For assessments, a tentative plan is provided and pre-booked. Consultation with your psychologist at intake is available for alterations to the assessment plan. For counselling, up to four sessions can be booked in advance.

Due to high demand and the need to provide equitable service to all clients, we cannot reserve specific time slots for any individual or family.

You will be contacted as soon as an appointment matching your availability opens.

While we understand that unforeseen circumstances can occur, arriving late will still consume the original time allocated for your session. We recommend calling ahead to notify us.

Limited after-hours and weekend appointments are available. These slots are often booked well in advance due to high demand.

No. A referral is not required for most private counselling or assessments, and you can book directly with our reception team.

You will need a referral to use some types of funding:

• Medicare: a GP referral or Mental Health Care Plan before your first session.
• TAC and WorkSafe: a GP referral.
• DVA: a referral from your GP, a medical specialist or Open Arms.

Victims of Crime Financial Assistance Scheme funding does not require a GP referral. Some assessments have their own referral requirements; see Do I need a referral for an assessment, and can I claim a rebate? More detail is on our funding and rebates page.

No, we do not bulk bill. Your clinician's full fee is paid on the day of your session. Where you are eligible, we then process your Medicare rebate for you, and Medicare usually pays it back to you within a few days.

Your out-of-pocket cost (the "gap") is the difference between your clinician's fee and your rebate. Fees vary between clinicians and rebates vary by referral type, so your gap depends on who you see and how your sessions are funded. Current fees and rebate amounts are listed on our counselling and assessment pages.

Provisional psychologists and counsellors are not eligible for Medicare rebates, so their fees are reduced. DVA clients are not charged a gap fee.

Yes, we provide services to self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants. For plan-managed participants, we can invoice your plan manager directly if you give us their details.

Everyone using NDIS funds completes a service agreement with us, which sets out the goals of our work together and the cost of services. You will receive this with your intake and consent forms.

If you would like to use NDIS funding for an assessment, please check with your plan manager first that assessments are covered by your plan.

Both possess a general registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Both have a minimum of 6 years of training. However, Educational and Developmental Psychologists complete an additional registrar program which involves additional continuing professional development and professional supervision. This registrar program typically takes approximately 2 years and therefore Educational and Developmental Psychologists tend to have approximately 8 years of training in their field.

Both Clinical Psychologists and Psychologists are registered professionals with a minimum of six years of education and training in psychology. Clinical Psychologists have completed additional postgraduate studies, such as a Master's or Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and have undergone a registrar program involving supervised clinical practice. This advanced training equips them with specialised skills in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of complex mental health disorders. In total, they have eight years of training in their field.

Counsellors at Level Up Psychology have at minimum a Masters level qualification and are registered with the Australian Counselling Association. Counsellors at Level Up Psychology provide support for issues like grief, identity, anxiety, mood problems, relationships, and stress. Both Counsellors and Psychologists are professionals dedicated to supporting mental health and well-being, but they differ in education, training, and scope of practice. Counsellors may have qualifications ranging from diplomas to master's degrees and focus helping clients process emotions and develop coping strategies.

A provisional psychologist is under supervised practice and is in the process of completing their registration requirements. They have usually had a minimum of 4 years of training.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication, while Psychologists focus on psychotherapy and psychological assessment. Psychologists cannot prescribe medication in Australia.

Therapy, counselling, and psychology, although often used interchangeably, have distinct differences.

• Counselling: Involves practitioners with varying levels of education. The focus is on processing emotions, making decisions, and empowering clients with coping skills.
• Psychology: Requires a minimum of 6 years of university education, board-certified internship, and ongoing training. Delves deeper into psychotherapy and psychological assessment.
• Therapy: The specific collaborative process between two or more people and a therapist with the goal of helping that person live a better life. The modality and focus vary across different professions.

Both aim to improve clients' lives, but counselling suits sudden curveballs and week-to-week issues, while psychology is tailored for understanding oneself and addressing past trauma, as well as detailed knowledge of barriers to progress. There is significant overlap between the two.

Yes, parents are required to remain at the clinic throughout their child's appointment. Please see our Child Safe Policy. In the event of an emergency and you are not present, we will be required to notify emergency services. Please notify our staff if you are stepping out of the clinic, such as for a phone call.

Yes, snacks and toys are allowed, but please be mindful of potential allergies.

