Attending therapy can be a significant step towards personal growth and emotional wellbeing. If you are experiencing challenges in your mental health, including changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, we may be able to support. If you are thinking about therapy, your first steps in getting there may involve checking-in with your General Practitioner.
Step 1: Book a GP Appointment.
We recommend booking a long consultation with your General Practitioner (GP) and request referral via a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP). In Australia, a MHCP allows individuals to access subsidised mental health services through Medicare under the Better Access Initiative.
Step 2: GP Assessment.
When you attend your GP appointment, let your GP know that you would like to discuss your mental health and possibly get a MHCP. During your appointment, your GP may ask about your mental health concerns, symptoms, and history. They may also assess your condition using screening tools (e.g., Kessler-10 or DASS-21 questionnaire) to support them in determining if you're eligible for a MHCP, and will prepare a referral/referrals to a relevant professional.
Step 3: Creating the Mental Health Care Plan.
In creating a MHCP with you, your GP will generally develop a personalised treatment plan, outlining your mental health needs, set goals and recommended treatment options. They will also provide referrals for Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist, accredited mental health social worker, or occupational therapist.
Step 4: Book Your First Therapy Session.
You’ll receive a referral letter from your GP, which may be sent directly to your chosen professional, or you may give the letter to the professional yourself. Discuss with your GP which option works best for you, then book an appointment with the professional. Professionals may offer face-to-face and/or telehealth (video conferencing) sessions.
Step 5: Accessing Medicare Rebates.
Initially, Medicare subsidises up to 6 sessions. Medicare typically covers part of the cost of a therapy session, but a gap fee often applies depending on the provider’s rates. If further sessions are needed, you return to your GP for a review and can receive a referral for an additional 4 sessions (generally up to a total of 10 per calendar year). You can find out more about Therapy Aloud fees and associated Medicare Benefits on our 'About' page.
Step 6: Review and Follow-Up.
After your sessions, your GP may review your progress and adjust the MHCP if needed. If required, they may provide another referral for additional services or ongoing care.
Meeting a therapist for the first time can be daunting, but we’re ready to listen. Generally, your first appointment will form part of an initial assessment phase. All therapists approach initial appointments differently, though you can expect they will be using this time to get to know you, learn about your experiences, and work with you to identify your therapeutic needs and treatment goals. Tailored treatment plans will follow, alongside consideration of structured and semi-structured interventions that would be clinically appropriate for you. Then, over time, we do the work.
We understand that unexpected circumstances arise, life happens, and sometimes missing an appointment is unavoidable. Though there are times where we need to enforce a cancellation fee in order to ensure continued operation of our services.
This policy supports:
Cancellation, Late Re-Scheduling & Non-Attendance Fees
To best support our services, we ask that you let your therapist know as soon as possible if you are unable to attend a scheduled appointment. If you are able to attend the appointment via telehealth videoconferencing, though cannot attend face-to-face, we recommend you ask your therapist if telehealth options are available for your session.
If greater than two business days' notice is given for cancelling an appointment, cancellation fees do not apply. Business days include Monday through to Friday. Saturdays and/or Sundays are not considered business days for the purpose of short-notice cancellations/re-scheduling or non-attendance.
Short notice cancellations are considered less than two business days' notice from the scheduled appointment time, and will generally incur a 50% cancellation fee of the total appointment cost. If your originally scheduled appointment is able to be filled during the time between notification of a cancellation and the scheduled appointment, you will not be charged a cancellation fee.
Non-attendance to your appointment, without notice, will generally incur a 100% cancellation fee of the total appointment cost. This acknowledges the appointment cannot be filled without prior notice.
Generally, these fees cannot be reimbursed through Medicare, Workcover, Third Party Funders, and/or Private Health Funds. Where available, the fee will be automatically charged to the nominated debit/credit card on record. If not available, an invoice will be sent for payment.
