+ Do I need a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP)?

You do not, but if you have a MHTP then you'll pay less 'out of pocket' for your sessions. If you don't have a MHTP then you’ll pay the full fee yourself and don't claim a Medicare rebate.

+ How do I get a MHTP?

You'll need to contact your local GP clinic. Ensure you advise reception staff so they can book you in for a longer session. Discuss your symptoms and problems with your GP and then ask them to refer to Michelle Wharton at Surf Your Mind.

+ How can I get my MHTP to Surf Your Mind?

In most cases you can give you GP our details and they'll fax the referral directly to us. Our fax number is 08 8125 5896. If you have a copy of your plan yourself you can take a photo and send that to us.

+ I already have a MHTP to see another psychologist, can I just use that?

Yes and no. If the GP review of your mental health was done recently and the issues you're struggling with are generally the same then you probably won't need to get the MHTP changed. However, it will need to have our practice details on it. That should be a fairly easy 'fix' managed by the administration staff at your clinic.

+ How many psychology sessions can I have under my MHTP?

At present, and due to COVID, Australians are entitled to 20 individual psychology sessions in one calendar year. However, there are special rules for accessing these. Initially, your GP will refer you for six sessions. Then they’ll want to see you again and see how things are going. If you and your treating psychologist agree that more sessions are needed, the treating psychologist will write a letter to the GP updating them on your progress. Your GP can then refer you for another four sessions. These are the original ten sessions under the Better Access to Mental Health program set up by the government to provide Medicare funded mental health treatment.

Still with me? Good. Then, since September 2020 the Federal Government provided us with the ability to access an additional ten sessions under special COVID item numbers. These additional ten sessions are temporary however will be in effect until at least xxx 2021.

Unfortunately (and often for us, confusingly), the rules state that your referrals must occur in this pattern – 6, then 4, then 10.

+ Do you do face-to-face sessions?

At this stage, no we don't. All therapy is done online using the Coviu videoconferencing platform. However, we're hoping to open a real-life practice in the coming months.

+ Do I need to download Coviu or any special software?

No, you don't have to do anything special. Twenty-four hours before your session you'll be sent an email containing the link to connect to your therapy session. Simply click on the link a few minutes before your appointment time and follow the prompts. Please do let us know if you haven't received your session link. Whilst this is an automatic process we're human we've been known to click the wrong box telling the system you're attending 'in-person' instead of 'online' and so no link has sent...

+ Do I need to have good internet speed to use Coviu?

You don't need super fast internet. Simply make sure to have sufficient, sustained and available bandwidth of at least 350Kbps to hold a high quality video call over Coviu. If you have multiple users in the household competing for your wifi that could cause a poorer connection.

+ Can I attend an online session using my mobile phone?

It's not ideal and you'll be encouraged to access the session using a device larger than your mobile phone, such as a tablet or a laptop. this will enable your therapist to share a virtual 'whiteboard' for educational purposes and share any other material that you're working on with your therapist. This will also ensure that you have your hands free to make notes and complete written exercises aimed at helping you to practice new ways of thinking.

+ Is online therapy safe?

In terms of your security and privacy, SYM online therapy is conducted using Coviu – the South Australian Government's chosen platform used by medical professionals. It meets all security and confidentiality protocols, and you can feel safe knowing Coviu is end-to-end encrypted and does not store any client data.

In terms of your mental health, online therapy isn’t for everyone and the treating psychologist will need to determine if it is suitable for you. Please don’t be offended if the psychologist decides online therapy isn’t right for you – we want the best for you and we have a duty of care and professional obligation to keep you safe.

+ Will I have to do any homework outside of therapy sessions?

100%! Consider your therapist as being like your running coach or music teacher. If you just attended your coaching session or music lesson once per week and did nothing else, how quickly would your skills develop after 3 months? Not much! So, all that is to say that you'll be given homework tasks to complete between therapy sessions.

+ What sort of homework might I be given?

Within session you'll be working through various worksheets with your therapist and you might have to complete those outside of sessions. You might be asked to complete a mood or activity diary, to develop an 'exposure hierarchy', or keep a journal. You might be asked to read a book relevant to the work you're doing with your therapist, or to listen to podcasts. All of this is aimed at practicing new ways of thinking and generally by this practice, and in particular writing things down you're activating neural pathways and starting the process of 'rewiring the brain'. What's not to love about homework?!

+ How long will the homework take me?

It will vary depending on the task but you should be prepared to set aside at least 15 minutes per day, or one hour three or four times per week.

+ What if I don't have time for homework?

Then I completely understand! Sometimes I struggle to find time to do my own homework, but I also know that I won't make changes if I don't, well, make changes. All that is to say, you should spend time on whatever you're prioritising right now. If you don't have time for homework then hold off starting therapy until you can fully commit.

+ Can I get a rebate through my private health fund?

Absolutely. If your fund covers psychology sessions then we can easily process your claim for you at the time of receiving payment.

+ Can I use my private health insurance to cover the gap between the full fee and the medicare rebate?

No, sorry, you cannot use your private health insurance ancillary cover to pay any additional costs above the Medicare rebates for psychology services. You will need to decide whether you will use Medicare or your private health insurance ancillary cover to pay for the psychological services you receive.

+ I'm worried about a friend/partner/family member. Can I refer them to you?

Yes and no. You're more than welcome to contact us to discuss in further detail however you should be aware that if your person does engage in treatment then that treatment is confidential. The treating psychologist will only be able to discuss your person's treatment if that person requests and authorises such communication. We are not even permitted to acknowledge whether that person is attending treatment.

+ Do you write reports for the courts?

This really depends on the context. Get in touch and we can discuss the situation.

+ How long is a session?

A standard psychology session is 50 minutes. Talk to us if you would like to schedule a longer session. Unfortunately Medicare doesn't allow us to claim for more than one session per day so a longer session still only attracts the standard rebate. We don't like this either - longer sessions are usually more effective and allow for more rapid change so it's a shame you can't use your rebate allowwance all in one or more extended therapy sessions.

+ How many sessions will I need?

That's hard to answer. Some people are happy with the perspective they gain from having just one session of supportive listening. In most cases it takes a session or two for your psychologist to get a deep understanding of what's troubling you and to apply a healthy amount of empathy and support before we roll up our sleeves and get to work. It may take another 4 for us to apply a road test a range of tools and see what works for you. It also depends on the seriousness of the problem.

However, do note the response above to the homework question - the research shows that people who do consistent homework - typically involving practicing new ways of thinking - make the most progress, and the most quickly.