Typically, psychologists are unable to consult between sessions. For non-urgent questions, please contact the reception team. If you are in crisis, call 000 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, and see What should I do in a crisis or emergency?

Level Up Psychology is not a crisis service, and we cannot provide emergency support outside your appointments. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.

These free services are available 24/7:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
• 13YARN (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people): 13 92 76
• 1800RESPECT (family or sexual violence): 1800 737 732

For LGBTQIA+ peer support, you can also call QLife on 1800 184 527.

If you are seeing one of our clinicians, let them know at your next session so you can plan together for difficult moments.

All sessions are confidential, except in circumstances where there's a risk of harm to yourself or others, in which case appropriate actions will be taken. Other reasons to break confidentiality may be where we are legally required to, such as a court subpoena. Our consent form informs you of the limitations of confidentiality and the purposes for which we gather your personal information.

Clients are not permitted to record sessions.

With your explicit consent, we may record sessions for clinical purposes, such as accurate note-taking, training or supervision, and may use a secure AI transcription service. Recordings are kept in a secure environment with access limited to authorised staff, and the transcription service does not keep recordings after transcription. Recording only happens if you agree to it.

See section 7 of our privacy policy for details.

You can ask for access to, or correction of, your personal information by contacting our reception team. We will confirm your identity and respond within a reasonable time. If we agree to provide copies of documents, a reasonable fee may apply (for example, $1.00 per page), payable before the copies are sent.

In limited circumstances allowed by law, we may decline a request. If so, we will give you written reasons and explain your complaint options. See our privacy policy for more.

Absolutely, if you feel that another psychologist would better suit your needs, we can certainly arrange that for you. We encourage you to speak to your current psychologist about this so that we can help arrange a good fit and reflect on your counselling experiences so far.

We work with people of all ages, from young children through to adults. Not every clinician works with every age group, so our reception team will match you with someone experienced with your age group. You can also filter clinicians by age range on our team page.

Yes, some of our clinicians offer sessions in languages other than English. You can filter clinicians by language on our team page, or ask our reception team.

For assessments, most standardised tests are designed for English speakers, so please raise any language needs at your intake session. Your psychologist can then plan which tests and formats will give the most accurate results.

Some schools partner with us to provide on-site counselling, delivered by our psychologists, provisional psychologists and counsellors at no cost to parents. Ask your school whether they have an arrangement with Level Up Psychology.

Schools can also engage us to complete assessments on site. See our school services page for more.

It is best practice in the psychology community to seek consent from both parents when parents are separated and there are no court or parenting orders in place. At times, these issues may be clarified over a series of initial appointments so that context can be fully understood.

If a court or parenting order exists, in most cases we will not proceed without the written consent of both parents, even if there are no orders relating to the involvement of allied health professionals.

Where a court or parenting order requires the involvement of both parents for any psychological treatment, we will not proceed with sessions unless both parents have been contacted to obtain their consent.

Typically, we will obtain consent from the enquiring parent first. In cases of parental separation, we will ask you to provide the other parent's contact details so that we can reach out to them and obtain their consent. We usually recommend that you notify your child's other parent that you are seeking psychological services for your child first.

As above, we may be unable to proceed with services if both parents do not give consent. If there are extenuating circumstances that mean obtaining consent from both parents is not feasible, this will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Payment arrangements and clinical decisions are treated as two separate matters at Level Up Psychology. Clinical decisions — such as whether to proceed with sessions, the focus of therapy, and the content of any reports — are made on the basis of the child's best interests and our professional obligations, independent of which parent is paying. Payment arrangements, in contrast, are a financial matter between the parents.

Because of this separation, we will not commence or continue sessions until there is a clear, written agreement about who is responsible for payment. This includes who will be charged on the day, whose payment method will be stored on file, who will hold any Medicare or private health rebate (where applicable), and who is responsible for any cancellation fees.

If parents are unable to reach agreement on payment, we will not proceed with sessions until that agreement is in place. This is not a clinical judgement about the value of the work or the needs of the child — it is a practical requirement to ensure our service can be delivered without disputes between parents being brought into the therapeutic relationship. We cannot mediate, allocate, or apportion fees between parents, and we cannot withhold reports, services, or clinical documentation as leverage in a payment dispute.

