Psychologists specialise in the study of the mind and behaviour We use talk therapy in order to help individuals understand their own thoughts, emotions and behaviours, and the links between them. A psychologist practicing in Australia is approved by the Psychology Board of Australia and registered with Australian Health Professional Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
There is no strict rule when it comes to help seeking. Individuals can seek help for many different reasons and at various points in their life. Some common reasons that an individual may seek therapy is to help manage symptoms of a mental illness such as anxiety or depression, to assist with gaining clarity on a challenging life situation or to gain support or motivation. Therapy provides a chance to speak freely with an empathetic and non-judgmental professional that can help you process everyday experiences and issues.
During your first session your psychologist will review your concerns and treatment goals. Following this a treatment plan will be created based on scientific research. It would be beneficial to consider what you would like to get out of the sessions prior to your first appointment.
Fees for the sessions will be charged on the same day as your session through our online booking service known as Halaxy. Please ensure sufficient funds are available in your account on the day of the session. Failure to pay for a session may result in cancellation of further services. Fees schedules may be updated from time to time.
If you attend Courage Psychology with a Mental Health Care Plan the cost for the session will be $235 (plus transaction fee) for an in hour appointment (between 9am – 5pm) or $245 (plus transaction fee) for an after-hours appointment (after 5pm). Both In hours and after-hours sessions attract a $129.55 rebate from Medicare. This means that for an in hours appointment you will be out of pocket $105.45 or for an after-hours appointment you will be out of pocket $115.45. Medicare provides rebates for up to 10 sessions in a calendar year.
A Mental Health Care Plan can be obtained from your general practitioner (GP) or from a psychiatrist. The plan can be sent to us via your GP or you can bring it into your first session.
Courage Psychology is a private clinic and as such we don’t offer bulk billing.
Sessions will range from 51-60 minutes.
There is no absolute rule for the number of sessions needed for an individual. It varies from person to person. As a rough guide people usually attend between 6 and 18 sessions. However, others may require less sessions and others more.
At Courage Psychology we mainly use Schema Therapy, however we are trained in other methods such as cognitive-behaviour therapy, acceptance commitment therapy, motivational interviewing and positive psychology.
A schema is a persistent pattern of beliefs and feelings about yourself. Schemas often develop in your early life and build as your life progresses. Our world is often viewed through the lens of our schemas and they can often hold us back from being our ideal self. Schemas are often resistant to change and it is with the help of therapy that we can have some influence over them.
Schema Therapy is an evidence-based approach for the treatment of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and mood regulation issues. The main objective of schema therapy is to assist an individual in addressing their unmet needs. Whilst also helping the individual respond to their schemas in a more healthy adaptive way.