How to Cancel
If you are not able to attend your appointment, and know in advance that you need to cancel/reschedule, please:
Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns surrounding this information, and we will get back to you as soon as practicable.
The following information describes the privacy policy of Lauren Hendry, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, for the management of client personal health information.
Within the Australian Capital Territory, the management of health information is underpinned by the Health Records (Privacy and Access) Act 1997 (ACT) and further complemented by requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles outlined in the Privacy Act 1998 (Commonwealth).
Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are also bound by the Australian Association of Social Workers' (AASW) Code of Ethics (2020), Practice Standards (2023), and Practice Standards for Mental Health Social Workers (2014).
Client Information
Client files are held in a secure electronic records management system (Halaxy).
Individual records are accessible only to the Therapist with whom you are engaging, in this case, Lauren Hendry.
Information maintained on individual files includes personal information such as name, address, contact phone numbers, medical history/referral information, and other personal information/clinical notes collected as part of providing therapy.
For more information regarding Halaxy as a records management system, please see the Halaxy Terms of Use and Halaxy Privacy Policy. Further information regarding Halaxy security can be found here.
Collection and Maintenance of Client Information
A client’s personal information is maintained throughout therapeutic engagements, including via provision of verbal or written information from the client/or other care team member to their practitioner, correspondence, and when other health practitioners provide personal information via referrals and/or correspondence.
If a client does not wish for their personal information to be maintained as outlined within this policy, service provision may be prevented. Where concerns are held by a client regarding specific aspects of their clinical information being documented, the client is encouraged to advise their practitioner of their concerns and explore whether a suitable resolution can be facilitated.
Why is Personal Information Maintained?
A client’s personal information is gathered and used for the purpose of providing therapeutic services, including assessment, clinical formulation, and treatment of a client’s presenting concern/s.
Personal information is retained in the form of clinical records to document assessment and intervention processes within therapeutic engagements; ensuring evidence-based and clinically indicated care provision.
Disclosure of Personal Information
In alignment with legislative requirements for release/sharing of personal information, clients’ personal information will not be disclosed, unless:
1. Information is subpoenaed by a court; or
2. Where a client’s practitioner experiences reasonable belief that failure to disclose specific information poses significant risk to the safety/life/health of the client themselves or another person; or
3. The client’s prior consent/approval has been obtained to:
4. Disclosure is otherwise legally required.
In the event that disclosure of personal information is required, wherever possible, a client’s practitioner will make effort to inform the client of the need to disclose information and the form of information being disclosed (e.g., for the purpose of communicating, and responding to, risk-related concerns).
Requests to Access/Amend Information
At any time during and following engagement, clients may request to see and amend personal information maintained in their clinical record. The practitioner may discuss the contents of the requested information with the client, and/or give them a copy of this information, subject to exceptions outlined in Australian privacy legislation.
If a practitioner is satisfied the personal information requires amendment due to inaccuracies, outdated and/or incomplete information, reasonable steps will be taken to ensure relevant information is amended.
All client requests for accessing/amending personal information should be submitted in writing to lauren@therapyaloud.com.au. These requests will be responded to in writing within four-weeks. The requesting client may be contacted and/or be asked to attend an appointment (telephone or face-to-face) if required for clarification purposes.
Inquiries & Concerns Surrounding Personal Information and Privacy
If clients have a concern about the management of their personal information, they may inform Lauren Hendry at lauren@therapyaloud.com.au.
Helpful information describing client/s’ rights with respect to management of their personal information is detailed within the Australian Privacy Principles and can be found here.
If a client would like to raise a formal complaint about the use/management/disclosure of, and/or access to, their personal information, they may do so with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by phone on 1300 363 992 or online, here.
Disclaimer
This is not a crisis service and does not offer crisis or emergency support. If you, or someone you know is in crisis, or needs urgent support, please contact Emergency Services on '000' or Reach out to the below supports:
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Therapy Aloud acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land in which we live and work.