Some practical points to be aware of:

• Our standard cancellation policy (see Payments) applies regardless of which parent is paying, and the parent listed as the payer remains responsible for any cancellation fees that are incurred.
• Only one parent can be linked as the Medicare claimant for any given session. If you wish to alternate or change this arrangement, please notify our reception team in advance — it cannot be retrospectively amended.
• If the paying parent's circumstances change during the course of an engagement (for example, if they decide to stop paying), sessions will be paused until a new payment agreement is reached. We will notify both parents that sessions are on hold; we will not disclose the reason beyond what is necessary.
• Court or parenting orders that specify how allied health costs are to be shared do not change our process: we still require a clear, prospective agreement between the parents about how those costs will reach us (i.e., which parent pays us directly, and how reimbursement between parents is then arranged separately).
• Our consent and clinical processes (see Do you require both parents' consent...) are independent of these payment arrangements. A parent who is not paying may still be required to provide clinical consent, and a parent who is paying does not, by virtue of paying, gain additional rights to clinical information or decision-making.

Yes. Where both parents have provided consent and are involved in the engagement, both parents are entitled to receive copies of reports and invoices on request, regardless of which parent is paying. The parent who is not paying does not have fewer rights to clinical information, and the parent who is paying does not have additional rights to it. If a court or parenting order specifies otherwise, please provide us with a copy and we will review it.

In most cases, yes. For assessments, we generally recommend separate intake or feedback sessions where parents are in significant conflict, as joint sessions can shift the focus away from the child. For ongoing counselling, attendance arrangements are decided by the treating clinician based on what is in the child's best interests. We do not exclude a parent from sessions on the basis of who is paying, but if a parent is requesting additional sessions, they must agree to pay for those sessions.

Sessions will be paused until a new payment arrangement is in place. We will notify both parents that sessions are on hold and will not disclose the reason beyond what is necessary. Any outstanding fees remain the responsibility of the parent listed as the payer at the time the fees were incurred. We will not withhold reports or clinical documentation as leverage in a payment dispute, but we are not obliged to continue providing services where fees are unpaid.

Only one parent can be linked as the Medicare claimant for any given session. Parents will need to agree in advance who that will be, and notify our reception team. Claimant arrangements cannot be retrospectively amended after a session has been processed. Where parents wish to alternate (for example, claim under each parent's Mental Health Care Plan in turn), this must be arranged with reception prior to each session.

No. Orders specifying how allied health costs should be shared between parents are agreements between the parents — they do not change our requirement for a single, prospective payment arrangement with us. We still need one parent to be listed as the payer on our system. How that parent is then reimbursed by the other parent under the order is a matter to be resolved between them, and not something we can administer or apportion on their behalf. If parents cannot agree on how payments will be handled, we will not proceed with sessions.

No. Medicare and most private health funds require the rebate or claim to be processed against a single nominated claimant per session. Mixing claim sources across parents within the same session is not possible. Parents will need to agree which scheme is being used for each session in advance.

Yes, dual consent for clinical services applies in the same way regardless of how services are funded. The NDIS service agreement is a separate document and is signed by the participant's nominee or plan manager as recorded with the NDIS. Where parents disagree about the use of NDIS funds, this should be resolved through the NDIS or the relevant plan manager — we are not able to mediate funding decisions between parents.

If a court order grants one parent sole parental responsibility for medical, health, or allied health decisions, we will generally not require consent from the other parent. We will need a copy of the order on file before proceeding on this basis. Sole care arrangements (such as the child living primarily with one parent) without a corresponding order do not, on their own, remove the requirement for dual consent.

A step-parent or new partner cannot provide clinical consent for a child unless they hold formal parental responsibility under a court order. They can be the nominated payer on the account, with the agreement of both biological parents. Being the payer does not grant clinical decision-making rights or access to clinical information.

A referral is not required for most private assessments. One exception is autism assessment for children under 5, which requires a referral from a paediatrician.

Rebates for assessments are limited:

• Medicare: in most cases, Medicare does not provide rebates for assessments. If you have a referral from a paediatrician or psychiatrist, you may be eligible for a rebate under the Complex Neurodevelopmental Assessment item (MBS 82000).
• Private health: some funds offer rebates for psychological assessments. Check your level of cover with your fund.
• NDIS: check with your plan manager whether assessments are covered.

Rebate eligibility is also discussed at your intake session. See assessment funding and rebates for current amounts.

