Booking in
First we will respond to your booking enquiry to confirm your basic details (DOB and contact information) and develop an initial picture of what is bringing you to therapy, this allows Jimmy to decide if he would be a good fit for your needs.
If he is not a good fit, then we will do our best to provide you with details of other services or professionals that may be able to assist.
Before the first session
You will receive a booking confirmation email with a link to our intake form. The intake form will provide essential information on confidentiality and contains questionnaires to help gather initial information on how you are doing.
Three days before your first session you will receive a reminder text message and email.
The first session and beyond
The first session will always start with checking over our intake forms, including confidentiality, in case you have any questions. After this, you will complete a very short questionnaire about your well-being, this helps act as a ‘launching pad’ for discussing what has brought you to therapy. Jimmy will then work with you to discover what you would like to work on in therapy and how he can help – this becomes the initial formation of your treatment plan. The well-being questionnaire is completed each session and provides a visual graph of whether your well-being is improving, staying the same, or getting worse over time. Jimmy will use this information with you to identify any adjustments that need to be made to the therapy approach – working as a team to create therapy that fits you, your needs and preferences.
Neurodivergence-affirming
J&A Psychology is a neurodivergent-affirming service – if you would like to learn more, click here.
How a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) works
In order to obtain a MHCP, you will need to book in with a GP. A MHCP provides you with a rebate of $98.95 for 10 sessions per calendar year.
Stage 1
1st Referral – A GP will give you a MHCP and referral letter to see a Psychologist, the first referral is for up to 6 rebated sessions. Please bring the referral along with you to your initial session.
Stage 2
GP review and 2nd referral – After completing the 6 sessions you will need to see a GP to discuss further treatment. The GP will check in with you about your therapy and well-being. The GP can then provide another referral, usually for up to 4 rebated sessions.
MHCP FAQ
If my referral runs out of sessions and I forget to have a GP review, can I still get a Medicare rebate?
No – unfortunately Medicare is not able to process rebates without a current and valid referral.
If my usual GP isn’t available, can I see another one for a review referral?
Yes you can – you can actually see any GP for a MHCP review referral.
Do I have to get a new MHCP every year?
No – a MHCP does not expire based on time. a MHCP only ends when you complete the referred sessions. Alternatively a MHCP can be ‘paused’ if you decide to cease therapy before finishing the referred sessions.
What if I don’t finish my referred sessions this calendar year, will I have to get a new referral next year?
No – you won’t have to get a new referral until you completed all the referred sessions. E.g. if you receive a referral from a GP for 4 sessions in November 2021, but you only have 2 sessions throughout the rest of 2021, the 2 sessions you have left over can still be used from January 1st 2022 onwards.
What if I have a shortened therapy session, can I still get a rebate?
If you have a session that goes for less than 50 minutes, you can still get a Medicare rebate, however the rebate will be $62.55.
When should I a get a new MHCP?
While a MHCP does not expire based on time, it is recommended that you obtain a new MHCP if your presenting challenges have changed significantly since you first obtained your original MHCP.