Frequently Asked Questions.

Welcome to Empathetix Psychology's FAQ section, where we provide answers to some common questions you may have about our practice and services. We understand that seeking therapy can be daunting, so we're here to provide you with the information you need to feel comfortable and confident in your decision to work with us.

Do I need a referral?

Referrals are not a requirement, however, if you intend to utilise the Medicare Benefits Scheme for a rebate on ten psychology sessions (per calendar year) then you will need to organise a referral and Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) with your General Practitioner.

Please ensure you email a copy to us prior to the initial appointment.

Do you offer bulk billing or low cost options?

Unfortunately, Medicare has not kept up with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for over 30 years and many allied health professionals are unable to offer bulk billing services. We apologise for the distress this may cause.

Whilst we may not be able to bulk bill, we can offer fee reductions.

Do you accept other funding providers?

Currently, we are unable to accept referrals that will be funded by third parties, such as WorkCover, NDIS, TAC, DVA, and/or Victims of Crime. However, we are able to provide referral options for reputable psychologists who do accept these accounts.

Can I use my private health insurance?

Private health insurance providers differ in their level of coverage for psychological services. We strongly encourage you to contact your provider directly to discuss your plan or eligibility status.

Do you have a waitlist?

We understand how important it is to receive care in a timely manner. We do not have any long waitlists and can offer Telehealth appointments immediately. We can also place you on a waitlist for a specific appointment slot, as certain times are more desirable. We will contact you if/when these times become available.

Do you offer after hours appointments?

We are able to offer a limited number of appointment times outside of traditional business hours. If you do not find an appointment time that suits your schedule, we will endeavour to work with you to find an appropriate solution.

How do I book an appointment?

We have an online booking system where you are able to see available appointments. Once you’ve found an appointment slot that suits you best, simply follow the steps to complete your booking.

Alternatively you are welcome to contact us by phone: (03) 7042 1542 or email: contact@empathetixpsychology.com.au

Please note that we may not be able to answer your enquire immediately. We endeavour to return all correspondence within 48 hours.

How do I pay for my appointments?

Credit/Debit Card:

We do have EFTPOS 'tap' facilities, however, we can also process payments through our practice management software if this is your preferred payment method. Non-attendance or late cancellation fees will be collected in this way, as per our cancelation policy.

Direct Deposit:

This can be done before your scheduled appointment or immediately after to ensure prompt processing of your receipt and/or rebate. The benefit of this option is that less time of your appointment is spent on administrative tasks, however, we will need to confirm that your payment was successfully processed prior to your next appointment.

BSB: 013542 Account Number: 163238646

What do I need to do before my initial appointment?

After booking, you will receive a ‘New Client Intake Form’ and an ‘Informed Consent Form’. These documents provide important information to the psychologist and must be completed prior to your initial appointment, as per our informed consent procedure.

If you have a referral and Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), please provide a copy of this at your earliest convenience. Without these documents, we are unable to process your rebate.

What do I need to do before my telehealth appointment?

You will receive an email with a link to join the ‘virtual room’ prior to your appointment. Please ensure you are in a quiet space that is private and free from distractions with an appropriate device that has a working camera, microphone speakers and reliable Internet connection.

If there are any technical issues during your appointment, we will endeavour to work through these with you or offer alternative solutions, such as a telephone call.

What should I expect from a telehealth appointment?

Telehealth appointments are very similar to face-to-face appointments, in that they are approximately 50 minutes in length, cost the same amount and allow you to receive the same high quality psychological care regardless of location - in fact, a meta-analysis has shown that telehealth was equally as effective as in-person sessions.

However, telehealth appointments are not without their problems. Technology can be unpredictable and some clients may find themselves in a squabble with their device as it attempts to connect to the Internet. These technical glitches may occur during critical moments of therapy, and although we make every effort to avoid such occurrences, it can happen and may impact the session. If, for whatever reason, the telehealth appointment cannot continue via video teleconference, you will contact you via telephone.

What should I expect from couples therapy?

Couples who enter into Gottman Method Couples Therapy begin with an assessment process that then informs the therapeutic framework and intervention. Initially, there is a joint appointment (approximately 80 minutes) followed by two individual appointments (approximately 50 minutes each). Please note that information shared during individual appointments may be discussed in subsequent appointments as a couple.

Couples will also complete questionnaires and receive detailed feedback on their relationship. Following this, there will be a discussion regarding the next stages of therapy. Interventions are designed to help couples strengthen their relationships in three primary areas: friendship, conflict management, and creation of shared meaning. Couples attempt to replace negative conflict patterns with positive interactions, repair past hurts and increase intimacy that improves friendship, deepens emotional connection, and creates meaningful change.

Our Policies.

Late Cancellation

While Empathetix Psychology acknowledges that life is not always predictable, please ensure you provide 48 hours notice if you are unable to attend your appointment. This allows enough time to offer the appointment to another client or someone on the waitlist, as there is a high demand for psychological services.