Yes. We complete ADHD and autism assessments for adults, as well as cognitive, learning and other assessments. Adult assessments follow the same steps: an intake session, testing and questionnaires, and a feedback session with a written report.

Both ADHD and autism diagnoses require evidence that difficulties were present in childhood. A parent or older relative who can describe your early development, and any old school reports, can be very helpful.

It is beneficial to have input from other stakeholders such as parents or partners, as they can provide additional context.

Yes, for individuals who are 16 years old and above.

For children under 12, only parents should attend the first session. For those 12 and older, we recommend that the teenager be present.

Every assessment includes an intake session of approximately 1 to 2 hours, in person or via telehealth. The types of questions you may be asked cover the reason for referral and current concerns, family and home life, developmental history, health and medications, and schooling and learning. Medicare and private health rebate eligibility is also discussed.

The intake is your chance to ask about, and shape, the structure of the assessment, including which sessions are planned and how long they run, who attends, and whether school input is needed.

You can also raise whether specific tests need to be used, for example if:

• a school, funding body, NDIS or another professional has asked for a particular test or type of report
• a test was done recently and should not be repeated
• you have a preference about the language or format of testing

Your psychologist will confirm or adjust the assessment plan before you commit to further services.

Yes. Before intake we will give you a tentative assessment plan and send you online intake and consent forms. These must be completed before your intake session. It also helps to:

• Gather previous reports, such as psychology or cognitive assessments, paediatrician letters, speech pathology or OT reports, school reports, Individual Education Plans or Individual Learning Plans, and NDIS documents. Send these early, as previous reports can sometimes reduce the amount of testing needed.
• Tell reception about any deadlines, such as a medical appointment or a funding application due date, before your intake session.
• Bring any written request from a school or funding body that names specific tests or report requirements.

If a school referred you directly, it is important that you have clarified the goals of the assessment and agree with the services proposed.

A little preparation can help your child feel more relaxed on the day.

• Describe the assessment as puzzles, questions and activities, not a test they need to study for.
• Reassure them that nobody gets every answer right and that breaks are fine.
• Aim for a good night's sleep and breakfast, and pack a snack and water.
• Bring their glasses or hearing aids if they use them.
• If testing is at school, let them know a psychologist will see them there.

Medication: if your child already takes medication, they should not stop it for the assessment. Speak with their GP, paediatrician or prescribing doctor if you have any questions about their medication.

It depends on the type of assessment, but most follow the same steps:

1. Intake session: approximately 1 to 2 hours.
2. Testing sessions: the number and length depend on your assessment plan. For example, cognitive testing and achievement testing each take approximately 2 hours.
3. Questionnaires and consultation: completed alongside testing, often including input from schools or other professionals.
4. Feedback session: scheduled at least four weeks after the final assessment session.

Delays to any session, or questionnaires returned late, will push back the feedback session. Our assessment fee estimator shows the approximate hours involved for different assessments.

It depends on how recently the testing was done:

• Within the last 2 years: we generally will not repeat the same tests, because familiarity with the tasks can inflate scores. Instead, we can use alternative tests or fill gaps in the earlier assessment.
• Between 2 and 5 years ago: we will ask for copies of the reports so we can review the results and advise whether repeat testing is recommended.

Please send previous reports before your intake session, as they can reduce the amount of testing needed. Let us know at intake if a school, funding body or other professional has asked for specific or updated testing.

Cognitive testing helps us understand how a person thinks, reasons and learns. It identifies relative strengths and difficulties (such as verbal reasoning, visual-spatial skills, working memory and processing speed) compared with others their age. It is not pass or fail, and there is nothing to study.

Testing takes approximately 2 hours, one-on-one (at school for some school-based assessments), using standardised tools such as the Wechsler scales (WPPSI, WISC or WAIS, depending on age). We prefer broad tools covering verbal and non-verbal skills, as these make recommendations more useful for funding applications.

Results can guide tailored recommendations for home and school, give context for learning, behaviour and social difficulties, inform or rule out diagnoses such as intellectual disability or specific learning disorder, and support funding or adjustment applications, such as the Program for Students with Disabilities, NCCD, NDIS or VCAA Special Examination Arrangements.

Schools can use the report, with your consent, to set realistic, individualised goals in an Individual Education Plan or Individual Learning Plan, choose classroom adjustments such as extra processing time or visual supports, inform Student Support Group meetings, and document adjustment needs for NCCD and funding. Schools decide how they use reports, and we cannot guarantee any adjustment or funding outcome.

