Therapy Services
The Australian Psychological Society recommends an hourly rate of $311 for therapy services, however in an attempt to ensure access to services is more feasible, Cherish Psychology charges at a reduced rate. Clients who are accessing services under a Mental Health Care Plan will receive a Medicare rebate for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. We have onsite Medicare rebate services, which enables clients to claim their rebate on the day of their appointment. Please note we are not a bulk billing service and as such out of pocket expenses will be incurred by those attending appointments.
Consultation fees vary based on the support you are seeking and the clinician you are booked with. Please contact the individual clinicians in order to ascertain their fee structures and the associated rebate amounts (where appropriate).
Individuals with Private Health Insurance may be able to claim back a percentage of their session fees. Please consult your individual insurer to assess your eligibility for rebates. Please note, you cannot use your private health insurance ancillary cover in conjunction with Medicare rebates for psychology services.
All services must be paid for in full at the start of each session. EFTPOS or bank transfer is our preferred method of payment.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Families who self-manage their funding through the NDIS are welcome to access support through Cherish Psychology. Please note that our practice policy is to have all session fees paid for on the day of the scheduled appointment (i.e. we do not provide unpaid invoices for you to submit to PRODA and pay in arrears). Please enquire with your Psychologist regarding current NDIS self-managed fees.
Families who are plan-managed are also welcome to access support through Cherish Psychology. Please note that fees for NDIS Plan-Managed families are charged at the current NDIS rate which takes into account the additional administrative time associated with invoicing plan managers. You will be asked to provide your Psychologist with your plan manager details at your first appointment and all invoices for services will be directed to them.
At this point in time we are not able to work with families who are NDIS managed.
Reports, Telephone Calls and Outside Agency Liaison
In some circumstances clients may request that a progress report be written for a workplace, school or external agency (e.g. Paediatrician). In these instances a fee will be agreed and charged for preparation of such reports. Phone calls to external agencies such as schools or family members (with consent) will incur a charge. These costs would always be agreed in advance and payment is required before the report is sent or the call is made.
Missed Appointment & Cancellation Fees
We recognise that there are circumstances beyond the control of clients that may lead to an appointment being missed or cancelled with short notice. However, in order for us to continue to operate a supportive service, it is necessary to charge a flat fee for all missed appointments and short notice cancellations/rescheduled appointments, regardless of the reason for not attending the appointment (e.g. falling ill on the day of the appointment).
If you are unable to attend an appointment, it is essential that you contact us as soon as possible to advise you will not be attending. Efforts will be made to reschedule your appointment in a timely manner; however, the cancellation fee for the missed/cancelled/rescheduled appointment will still apply.
Unfortunately, we are unable to fill cancelled appointments at short notice. A cancellation fee will be charged if less than 48 hours' notice is provided. This cancellation fee must be paid prior to your next session commencing.
As a courtesy, a reminder text message will be sent 2 days prior to your scheduled appointment. However, the responsibility for notifying us of a need to cancel or reschedule an appointment remains the clients’ and a cancellation fee will still apply regardless of whether or not our reminders are received. Please note that Medicare and Private Health funds do not rebate for missed and cancelled appointments, however families accessing services through the NDIS are able to pay for cancellation fees using their funding.