questions about the Medicare process.
Information about Confidentiality
Information disclosed to a psychologist is confidential. This means the psychologist will not reveal, to any other person, any information about the client, or reveal that the client was seeking psychological assistance, unless they have the express permission of the client.
There are a few exceptions to this general rule. First, if failure to disclose information may result in clear danger to the client or to another person, the psychologist may disclose minimal information necessary to avert risk. Second, if the psychologist believes a child or teenager may be or have been subject to physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect, psychologists must by law report this to appropriate authorities. Psychologists and other professionals must also now report unregistered firearms.
When working with an adolescent the same limits of confidentiality apply. In other words, unless the adolescent or another person is at risk, information disclosed by the adolescent will not be revealed to any other party, including parents and guardians, without the express permission of the adolescent. However, in most cases, all reasonable efforts will be made to obtain the agreement of the adolescent to involve and discuss information with parents and/or guardians on an ongoing basis.
Making Appointments
To make an appointment with one of our psychologists, please call our office on 08 8357 1711 or email the psychologist you wish to see directly (we use email heavily and will usually reply to your email within 24-48 hours:
Kirrilie Smout - kirriliesmout@innovateonline.net
Sonia Harrison - soniaharrison@innovateonline.net
Penny Sih - pennysih@innovateonline.net
Matthew Smout - matthewsmout@innovateonline.net
If you phone the office, please understand that because the psychologists are often in sessions with clients, and also because they work from two different sites, you will usually not be able to speak to one of the psychologists when you first call. Instead, a receptionist will take your name and telephone number and one of the psychologists will call you back within 24-48 hours to set up an initial appointment with you.
Waiting Times
The majority of people who call for an appointment need one as soon as possible. Very sadly, we are rarely able to do this. Occasionally we have an appointment available quickly due to a cancellation or an unusually free week, but generally there is at least a one week wait for an initial appointment, and sometimes up to four weeks.
An article which might be helpful while you wait for an appointment is this one, just click on this link: Coping in Times of Crisis
If you feel as though you might hurt yourself or someone else (or are concerned that someone else might do that) then you should either go to your GP or your local hospital emergency room for help.
Other Information
I know a teen or young adult who needs help... what can you do?
What is a psychologist, and how are they different from counsellors and psychiatrists?