Results are explained at the feedback session, at least four weeks after the final session. Raw results are not released early.

Achievement testing measures academic skills such as reading, spelling, written expression and maths, and sometimes oral language. Results are compared with others of the same age or year level. It is not pass or fail, and there is nothing to study.

Testing takes approximately 2 hours, one-on-one, using standardised tools such as the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-III) or the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ IV).

Cognitive testing shows how a person thinks, reasons and learns. Achievement testing shows what they can currently do in core academic skills. Together, they help us:

• identify or rule out a Specific Learning Disorder, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia
• pinpoint which skills are holding learning back, such as decoding, reading fluency, spelling or maths facts
• support applications such as VCAA Special Examination Arrangements
• make practical recommendations for home and school

A Specific Learning Disorder is not diagnosed from test scores alone. We also consider how long the difficulties have lasted, how they have responded to teaching and extra support, and how they affect daily life, so school reports and details of any intervention are very helpful.

Most assessments include standardised questionnaires (also called rating scales), completed online by the person being assessed and people who know them well, such as parents, carers, partners and teachers. They show how someone thinks, feels and behaves in everyday settings, which a clinic session cannot capture on its own.

Some diagnoses depend on this information. For example, ADHD requires symptoms to be present in two or more settings, such as home and school, and an intellectual disability diagnosis requires a measure of everyday living skills.

Questionnaires we commonly use include:

• BASC: behaviour, emotions and wellbeing
• Vineland and ABAS: adaptive functioning (everyday living skills)
• SRS: social communication and autistic traits
• Conners: ADHD symptoms and related concerns
• BRIEF and CEFI: executive functioning, such as planning, organisation and self-control
• PAI: personality and mental health
• Beck scales and other symptom measures: mood, anxiety and other mental health concerns

Which questionnaires are used, and who completes them, differs from assessment to assessment. Your psychologist will confirm this with you at your intake session.

Cost: in most cases, questionnaires are included in your assessment fee at no extra cost.

Depending on the assessment and the person's age, questionnaires may be completed by:

• the older child, teenager or adult being assessed
• parents or carers
• teachers or other school staff
• partners, family members or close friends, for adult assessments

Links are sent through secure online assessment platforms such as Q-global, WPS Online, MHS and PARiConnect. We only contact your child's school with your consent. Some of these providers store information outside Australia; see our privacy policy for details.

Please complete questionnaires as soon as you can. Results cannot be fully interpreted until questionnaires are returned, so late questionnaires will delay your feedback session.

Level Up Psychology does have access to non-verbal tests. In our experience, it is more beneficial to use more comprehensive and broad test tools that measure both non-verbal and verbal skills, even if verbal skills are an area of weakness. This can help assist in us making recommendations that may be applicable for school-based funding or NDIS funding applications. You should discuss test and assessment plans with your allocated clinician.

Yes. Giftedness is usually identified through cognitive testing, which compares a person's thinking and reasoning skills with others their age. Some families also add achievement testing to see how academic skills compare with thinking skills, which can help with decisions about acceleration or extension programs.

Gifted children can also have learning, attention or emotional difficulties (sometimes called "twice-exceptional"). If you have concerns like these, raise them at intake so the assessment plan covers them.

Each of these conditions presents unique obstacles to learning and coordination, necessitating tailored interventions.

• Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and Dyspraxia: Often used synonymously, these terms describe significant difficulties with motor skill coordination affecting daily activities and academic performance. DCD highlights motor coordination issues not associated with neurological impairment, impacting tasks requiring fine and gross motor skills, such as writing or athletic activities.
• Dyslexia: This specific learning disorder is marked by challenges in accurate and fluent word recognition, spelling, and decoding abilities. Dyslexia contrasts with expectations based on cognitive abilities and the quality of instruction, predominantly affecting reading and related language-based processing skills.
• Dysgraphia: A specific learning disorder affecting writing, Dysgraphia involves difficulties in handwriting, spelling, and organising thoughts on paper. Symptoms may include unclear, inconsistent handwriting, poor spelling, and challenges in thinking and writing simultaneously. This disorder can be particularly complex to diagnose in individuals with DCD/Dyspraxia due to overlapping symptoms related to motor skills. Distinguishing Dysgraphia from DCD/Dyspraxia requires careful evaluation of the individual's writing skills, independent of motor coordination issues. For instance, a person with DCD might struggle with the physical act of writing but not with spelling or organising thoughts, while someone with Dysgraphia may face challenges across these areas, despite having adequate motor skills for other tasks.
• Dyscalculia: This condition is characterised by difficulties in understanding numbers, learning how to manipulate numbers, and learning facts in mathematics. It is a specific learning disorder that affects mathematical abilities, distinct from other learning disorders due to its focus on number sense, calculation, and math reasoning.

