How much are the sessions?
If you see your doctor and get a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) with a referral to me, all sessions with me are bulk-billed direct to Medicare, so there will be no out-of-pocket expense for you.
You will be charged at the current Australian Psychological Society recommended rate if you have private health insurance.
How many sessions can I have?
Under an MHCP, you get 6 initial sessions a year, and then we can apply to your doctor for 4 more.
How often do I have sessions?
Depending on your needs, I prefer to have weekly or fortnightly sessions with you for the first 3 sessions. After these first sessions, we can look at monthly sessions, if necessary.
What is a telehealth consultation?
Telehealth is a government initiative to ensure that professional counselling is available. If you cannot attend face-to-face sessions, we can hold them by telephone or by using a secure teleconferencing session that enables us to see each other through our computers or phones.
If using Teleconferencing, you will see your clinician through a screen at the time of consultation. A Telehealth consultation reduces your need to travel to the clinic to receive your treatment.
Telehealth connects patients, carers and healthcare providers, improving access to quality public health care, particularly in rural and remote parts of Australia.
Important Information
You may choose not to participate in a telehealth consultation
1. There should be no additional cost to you other than your usual consultation fees
2. You can choose if a family member attends the appointment with you
3. If you are uncomfortable, you can ask to finish the consultation
4. A follow-up appointment will be made if required
5. Feel free to ask any questions before, during and after the consultation.
How does it all work?
Once you get the MHCP from your doctor (with a referral to me), you contact me by phone or email; we then work out a suitable appointment time and your preferred mode of contact – whether you will come to my rooms or use telephone or Teleconferencing.
Go to the Clinical Services page and download the following forms
– Client Intake Form
– Consent for Telehealth Form
Complete them and email them to me at vikkiwalters@achievecounsellingservice.org
You can scan them or take a photo on your phone and send me the jpg.
I will then contact you to schedule an appointment for face-to-face or telehealth.
A reminder text message will be sent the day before your appointment. You just need to reply ‘Yes’ if you can attend your session.
If you cannot attend, please let me know as soon as possible, as I have a waitlist of clients and can fill your spot with one of them. If you respond that you will be at the session and do not turn up, I will attempt to contact you to reschedule but be aware that the new session may not take place immediately due to my client load.
Achieve Counselling Service 