Non-attendance or late cancellation within 24 hours of the appointment time will be charged at the full rate. Please note that all face-to-face appointments can be changed to a telehealth appointment, which does not incur any fee.

Outstanding invoices must be paid before your next appointment can be scheduled. Empathetix Psychology will process this payment via our practice management software unless there is discussion and agreement made for other payment methods.

Privacy

Empathetix Psychology is committed to providing quality services to you and this policy outlines our ongoing obligations to you in respect of how your Personal Information is managed. Empathetix Psychology have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988.

Personal Information

Personal Information is information that identifies an individual. Examples of Personal Information Empathetix Psychology collect includes: names, residential/postal/email addresses and phone numbers. This Personal Information is obtained in many ways such as: face-to-face/telephone/email correspondence, via our website and from third parties.

Empathetix Psychology will collect your Personal Information for the primary purpose of providing our services to you, providing information to you, and marketing our products and services to you. When Personal Information is collected, Empathetix Psychology will, where possible, explain to you why it is being collected and how it will be used.

Sensitive Information

Sensitive information is defined in the Privacy Act to include information about such things as an individual's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, criminal record, health information or financial information.

Sensitive information will be used by us only:

• For the primary purpose for which it was obtained

• For a secondary purpose that is directly related to the primary purpose; and

• With your consent; or where required or authorised by law.

Third Parties

Where reasonable and practicable to do so, Empathetix Psychology will collect your Personal Information only from you. However, in some circumstances, Empathetix Psychology may be provided with information by third parties. In such a case, Empathetix Psychology will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are made aware of the information provided to us by the third party.

Disclosure of Personal Information

Your Personal Information may be disclosed in a number of circumstances including the following:

• Third parties where you consent to the use or disclosure; and

• Where required or authorised by law.

Security of Personal Information

Your Personal Information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. When your Personal Information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, Empathetix Psychology will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify your Personal Information. However, most or all of your Personal Information is or will be stored in client files which will be kept by us for a minimum of seven years as required by law.

Access your Personal Information

You may access the Personal Information Empathetix Psychology hold about you and update and/or correct it, subject to certain exceptions. If you wish to access your Personal Information, please contact us in writing. Empathetix Psychology will not charge any fee for your access request, but may charge an administrative fee for providing a copy of your Personal Information. In order to protect your Personal Information identification may be required before releasing any requested information.

Maintaining the Quality of your Personal Information

It is important that your Personal Information is up to date. Empathetix Psychology will take reasonable steps to make sure that your Personal Information is accurate, complete and current. If you find that the information Empathetix Psychology has is not up to date or is inaccurate, please advise as soon as practicable so it can be updated. This ensures that Empathetix Psychology can continue to provide quality services to you.

Policy Updates

This Policy may change from time to time without any prior notice given to you. The latest revision of this policy will be made available on the Empathetix Psychology website. You acknowledge any such publication of new revisions of this policy to our website constitutes any and all required notice(s) to you for such revisions to be applicable to you and your information.

| May 2024 |

Confidentiality

Empathetix Psychology understands that for people to feel comfortable enough to discuss revealing information, they need a safe place, without fear of that information being divulged unnecessarily. ‘Confidentiality’ ensures this is possible.

Psychologists have an ethical and legal responsibility to protect your rights to confidentiality. The Australian Psychological Society (APS) Code of Ethics (adopted by the Psychology Board of Australia) dictates that:

A.5.1. Psychologists safeguard the confidentiality of information obtained during their provision of psychological services. Considering their legal and organisational requirements, psychologists:

(a) make provisions for maintaining confidentiality in the collection, recording, accessing, storage, dissemination, and disposal of information; and

(b) take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of information after they leave a specific work setting, or cease to provide psychological services.

A.5.2. Psychologists disclose confidential information obtained in the course of their provision of psychological services only under any one or more of the following circumstances:

(a) with the consent of the relevant client or a person with legal authority to act on behalf of the client;

(b) where there is a legal obligation to do so;

(c) if there is an immediate and specified risk of harm to an identifiable person or persons that can be averted only by disclosing information; or

(d) when consulting colleagues, or in the course of supervision or professional training, provided the psychologist:

(i) conceals the identity of clients and associated parties involved; or

(ii) obtains the client’s consent, and gives prior notice to the recipients of the information that they are required to preserve the client’s privacy, and obtains an undertaking from the recipients of the information that they will preserve the client’s privacy.

Informed Consent

Obtaining consent from clients prior to the provision of psychological services is of great importance. ‘Informed consent’ provides clients with comprehensive information about the psychological service and gaining their agreement to participate in such services.

Whilst there is no legal requirement to document the provision of consent, the Australian Psychological Society (APS) instructs psychologists to document a client’s consent prior to the provision of a psychological service. As such, Empathetix Psychology requires all clients to complete an intake and informed consent form. Submission of these forms acts as confirmation of your initial appointment. Failing to do so will result in the appointment being cancelled. You are encouraged to ask questions or raise any concerns related to these documents prior to signing.