FAQ

No, you don’t need a referral to see a psychologist — you can contact us directly to book an appointment at any time. Many clients, including those seeking relationship or couples counselling, come to us without a referral.

However, visiting your GP can be a good first step if you’re experiencing changes in your mood or wellbeing. Your GP can check for any underlying medical factors that may be contributing to how you’re feeling and, if appropriate, provide a Mental Health Care Plan so you can access Medicare rebates for your sessions.

Booking an appointment is simple. You can:

1. Book online anytime through our Zanda Client Portal
2. Or call our friendly reception team on (07) 5551 0251, and we’ll help you find a time that suits.

If you’d prefer, you can also submit an online enquiry and we’ll contact you to arrange your appointment.

Our clinics are open Monday to Friday, with evening appointments available at most locations. Some of our clinics also offer Saturday appointments for your convenience.
As opening hours vary between locations, please visit our Contact Us page for the exact hours for each clinic.

Session fees vary depending on the type of service and clinician. For full details, please visit our Fees and Referrals page to learn how you may be able to reduce your costs — sometimes from around $200 per session to as little as $70, or even at no cost, depending on your eligibility for rebates or funding programs.

Sessions are 50 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes reserved for your clinician’s notes and correspondence. Fees are payable at the time of your appointment, and we accept EFTPOS, credit card, and cash.

As a private psychology practice, our sessions are not bulk-billed, and out-of-pocket costs apply.

If you have a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from your GP, you’ll receive a Medicare rebate for each eligible session, which helps reduce your total cost. To learn more about what a Mental Health Care Plan is and how to obtain one, you can download our MHCP Information Sheet (PDF).

For more information about fees and available rebates, visit our Fees and Referrals page or speak with our friendly reception team, who can help you understand your options when booking.

Unfortunately, you can’t claim both Medicare and Private Health Insurance rebates for the same appointment.

If you have a Mental Health Care Plan under Medicare, you’ll receive a Medicare rebate for your eligible sessions. Alternatively, you may choose to claim through your Private Health Fund if you prefer — but only one rebate type can be used per session.

If you’re unsure which option is best for you, our reception team can help you understand the difference before your appointment.

We understand that life can get busy and plans sometimes change. To ensure fairness for both clients and clinicians, we ask that you provide at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.

When an appointment is missed or cancelled late, another client who may have been waiting for support misses out on that time, and your therapist is also not paid for that hour. For this reason, late cancellation or non-attendance fees may apply, as outlined in our policy.

You can read the full details here:
👉 Billing, Payment & Cancellation Policy (effective 1 August 2025)

Your understanding helps us maintain continuity of care, support our team, and keep appointment times available for those who need them most.

 Yes — if your GP prepares a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) for you, you can receive Medicare rebates for up to 10 psychology sessions per calendar year under the Australian Government’s Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative.

This program helps make psychological treatment more affordable and accessible for people experiencing mental health challenges.

To learn how to get a Mental Health Care Plan, you can download our MHCP Referral Guide or visit our Fees and Referrals page for more information.

A Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) is a referral prepared by your GP that helps you access Medicare rebates for sessions with a psychologist. It’s designed to support your ongoing mental health care and improve coordination between your GP, psychologist, and any other health professionals involved in your treatment.

To be eligible, your GP must assess that you’re experiencing a diagnosable mental health condition that’s having a significant impact on your daily life.
Benefits of a Mental Health Care Plan include:

1. Improved communication between your GP, psychologist, and psychiatrist
2. Clear goals and progress monitoring for your treatment
3. Reduced out-of-pocket costs for psychology sessions through Medicare rebates

To obtain a MHCP, book a long appointment (20–30 minutes) with your GP. During the consultation, your GP will discuss your concerns, complete an assessment, and provide a referral to a psychologist.

You can also download our MHCP Referral Guide to take to your GP appointment — it explains the process and includes our clinic details for easy referral.

Under the Australian Government’s Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative, you can receive Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual psychology sessions per calendar year (January to December).

These are provided in two parts:

1. First referral: Up to 6 sessions
2. Second referral: Up to 4 additional sessions after a review with your GP

After your first six sessions, your psychologist will send a brief progress report to your GP to support your review and enable the remaining sessions to be approved.

In addition to individual sessions, you may also be eligible for rebates on up to 10 group therapy sessions per calendar year, which can be a great way to build skills and connect with others experiencing similar challenges.

For more information about rebates and referral options, visit our Fees and Referrals page.

We offer on-the-spot Medicare claiming through our EzyClaim system, so you can receive your rebate immediately after payment.

Session fees are payable in full on the day of your appointment. If you have a Mental Health Care Plan, your Medicare rebate can be processed straight back into your Savings or Cheque account using your EFTPOS card. Please note, rebates can only be processed this way — an EFTPOS card linked to a Savings or Cheque account is required to receive your rebate at the time of your visit.

For telehealth appointments, we’ll email you an invoice and receipt after payment. You can then claim your Medicare rebate through your MyGov account linked to Medicare.

A Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) is a referral prepared by your GP that helps you access Medicare rebates for sessions with a psychologist. It’s designed to support your ongoing mental health care and improve coordination between your GP, psychologist, and any other health professionals involved in your treatment.

To be eligible, your GP must assess that you’re experiencing a diagnosable mental health condition that’s having a significant impact on your daily life.
Benefits of a Mental Health Care Plan include:

1. Improved communication between your GP, psychologist, and psychiatrist
2. Clear goals and progress monitoring for your treatment
3. Reduced out-of-pocket costs for psychology sessions through Medicare rebates

To obtain a MHCP, book a long appointment (20–30 minutes) with your GP. During the consultation, your GP will discuss your concerns, complete an assessment, and provide a referral to a psychologist.

You can also download our MHCP Referral Guide to take to your GP appointment — it explains the process and includes our clinic details for easy referral.

 A Care Plan is a document prepared by your GP to help plan and coordinate your ongoing health care. It’s designed for people who have a chronic, long-term, or complex condition that requires support from more than one health professional — for example, a GP, psychologist, physiotherapist, or dietitian.
Your Care Plan outlines:

1. Your health needs and goals
2. The services and health professionals involved in your care
3. The actions and timeframes for treatment and review

Having a Care Plan allows your GP to work collaboratively with your care team, and may make you eligible for Medicare rebates for certain allied health services (such as psychology).

If you’re unsure whether you qualify, talk to your GP — they can assess your condition and determine the most suitable plan for your needs.
For more details, visit our Fees and Referrals page or speak with our reception team.

When you visit your GP, let them know that you’d like to see a psychologist for support with your mental health and wellbeing. Your GP will ask about what’s been happening for you, your current circumstances, and how you’ve been coping. They may also ask you to complete a short questionnaire to help assess your symptoms.

If appropriate, your GP can prepare a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) and refer you directly to CBT Professionals so you can access Medicare rebates for your sessions.

To make things easier, you can download our MHCP Referral Guide and take it to your GP appointment — it includes our clinic details and helps guide the referral discussion.

Your first appointment with a psychologist is an opportunity to talk about what’s been happening and what you’d like help with. Your psychologist will ask questions about your current concerns, personal history, and relevant background information to gain a shared understanding of your situation. Together, you’ll set clear goals for therapy and discuss what you’d like to achieve.

In ongoing sessions, you’ll work collaboratively with your psychologist to learn new ways of understanding and managing your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. This may include:

• Learning strategies to manage stress, anxiety, or low mood
• Identifying and challenging unhelpful thought patterns
• Building confidence and resilience through gradual, practical steps
• Developing relaxation and coping skills

Each session lasts around 50 minutes, and the total number of sessions varies depending on your goals and needs. Your psychologist will discuss a recommended plan with you at your first appointment. Attending therapy regularly — often weekly at the beginning — helps build momentum and continuity in your progress.

To learn more about what to expect, visit our blog:
👉 What to expect in your first psychology appointment
Further reading:

• What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
• The Psychology Behind Self-Care and Why It Is Important
• How to Build a Secure Attachment in Romantic Relationships

Psychologists and psychiatrists both work in the field of mental health and often work together to provide comprehensive care. However, there are some key differences between the two professions:
1. Education and qualifications

1. Psychologists study human behaviour and mental processes through undergraduate and postgraduate psychology degrees, followed by supervised clinical practice and registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
2. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who complete a medical degree before undertaking specialist training in psychiatry. Their training focuses on diagnosing and treating mental health conditions from a medical perspective.

2. Services provided

1. Psychologists help people manage everyday challenges such as stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties. They provide evidence-based therapies to help clients develop coping skills, change unhelpful thinking patterns, and improve overall wellbeing.
2. Psychiatrists focus on the medical aspects of mental illness, including how emotional issues can affect physical health (and vice versa). They often work with more complex or severe mental health conditions that may require medical treatment.

3. Prescribing medication

1. Psychologists do not prescribe medication. Their focus is on talk therapy and behavioural interventions that help create lasting change.
2. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication and may also provide psychotherapy, or work in collaboration with a psychologist who provides therapy while they manage medication.

Together, psychologists and psychiatrists can form part of your broader mental health care team, ensuring both the psychological and medical aspects of your wellbeing are supported.

Your psychologist will choose the most appropriate, evidence-based therapy for your needs. All therapy begins with a thorough assessment to understand your concerns, set meaningful goals, and develop a plan for change. From there, your psychologist will teach you practical skills and strategies to help you manage challenges more effectively.

Some of the commonly used therapies at CBT Professionals include:

1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours
2. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – building mindfulness and taking action guided by your values
3. Schema Therapy – identifying and changing deep-seated patterns formed early in life
4. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) – learning skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance
5. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) – an effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Your psychologist will explain which approach they’re using and why it’s best suited to your situation. If at any time you feel the therapy style isn’t the right fit, you’re encouraged to discuss this openly — therapy is a collaborative process, and your feedback helps ensure the best match for your needs, values, and personality.

