Frequently Asked Questions

Medicare rebates are available to Australians experiencing mental health difficulties. Referrals must be made through a general practitioner, psychiatrist or paediatrician who will assess eligibility for rebates under a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP). The rebate is only available with a valid referral. 

The Medicare rebate is $93.35 per session, for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. The full fee is paid by you at the time of your appointment, with rebates processed directly back into your nominated bank account. 

Centre of Mind is a private clinic, therefore we do not bulk-bill.​ 

When your GP provides you with a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP), they are able to refer you for 10 sessions per calendar year. The first referral can be for up to 6 sessions. After those 6 sessions, your psychologist will write back to your GP and request you visit them again to receive a re-referral. This will allow you to claim the further 4 sessions, bringing you to a total of 10 sessions for the calendar year.

Please note that you don’t necessarily need to have a MHTP “review” (which involves your GP reviewing your entire Mental Health Treatment Plan), you just need a “re-referral” (which involves your GP writing a new referral letter).

Centre of Mind is not a registered NDIS provider and only accepts referrals from self-managed NDIS clients.

If you have private health insurance you may be eligible to claim rebates, depending on your level of cover (please check with your insurance provider). Clients eligible for private insurance rebates will need to process reimbursement directly from their provider using their Centre of Mind receipt(s).

You are unable to use your private health insurance if you are already accessing Medicare rebates for your session.

A standard session is 50 minutes with 10 minutes dedicated to notes and/or planning.

We provide an individualised service to all clients thus the number and frequency of sessions will vary according to your child’s needs. This will be discussed with you in the initial intake session and revised over the course of treatment.

Fees are payable at the time of your appointment. Payments accepted include direct bank transfer or automatic debit of funds via Centre of Mind practice management software, Halaxy, using debit/credit card details. 

There is no way to know in advance, so take some time to read about Kirsty in the About section. Kirsty will discuss with you and/or your child in the first session the importance of a positive therapeutic alliance or 'fit' as she is incredibly passionate about ensuring that she is the right psychologist for you. Kirsty is motivated to achieve a good fit for two reasons, firstly because there is a strong research base indicating that a positive therapeutic alliance with your psychologist can play a very important role in how effective your sessions are. The quality of the relationship is not only connected with better treatment outcomes, but it may even have as much as, if not more, impact on the effectiveness of your sessions than the treatment itself. Secondly, over the years, Kirsty has met many young people and adults who were forced (or felt the need to push through a negative therapeutic alliance) to engage with psychologists or therapists that they did not connect with and subsequently, they report feel disempowered and resistant to seeking mental health support. Most people will know after two to three sessions whether the connection 'feels right'. 

Please call Centre of Mind on 0431 914 252, email centreofmind@outlook.com or book directly through Halaxy. Please note that the mobile and email are not monitored daily, so please allow two business days for a response. 

Centre of Mind has a late cancellation and missed appointments policy. It can be accessed here.