Client Information
Making an appointment
You do not need a referral to see a psychologist, you can self-refer by simply contacting the clinic to ask about a first appointment. However, with certain types of referral and funding schemes, you may be eligible for a rebate of part of the session fee.
Online portal: Current clients only
Click on the link below to manage your appointments:
https://clientportal.zandahealth.com/clientportal/ygp
If this is your first time using the portal, use the email address the clinic has on file for you and click ‘reset your password’ to create your account. For more detailed instructions see the client user manual (Client User Manual).
Please note high-demand appointment times (e.g., after school) are not always available to be booked using the portal, and must be requested with the practice.
Portal access is only available to existing clients.
Fees and rebates
Your psychologist will discuss the fees and rebates you may be eligible for in your specific circumstances before your first appointment. At Yellow Gum Psychology we maintains lower fees than the recommended Australian Psychological Society rate, and we do this to provide the best and most affordable care we can while remaining sustainable in our regional area. When considering health care costs, it is important to consider the costs of treatment with the costs of not undertaking treatment. Good mental health and healthy relationships are a vital part of life. Investing in your mental health can prevent many of the downstream challenges that arise from poor mental health.
Fees are payable at the time of the appointment. Yellow Gum Psychology can accept payment using cash, EFTPOS, Visa or Mastercard, and in most cases Medicare rebates (if eligible) can be processed on your behalf at the time of payment.
Medicare:
If your GP has completed a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you may be eligible for a significant rebate from Medicare. To access this type of referral, visit your GP (or psychiatrist or paediatrician) who will assess whether a referral under this program is appropriate for you, given your health care needs and circumstances. You will need to book a long consultation with your GP to discuss your concerns and allow them time to make the appropriate referral.
Depending on your referral, you may be eligible for a rebate for up to 10 of your sessions (per calendar year). This is based on government funding and may or may not be representative of how many sessions you may need. We aim to provide you with thorough treatment in line with evidence-based approaches. Sometimes this will be possible within the number of sessions funded by Medicare and sometimes you may require additional sessions.
More information about this funding scheme is available here: Better Access (Medicare) Scheme fact sheet – patients
Medicare: Pregnancy Support Counselling:
If you are pregnant, or in the first 12 months after a pregnancy (whether it has been full-term or part-term, including planned terminations), you may be eligible for a smaller rebate for up to 3 sessions with a specifically trained psychologist for pregnancy-related support and counselling. This type of referral does not require a diagnosis and can be for any pregnancy-related concerns, such as exploring decisions about the pregnancy, coming to terms with unexpected outcomes, adjustment following the pregnancy, or general issues related to a pregnancy and early parenting. To access this type of referral, visit your GP who can discuss your needs with you and provide a brief referral letter.
More information about this funding scheme is available here: https://psychology.org.au/psychology/medicare-rebates-psychological-services/medicare-rebates-pregnancy-services
Private Health Insurance:
Your Private Health cover may also include rebates towards a consultation, typically included under Extras cover. The number of rebated sessions and rebate amount will depend on the type of cover you have.
NDIS:
Yellow Gum Psychology is able to provide services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for clients with self-managed or plan-managed plans. Psychologists at Yellow Gum Psychology are not registered NDIS providers, so clients are unable to utilise NDIA-managed funding for our services.
Cancellation policy
We require notice of 48 hours (2 business days) to reschedule or cancel a session without incurring any fees. This policy is in place to allow us to offer the allocated time to another client who may be waiting for an appointment. It is nearly impossible for a psychologist to book in a new client at very short notice. A late cancelled appointment is a loss to three people: The client who is delaying their therapy progress; another client who is on the waiting list to see the psychologist; and the psychologist who has spent time preparing for the session.
It is okay if you wish to end therapy, however, we request that you discuss this with your psychologist rather than not attending.
Our clinic policy is as follows:
A minimum of 48 hours’ (2 business days) notice is required to cancel your appointment, unless there are special circumstances as agreed upon with your psychologist. If your appointment is on a Monday you will need to contact the clinic by 3pm Friday to cancel your appointment.
- Cancelling an appointment between 48 and 24 hours incurs a fee equivalent to 50% of the consultation fee.
- Cancelling an appointment within 24 hours incurs a fee equivalent to the full consultation fee.
- Missed appointments (nonattendance) without any notification incur the full consultation fee.
- All cancellation fees are required to be paid in full prior to the start of any future appointments or provision of other services.
- Cancellation fees do not apply if the clinic is able to fill the cancellation time slot with another appointment.
Please note that Medicare and private health insurance do not provide rebates for missed appointments or cancellation fees.