Further reading:

1. What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
2. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
3. Schema Therapy – Healing Lifelong Patterns
4. The Psychology Behind Self-Care and Why It Is Important

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a well-researched form of psychological treatment that helps people identify and change unhelpful patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.

CBT is one of the most effective therapies for a wide range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, stress, low self-esteem, eating disorders, addictions, insomnia, and behavioural problems. Because of its strong evidence base, CBT is a therapy approach recommended by Medicare.

The core idea behind CBT is that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours are all connected and influence each other. For example, if someone believes others will find them boring or unlikeable, they may feel anxious in social situations, avoid interaction, and later feel discouraged or ashamed — reinforcing the same negative belief.

Through CBT, clients learn to:

• Recognise and challenge unhelpful thoughts and beliefs
• Develop healthier thinking patterns
• Learn practical coping skills to manage distress and change behaviour
• Build confidence and emotional resilience

Over time, these strategies help to create more balanced thinking, improved mood, and more positive life experiences.

Further reading:
👉 What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?
👉 The Psychology Behind Self-Care and Why It Is Important
👉 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

The length of therapy varies from person to person and depends on the type, complexity, and severity of your concerns. Your psychologist will discuss an estimated treatment plan with you during your first appointment.

As a general guide, many clients attend between 8 and 12 sessions, while others with long-standing or more complex issues may continue therapy for a longer period.

Attending sessions weekly or fortnightly at first is recommended, should finances allow, as this provides the best continuity and momentum for progress. As you begin to feel more confident using your new skills, your psychologist may suggest monthly or occasional follow-up sessions to help maintain and consolidate your progress.

 Each therapy session runs for approximately 50 minutes. The remaining 10 minutes of the hour are reserved for your psychologist to complete important clinical tasks, such as updating case notes and preparing correspondence to your GP or other health professionals.

This ensures your care is well-documented and coordinated as part of your ongoing treatment plan.

Both Clinical Psychologists and Registered Psychologists are qualified mental health professionals who provide evidence-based therapy and support for a wide range of psychological concerns. The main differences lie in their training and the type of psychological services they may provide under Medicare.
1. Training and qualifications

1. A Registered Psychologist completes a minimum of six years of university study and supervised practice.
2. A Clinical Psychologist completes a minimum of eight years of study and supervised clinical training, including a Master’s or Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a two-year registrar program.

2. Practice under Medicare
Under Medicare’s Better Access to Mental Health Care initiative:

1. Registered Psychologists provide Focused Psychological Strategies — structured, evidence-based techniques to help clients manage specific mental health concerns.
2. Clinical Psychologists also provide these strategies, but may additionally offer psychotherapy — a form of therapy that focuses on deeper emotional and psychological change through exploration and insight.

At CBT Professionals, both Registered and Clinical Psychologists deliver high-quality, evidence-based care tailored to your individual needs.

Everything you share with your psychologist is confidential, which means it will not be shared with anyone else without your consent. Your psychologist will take notes during or after sessions, and these form part of your confidential clinical record.

However, there are some legal and ethical limits to confidentiality where your psychologist may need to share information to ensure safety or comply with professional obligations:

1. Risk of harm – If you disclose that you are at risk of seriously harming yourself or someone else, your psychologist has a duty of care to help keep you and others safe. This may involve contacting relevant supports or authorities.
2. Court order – If your records are subpoenaed by a court, your psychologist must provide the requested information.
3. Professional supervision – Your psychologist may discuss your case in supervision to ensure you receive the best possible care. Any identifying details (such as your name) remain confidential.
4. GP correspondence – If you have been referred under a Mental Health Care Plan, your psychologist is required by Medicare to provide brief progress updates to your GP.

Your privacy and trust are central to the therapeutic process, and your psychologist will always explain these limits and answer any questions you may have.

At CBT Professionals, we offer a range of group therapy programs facilitated by experienced psychologists. Each group typically includes 6 to 10 participants and focuses on learning practical, evidence-based skills to support emotional, social, and mental wellbeing.
Group sessions can be attended alongside individual therapy or used as a standalone treatment option. They provide a supportive and structured environment where participants can:

• Learn new coping and communication skills
• Understand emotions and behaviour patterns
• Practise strategies between sessions through optional take-home activities

While participants are encouraged to contribute if they feel comfortable, sharing is always optional — many people attend purely for learning and personal growth.
Children, parents, and family involvement
We also run several children’s and young adult group programs that include parents or caregivers as part of the learning process. This helps children apply new skills at home and school with consistent support.
Some of our most popular group programs include:

• 🌸 Bloom – a social connection and self-confidence group for young women
• 🧠 Secret Agent Society (SAS) – a fun, evidence-based program that helps children aged 8–12 improve social and emotional skills, with strong parent involvement
• 💬 Bro Code – a strengths-based program designed for young men to build resilience, relationships, and self-awareness

To see all our current and upcoming programs, visit our Groups page.