It's important to recognise that Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs) can manifest in various domains, such as reading, writing, and mathematics, each with distinct characteristics. While Dyslexia is a well-known SLD affecting reading, individuals can also experience SLDs in reading that don't strictly align with Dyslexia's typical profile. For example, a person might have significant trouble with reading comprehension but not necessarily with word recognition or decoding, illustrating the diversity within SLDs.

Understanding these disorders' nuances enables more effective support and intervention, emphasising the importance of tailored approaches based on individual assessments. As professionals, our goal is to identify and address everyone's unique challenges, fostering an environment where they can thrive despite these obstacles.

Not necessarily. An assessment is designed to answer your questions, not to confirm a particular diagnosis. Your psychologist will explain the outcome, and the reasons for it, at the feedback session.

If no diagnosis is made, the assessment is still useful. Your report will describe strengths and difficulties, explain what may be contributing to the concerns, and include practical recommendations for home, school or work. It may also suggest other supports or professionals that could help.

Fees are the same whatever the outcome, as they reflect the time spent on the assessment and report.

A feedback session is always scheduled at a minimum of four weeks after the final assessment session. This period allows our clinicians ample time to thoroughly analyse and interpret the assessment results within the context of the client's unique situation. If any assessment sessions are delayed, it will consequently delay the feedback session. We do not provide early access to raw results, as it is our ethical responsibility to ensure all findings are presented accurately and comprehensively during the feedback session. If you have deadlines due to an upcoming medical appointment or funding application due date, you must notify our reception team prior to your intake session so that we can ensure that we can meet your deadline.

Generally, no, report costs are included in the assessment package. Report fees may apply where an additional report or document is requested outside our standard assessment processes. If this applies, we will notify you prior to writing any reports.

Yes, with your consent. You will receive a copy of the report, and you decide who else it is shared with, such as your child's school, GP, paediatrician or other professionals. We will only send it directly to others when you have given consent.

Schools can use the report to plan adjustments and support, as described in What is the purpose of cognitive testing? If there is information you would prefer a school not see, we can prepare a tailored school summary report, which may incur an additional fee (see Can I request changes to the report provided?).

Under the Health Records Act, clients have the right to notify us of any factual inaccuracies in their reports, and we are obliged to update this information accordingly. It's important to us that our records are accurate and reflective of true assessments. However, it is essential to differentiate between factual inaccuracies and professional opinions derived from the interpretation of data. Our professional opinions, based on comprehensive assessments and interpretations, are not subject to change based on requests, as they represent our expert judgment and analysis.

In general, once documents have been released to clients and their families, we do not permit alterations unless to correct factual inaccuracies. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity of our professional assessments and to manage the extensive time requirements associated with revising documents.

If there are aspects of a report that a family prefers not to disclose to a school or other third party, we can offer to create a tailored school summary report. This summary will focus only on the information relevant to the educational context, potentially avoiding the disclosure of sensitive or unnecessary details. Please note, creating a school summary report may incur an additional fee, reflecting the professional time and effort required to prepare such documents.

Level Up Psychology implements a process called "Feedback Informed Treatment" (FIT). FIT is a client-centred approach where client feedback on each session drives the therapy process. It involves routinely gathering feedback on the client's experience of the session and progress towards goals. This approach helps therapists tailor their methods to better suit individual client needs, ensuring therapy is responsive and effective. Level Up Psychology does not use this information to performance manage their clinicians.

If you provide low ratings on these questionnaires, it's important to know that this feedback is both valuable and welcomed. Low ratings are a crucial part of the therapy process as they guide your therapist in adapting and tailoring the sessions to better meet your needs and concerns. Your honesty in feedback ensures that the therapy remains client-focused and effective. Your therapist may discuss these ratings with you to understand your perspective and to make necessary adjustments in the approach or focus of the therapy. Remember, the goal of these questionnaires is to create a collaborative, transparent, and effective therapeutic environment.

