Psychological Therapy
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Psychological Therapy
What is Psychological Therapy?
Psychological therapy involves having regular sessions with a psychologist or counsellor. Sessions can be in person or by video conference or telephone, depending on the service type. Therapy involves talking about current concerns, past issues, or future worries. Everyone is different in what they feel they need to focus on in their sessions and your therapist will help you develop goals for what you want to get out of the therapy.
We have registered psychologists as well as psychologists with additional qualifications in clinical psychology, counselling psychology, clinical neuropsychology, education and developmental psychology, and forensic psychology.
Our experienced psychologists are able to provide evidenced-based therapy due to their extensive training and qualifications, wide range of experiences, and our internal professional development program. For more specific information about our psychologists’ individual experience and areas of expertise, you can view Our Expertise.
Psychologists frequently work closely with other allied health professionals to provide complementary services to achieve a participant’s goals.
For anyone seeking psychology services and assessments, please see our list of services below.
Services available
Psychological capacity building / psychological counselling
An assessment of a participant’s biological, psychological and social concerns and ongoing therapy to assist a participant with achieving their goals.
Psychological capacity building / psychological counselling
An assessment of a participant’s biological, psychological and social concerns and ongoing therapy to assist a participant with achieving their goals.
Medicare Better Access: Individual therapy
Individual therapy for a participant referred by their GP under a Mental Health Treatment Plan.
Medicare Better Access: Individual therapy
Individual therapy for a participant referred by their GP under a Mental Health Treatment Plan.
Medicare Better Access: Group therapy
Group therapy for a participant referred by their GP under a Mental Health Treatment Plan. Group therapy has a minimum of four participants.
Medicare Better Access: Group therapy
Group therapy for a participant referred by their GP under a Mental Health Treatment Plan. Group therapy has a minimum of four participants.
WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) Practitioner Online Referral Treatment Services (PORTS)
Short-term psychological counselling for individuals aged 16+ with anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol related issues. This is available in Western Australia only.
WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) Practitioner Online Referral Treatment Services (PORTS)
Short-term psychological counselling for individuals aged 16+ with anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol related issues. This is available in Western Australia only.
State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) - Psychological Services (NSW)
Individual therapy with a SIRA-approved psychologist for participants with a mental health condition associated with a worker’s compensation claim in NSW. The participant must have insurer pre-approval to commence these services.
State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) - Psychological Services (NSW)
Individual therapy with a SIRA approved psychologist for participant’s with a mental health condition associated with a workers compensation claim in NSW. The participant must have insurer pre-approval to commence these services.
AHPRA Board Approved Supervision for Psychologists
Individual and group supervision by a Board Approved Supervisor to external psychologists to meet their internship or registrar AHPRA requirements.
AHPRA Board Approved Supervision for Psychologists
Individual and group supervision by a Board Approved Supervisor to external psychologists to meet their internship or registrar AHPRA requirements.
Looking for other psychology services?
To see the range of psychological assessments we offer, please visit our Psychological Assessments page.
How are these services funded and accessed?
A range of funding options are available for our psychology services.
The funding types and NDIS support categories that may covers these services include:
- Improved Daily Living
- Early Childhood Intervention
- Medicare Better Access
- Privately paid
- Lifetime Care (iCare)
Medicare Better Access
Under the Better Access initiative, people with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from their GP are eligible to receive a Medicare rebate for up to ten individual and ten group psychology sessions per calendar year. We charge a gap fee which is payable on the day of the service, and we can process the Medicare rebate at the time of payment. Please contact us for further information about the gap fee.
WAPHA
WAPHA funds all costs associated with our services provided to participants referred through the Mindspot program in Western Australia.
Psychological therapy services can be provided in person or via Telehealth for certain services across Australia.
To access these services, complete a referral form and our friendly admin team will match you with a suitable psychologist for your first appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Am I eligible for funding from the NDIS?
NDIS support categories that may cover these services include Improved Daily Living. To find out more, head to National Disability Insurance Scheme website.
How will psychological services build my capacity through the NDIS?
Many people who receive funding through the NDIS may be experiencing mental health and cognitive difficulties that are impacting their capacity to achieve their NDIS goals. Psychological services can help to identify and treat any psychological barriers to achieving NDIS goals through assessment or ongoing therapy.
Where can you provide services?
All psychological therapy services can be provided via Telehealth or face-to-face in either one of our offices or we can travel to you at your residence.
What can I expect in my first session with a psychologist?
The first session can be daunting, however our therapists are there to help you feel as comfortable as possible. Generally, people start to feel more at ease as the first session progresses and feel more comfortable talking about their concerns over time.
The first session is really a “getting to know you” opportunity where the psychologist will ask questions about what brought you to therapy, what your current concerns are, what other areas from your past might be relevant to your current concerns, what you want to get out of therapy and what your goals are for therapy.
What happens after the first session?
Depending on what service stream you are accessing therapy through, your psychologist will talk to you about how many sessions you have access to and the therapeutic approach that they think will help you work towards your goals.
You can book in regular sessions with your psychologist and start working towards the therapeutic goals you have set.
What if I don’t like my psychologist?
Some people feel bad if they find that they don’t like their therapist. There can be a number of reasons that participants don’t like their therapist, including feeling uncomfortable with their therapist, feeling judged by their therapist, or feeling their therapist doesn’t understand them. If you notice any of these things happening for you, it can be useful to talk to your therapist about them (if you can).
Research has found that the most important aspect of whether therapy will help a participant or not, is the therapeutic relationship. This means that if you don’t feel like you can connect with your therapist, therapy might not work so well for you. When you feel heard, validated and connected to your therapist, there is a strong therapeutic relationship and this can lead to more positive outcomes for you.
Psychologists are aware that the fit between a participant and their therapist is really important. Our psychologists want to hear your concerns, if you have any, and discuss options with you. It could be that you would feel more comfortable with a male or female therapist, or an older or younger therapist. We will do our best to help you find the therapist that fits best for you.
How can I work as a psychologist at ORS?
We would love to talk to you about your career and how we can support you.
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