All sorts of individuals consult with a psychologist for a range of different issues. Mental health impacts everyone. Many people can be troubled by feelings or concerns that prevent them from functioning to their full capacity or from leading happy and fulfilling lives. Life changes, new events or circumstances and changes in relationships or work can often trigger difficulties. Some individuals have been struggling for a long time and have finally decided that now is the time for change. If you think you are ready to make some changes in your life then please give us a call on 0490 340 021 or email on info@brouleepsychology.com.au to discuss whether a consultation would be helpful for you.

The number of sessions required will vary depending upon your issue or individual needs and circumstances. This will be discussed following your initial appointment. Some clients only require 6 to 12 sessions. However, some clients have issues that have existed for many years and have deeper origins. Depending upon the severity and chronic nature of the presentation, sessions may be needed over a longer period of time.

It is understandable to feel uncomfortable or anxious about talking to new person, particularly about sensitive information. Broulee Psychologist provides a relaxed and supportive approach to assist you to feel comfortable to share your concerns. The focus is on providing an open and collaborative approach to helping you address your difficulties. All psychologists work differently so if you have seen a psychologist before you can expect things to be slightly different. In your first session, you will be asked to talk about your current presenting problem as well as providing a comprehensive background in order to gain a full picture of your current concerns and circumstances. We will also speak about how we work and establish some guidelines for subsequent sessions together, including frequency of sessions, fees, confidentiality and treatment goals. You will have an opportunity to ask any questions that you may have and you should be expected to get some feedback about how many sessions may be required and the recommended treatment approach to be taken.

When seeing a psychologist, it is helpful to have sessions close together initially in order to begin working together to address current issues. For this reason, we prefer to schedule a block of three initial sessions on a weekly basis at the start. Over time, these sessions may be spread out over time, moving from fortnightly to monthly. This allows time for individuals to put strategies discussed in sessions to use and practice techniques. It is also provides time for consolidation while remaining connected to review progress and attend to any further issues that may arise. Frequency of sessions is flexible and will generally be discussed on an ongoing basis during your treatment.

Sessions for individual clients are usually 50 minutes long. The final 5-10 minutes of the scheduled appointment is dedicated to arranging payment and organising subsequent appointments.

Broulee Psychology is open from Monday to Friday during business hours. Please call on 0490 340 021 or send an email to info@brouleepsychology.com.au to discuss making an appointment.

Wait times can fluctuate based on the time of year. However, if you are flexible with your times then we can usually find an appointment time depending upon psychologist capacity. Some appointment times have a higher demand, such as those first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon. You may have to wait longer for these times. We do keep a cancellation list so it may be possible to get an earlier appointment depending upon cancellations.

Broulee Psychology is not able to provide crisis appointments. If you need to speak with someone immediately, we recommend calling the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511. If you are not safe or there an emergency, you should attend your local emergency department or dial 000 for immediate assistance.

Individuals do not have to have a referral to access our service. GP referrals provide individuals with Medicare rebates that can cover a portion of your service fee for up to 10 sessions within a calendar year. A GP referral is not necessary to claim rebates from Private Health Insurance.

It is natural to be concerned about your confidentiality when you are sharing intimate details about yourself with a psychologist. This is particularly important for individuals living in a small town. Information obtained during sessions is confidential and cannot be disclosed without your consent. There are some legal limitations to confidentiality which will be discussed with you in your first session. You will be required to sign a consent form before any information can be shared. This will necessary for information sharing with the referring GP.

Medicare offers rebates for up to 10 sessions per calendar year for eligible clients with a GP referral. For more information, see Fees and Rebates on our apppointment page.

Unfortunately Broulee Psychology is not able to provide bulk billing (free) services. We are a private billing practice so consultation fees need to be paid in full and the rebates can be claimed directly by Medicare. When you pay your account, we can lodge a claim to Medicare on your behalf. This rebate should be returned to you within 24-48 hours. Broulee Psychology is happy to provide clients that require a low cost or free service with external options and services that are funded by the government to provide free services in our local area.

Psychologists and Psychiatrists both work in the area of mental health and often refer to each other. However, there are significant differences between these two professionals. Psychiatrists are medically trained doctors who have gone on to specialise in the field of psychiatry. Psychiatrists are able to prescribe medications to treatment mental illness. Psychologists generally have at least six years of training in the field of psychological treatments for mental health issues. Psychologists use treatments (sometimes called “talk therapies”) that are focused on improving a person’s mental health without the use of medication or alongside medication that is prescribed by a GP or psychiatrist.

Psychologists usually have a minimum of six years of university training and are required to be registered with AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency). Psychologists practice according to a Code of Ethics outlined by the Australian Psychological Society. This code sets out standards of professional conduct for psychologists in order to ensure that clients are receiving a high level of professional care. In Australia, counsellors and psychotherapists are not regulated by a specific government body. This means that anyone can call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist whether or not they have undertaken professional training in treating mental health issues. It is for this reason that counsellors are not eligible to claim Medicare rebates when working with clients. If you are planning to work with a counsellor or psychotherapist, it may be wise to enquire about their qualifications, the professional organisations that they belong to, and whether they practice according to a professional code of ethics.