All psychologists are required to complete professional development to maintain their registration. At Level Up Psychology we believe in a concept known as "Deliberate Practice". Deliberate Practice refers to a structured method where therapists continually refine their skills by focusing on areas needing improvement, often identified through feedback and self-reflection. This method involves setting specific goals, seeking expert guidance, and engaging in targeted practice. It aims to enhance the therapist's effectiveness and the quality of client care.

For children under 12, only parents should attend the initial session to provide background and context. For teenagers, consult your clinician for guidance.

Your first counselling session is an intake of approximately 50 to 60 minutes. Your psychologist will get to know you, your concerns, your background and your goals, and agree a plan with you. For children under 12, only parents attend this session.

The intake is your chance to ask about, and shape, how future sessions will run. You can discuss:

• how often sessions run (usually fortnightly at first, then adjusted to need)
• how long each session is
• whether sessions are in person or via telehealth (suitability is assessed case by case)
• how parents or carers will be involved
• your goals
• roughly how many sessions might be needed (anywhere from 2 to 40 or more)

You will also be asked to complete Feedback Informed Treatment questionnaires before and after sessions. Sessions are confidential, with some limits outlined in our consent form. See our counselling services page for more.

Yes, a little. Before your first session we will send you online intake and consent forms, which must be completed beforehand. They ask for your contact details, Medicare details, current medications, an emergency contact and who referred you. If you are attending as a couple, each of you will complete your own individual questionnaire privately.

If you are seeking a Medicare rebate, please bring or send us your GP referral or Mental Health Care Plan.

It can also help (but is optional) to jot down:

• your main concerns
• what you would like to change
• any questions about how sessions will run

If you have questions about the forms, please contact us.

Children under 12 usually do not attend the first session, so you have time to prepare them before they meet their psychologist.

• Explain in simple, honest, age-appropriate terms that they will meet someone whose job is to help kids with feelings, worries or tricky situations, often by talking, drawing or playing.
• Make it clear that counselling is not a punishment and they are not in trouble.
• For teenagers, involve them in the decision where possible, and let them know what is private, within the limits of confidentiality.

Not sure what to say? Ask your psychologist at the intake session how best to describe sessions to your child.

For younger children, parental presence is recommended. For teenagers, consult your clinician for guidance.

It is our policy that a parent, guardian, or teacher need to be present and contactable for all telehealth sessions. If there is no parent, guardian, or teacher present, we will need to cancel the session and reschedule.

Initially, sessions are scheduled fortnightly. Frequency will be adjusted based on individual clinical needs.

Yes, telehealth appointments are an option, although suitability will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The duration of therapy varies for each individual and depends on your specific needs and treatment goals. This may be anywhere between 2 sessions to 40 sessions, or more if necessary. Depending on your circumstance's rebates may be available for some of these sessions.

In most cases a session is 50-60 minutes long. However, there may be circumstances where a shorter or longer session is required or suitable. We will notify you of this before conducting such sessions.

Homework exercises may be assigned to help reinforce strategies and skills learned during sessions. This promotes active engagement and allows for more effective skill transfer to real-life situations. For children, research shows efficacy of therapy is greatly improved when parents are engaged with the content that is being covered with their child.

For counselling services, the Australian Psychological Society (APS) recommends a fee of $330 per session, while the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi) recommends a fee of $340 per session. These recommended fees serve as guidelines to reflect the value of psychological services and the costs associated with providing high-quality care. In most cases, our services are provided at a lower per hour rate than these recommended fees.

No. As all payments are due the day of service, we require payment via Halaxy or processed using our HICAPS machine.

We can process some health insurance claims but it depends on the health fund.

We will call you after the session to process the fee via our HICAPS machine, or use the stored encrypted card details we have on Halaxy.

Cancellation fees are as follows:

• 0 - 24 hours' notice: 100% of fee
• 24 - 48 hours' notice: 50% of fee
• 48 - 72 hours' notice: 25% of fee

Yes, although a telehealth option is available as an alternative.

Yes, Medicare provides specific items designed for parent consultations. There are limitations on how many sessions and the nature of the sessions; please consult with your clinician for further details.

If you have questions about your invoice, please contact our reception for clarification.