Frequently Asked Questions

No. You can get in touch to book — no referral, no Mental Health Care Plan, no waiting on a GP appointment first.

Counselling with a registered counsellor is not eligible for a Medicare rebate, which is why a referral is not needed. Many people do claim through their private health extras cover instead — see the Fees & Rebates page.

Send a message through the contact form, email me, or call on 0402 597 600. There is no receptionist in between — you will be speaking with me.

If you would rather talk before committing to anything, that is very welcome. A confidential, obligation-free conversation about what you are looking for costs nothing.

The first session is about getting to know each other and understanding what has brought you here. We will go through privacy and confidentiality, talk about what is going on for you, and start to shape what you would like to be different.

It is also your chance to work out whether I feel like the right fit. You are not committing to anything by coming once.

For children, the first session is with parents or carers only — without your child in the room — so you can speak freely about what has been happening, your child’s history, and what you are hoping for.

Your child comes along from the second session. And if either of you would feel more comfortable with you in the room for the first few sessions, you are very welcome to stay.

What you share stays private, within the limits explained on the Privacy page. Those limits are a small number of legal exceptions — where there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, where the law requires a report, or where a court orders it. They are explained clearly at the start of counselling, before you share anything.

The full detail is on the Privacy, Confidentiality and Consent page.

It genuinely depends on you. Something specific and recent might settle within six to ten sessions; longer-standing difficulties, trauma or grief often take longer.

We review how things are going as we go, and you are never locked in. You decide how often we meet and when to stop.

All three offer talking therapy, but the training and scope differ. Counsellors and psychologists provide non-medical psychotherapy. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who diagnose complex conditions and prescribe medication.

I am an ACA-Registered Level 3 Counsellor. If at any point you would be better served by a psychologist or psychiatrist, I will say so and help you find one.

I do not work from a single method. Depending on what you need, I draw on CBT, DBT, ACT and mindfulness-based approaches, person-centred and Gestalt work, emotion-focused therapy, and trauma-informed practice including EMDR (Level 1 trained) and somatic work.

With children, that often means play rather than talking. You can read more on the About page.

Yes. Play therapy for children aged 3 to 12, LEGO® - Based Therapy for children and young people aged 5 to 16, and counselling for adolescents.

Play therapy can also be held in your own home for a small additional fee, where it would help your child to begin somewhere familiar.

Sessions run for 60 minutes and cost $140. There is no GST, so that is the total amount payable.

Full details, including supervision rates and what happens with reports and letters, are on the Fees & Rebates page.

Not through Medicare — counselling with a registered counsellor is not eligible.

Many private health funds do pay a rebate under extras cover. I am an accredited ARHG provider (No. AC19715T) and a registered provider with Medibank, ahm, Bupa and HCF. You pay for your session first and then claim from your fund, using the receipt I give you. What you get back depends on your own policy, so it is worth checking with your fund before your first session.

I ask for at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or move a session. With less notice, or if you do not attend, the full fee may be charged — that time was set aside for you and usually cannot be offered to someone else at short notice.

Genuine emergencies and unexpected illness are treated with understanding, case by case.

Please tell me before you cancel or disappear. Depending on where things are at, we may be able to space sessions further apart, agree a payment arrangement, or look at something that better fits your budget.

This conversation will not affect how I work with you.

For many concerns, yes — research suggests online sessions can work as well as face-to-face.

Play therapy for younger children is the exception, and is best in person where the room, the sand tray and the toys do so much of the work.

Find a private, quiet space where you will not be interrupted, with a stable internet or phone connection. Headphones make a real difference to both privacy and clarity.

More detail, including what I will ask for in case of an emergency, is on the Telehealth page.