Counselling and therapy is available for anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It is provided during sessions held with the client either in person or via video or telephone link. In person sessions are held in the comfortable setting of spacious and light-filled counselling rooms at the Health and Peace Centre located in the centre of Sydney city next to Town Hall and the QVB. The rooms are on the 27th floor of a security building and have a reception with a comfortable waiting area. There are toilets located on the floor. In person sessions are also held (as needed) in Sydney’s Northern Beaches in the community centres of Oxford Falls, Collaroy and Narrabeen.

What to expect from the sessions

Clients can expect to be asked to ‘share about the issues that they are currently experiencing and seeking help with.’ They can expect to be provided with a non-judgmental interpersonal space in which they are attentively listened to and what they say is heard.

The orientation of the therapeutic process at the Health and Peace Centre is primarily client-centred, drawn from the humanistic tradition of psychotherapy, as such the client can expect to experience nonjudgmental acceptance of themselves and their presenting issues, as well a sense of autonomy in directing the pace of the therapy process. Such an orientation places an emphasis on developing a sense of trust in the client towards the process of therapy and in its efficacy, experienced by the client as a sense of ease in regards to the bringing up of difficult emotions, thoughts and experiences to be reviewed.

The therapy process itself while primarily cognitive-behavioural (CBT) i.e. focussed on helping the client understand and address problematic thinking patterns and behavioural responses, uses a range of eclectic tools drawn from varying therapies depending on the needs of the client and the presenting symptoms.

Length and frequency of sessions

Sessions are normally 55 – 60 minutes long, though longer length sessions can be requested and organised. The frequency of sessions is dependant on the nature of the presenting issue as well as on the client’s availability to attend sessions. Commonly sessions are held on a weekly basis for the first 8-10 sessions followed by a longer interval between sessions. The initial 2 sessions are held within a week to enable a comprehensive history-taking to be conducted.

The session process would normally include:
(a) an initial assessment of the presenting problem through detailed history-taking held over two sessions;
(b) formulation of a treatment plan based on the information garnered through history taking, and communicated with the client’s permission to their Gp;
(c) psych-education regarding the causes of the presenting issues and proposed treatment;
(d) training in skills helpful for alleviating the presenting issues;
(e) monitoring of progress in gaining of skills and alleviation of presenting issues.

Making an appointment

This can be done via e-mail or phone.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (02) 9993 8570 | 0410 205 000

Fees

Cost of session: $225.00
It is possible to claim back some of the cost from Medicare with a GP referral and a mental health care plan. Currently, for sessions held at the HPC, Medicare rebate of $88.25 can be claimed for a 50-60 minute session.

Cost of Reports: $1200 – $3000
The above is an estimate of cost to expect for provision of brief to medium length reports following from sessions. Currently there is no Medicare rebate for reports.

Cancellation policy

Should you wish to reschedule or cancel any appointments, it would be greatly appreciated if you could please do so at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled appointment date, time. Cancellation within a day of the appointment will incur half the session cost.

Informed consent

Prior to starting sessions you will be provided with this information for perusal and for seeking any clarifications. Your participation in taking sessions will be taken as your informed consent to the same. Please feel free to seek clarification if there is any aspect of the treatment that you do not understand or feel comfortable with.

Confidentiality

Everything you share during the session will be held in the strictest of confidence. Notes are taken during the session and these are kept under lock and key. Information is not shared with another person without your consent except under a few exceptional circumstances e.g.: (a) if there is a suggestion that you are in significant and imminent danger to yourself or others, or (b) if a court sends a subpoena to release notes made in regards to the session. It is important to note that your referral from the Gp requires information in regards to your treatment to be shared with the Gp.

Referral by GP

A Gp’s referral and mental health care plan enable the receiving of Medicare rebate for the therapy fees. The referral also necessitates that the Gp be kept informed of the client’s presenting issues and recommendations regarding treatment of the same. This information is provided to the Gp in the form of a referral reply.

Rebates

Currently, if you have a referral from your GP, you are entitled to receive Medicare rebate for up to 20 sessions per calendar year. This is done via three referral provided by a Gp. The first referral provides for 6 sessions, the second for 4 sessions and the third for 10 session.

How to claim Medicare rebate
In order to claim Medicare rebate, you will need to submit your receipt of payment from the session to the ‘My Gov’ website. Some of the steps for this are noted below:

1. Create or sign in to your ‘MyGov’ account
2. Once you are in your ‘MyGov’ account select ‘Services’ then ‘Medicare’
3. You will need to enter the bank details you want the rebate to be sent to, into this
4. Select the ‘submit a claim’ tab and fill out the form with the details on your receipt and your bank account details.

You will usually receive the rebate within 10 days.