Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of a counselling session at Family therapy varies based on the type of service you require and what overheads this service entails. Our typical fees include

- Online counselling 50 mins $120.

- In person counselling 50 mins $140.

- Online counselling 85 minutes $180. 

- In person counselling 85 minutes $220. 

Neurofeedback services add a further $20 per week for access to the software. Hardware costs are typically one off and depend on which device is selected. 

This is purely logistical. The cost of commercial rent is very high and for a long time has kept the price of counselling high in turn. However, since the COVID era many services and jobs have moved online. Counselling is no different. Naturally, the cost of working from home are much less and therefore these savings can be passed onto you, the client, making counselling more accessible. 

However, there are those who much prefer to have counselling face to face. This brings in the need for a counselling space which brings with it additional costs. Many clinicians (and we are in this category) will time share clinics with other counsellors. This is why face to face sessions are only available on set days and carry additional costs. 

Unfortunately, no. Medicare will cover up to ten sessions with a registered clinical psychologist or clinical social worker. However, clinical counsellors are not recognised by the Medicare system and therefore a mental health care plan referral cannot be accepted. 

It depends. Most of the major providers (listed below) will reimburse $40 per session up to whatever cap that they have set. Many of the underwritten providers though will only cover counselling if it's with a registered psychologist, in which case Medicare covers up to ten sessions a year anyway. Overall, counselling isn't really covered by the health system and is mostly an out-of-pocket expense. This tends to apply to most other government initiatives which cover "counselling" when really, they should say "psychology".

This is a part of why counsellors are generally less fees than psychologists because there is minimal rebate, and so long-term therapeutic support would simply be financially exhausting for most people. 

Health insurance providers who rebate counselling:

AHM

ARHG

Bupa 

HCF

Medibank

Yes. What was formally VOCAT and is now FAS does cover counselling and FAS assessments/applications can be undertaken by a clinical counsellor. Therefore, these services are offered here, and your therapy will be covered by your VOCAT/FAS funding. 

A typical counselling session at Family therapy lasts for 50 minutes, although some sessions may be longer or shorter depending on your needs, preferences and to be honest how busy that particular day is. Your therapist, at their discretion, may go over time if it seems beneficial and there is no booking after yours, and may be strict on time if there are further bookings. 

Family therapy counsellors can help with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship problems, grief and loss, trauma, and more. Everyone is different, some people come in individually to help navigate individual challenges and sometimes the whole family come in for family therapy. 

You may be surprised to hear that the number one challenge that most couples/families face stems from a belief that they know what their loved ones are thinking.

Psychiatrists are firstly medical doctors. A psychiatrist has gone to medical school and obtained their MD which is about six years of training from start of pre-med to the end.  They then go on to complete their registrar training (placements) and only THEN can go into psychiatry which is often a further four to five years of training. To work with children, they must complete a further two years to all of that. So, a child psychiatrist has completed up to sixteen years of training. That is the main reason that they are more costly to see. 

Psychiatrists are regulated by Ahpra and can be looked up on this link https://www.ahpra.gov.au/ 

A psychologist has completed a Bachelor of Psychology, and then specialized training in post graduate training before they can claim the title of "psychologist" which is a protected title under the health Act and grants them access to the Medicare system. It is illegal for anyone to use the title of psychologist unless they are registered as such. 

Psychologists are regulated by Ahpra and can be looked on on this link https://www.ahpra.gov.au/

Counsellors are currently an unregulated profession. Anyone can use this title although this is likely to change in the coming years. A clinical counsellor has satisfied the requirements of having a Master of Counselling with sufficient placement hours and ongoing supervision. A clinical counsellor must renew their registration annually and are recognized by some health insurance providers. 

Clinical counsellors are registered with PACFA and can be looked up on this link https://pacfa.org.au/portal/portal/Find-a-Therapist/Find-A-Therapist.aspx?hkey=8840626d-7a85-4e3f-951b-51d2f8b7bf94