FAQ’s
Below are my responses to frequently asked questions about working with me. The first category are more practical. The second, more focused on questions re the work itself. Please contact me if you want any further clarification.
A. Practical Aspects
For how many sessions will I need to attend?
This very much depends on your goals. The deepest and most integrated and therefore long lasting work is done when you are not in a crisis. Often this is the time when you think you no longer need sessions. Many clients come for a minimum of twelve sessions spaced no more than two weeks apart. This gives time for us to get to know each other and address some of your concerns with some level of effectiveness. Many clients find it beneficial to set aside a session after six or seven sessions to review their progress and expectations. My expectation is that both of us will actively participate in this review session.
How frequently should I come?
It is most effective to come either weekly or fortnightly. That way we don’t have to spend large parts of the sessions catching up on events that have happened since the last session and we can maintain our focus on the presenting issue. I also run residential client weekend workshops and attending these in addition to individual sessions usually hastens the progress of individual sessions.
How long are appointments?
Individual sessions are normally 60 minutes. Couple and family sessions are 90 minutes.
Is it possible to have longer appointments or telephone consultations?
Session times can be negotiated. If a longer session time is desired it needs to be organised before the session. It is best to do this when making your next appointment. It is not possible to spontaneously decide to lengthen an ongoing session as other appointments have already been scheduled. Telephone consultations are not encouraged but from time to time brief consultations between sessions are available and will be charged on a pro rata basis.
Do you offer online sessions?
I am available for online sessions for clients who live outside Melbourne. I find these sessions are most effective if I have already worked with a client face to face. Some interstate clients have chosen to supplement their face to face sessions with online sessions. These sessions are charged at the same rate as face to face sessions.
How much does a session cost?
In 2016 in Melbourne:
Standard Individual sessions are $160 per hour
Couples/ Family sessions are $190 per 90 minutes
Professional Supervision is $160 per hour
Requests for written reports will be charged extra at a per page rate based on current recommendations of the Australian Psychology Association.
Phone consultations are charged at the appropriate proportion of an hourly rate. e.g. 30 minutes will cost $80or 15 mins $40.
When working interstate these rates may vary depending on costs of renting suitable space.
Do you offer concessions?
Concessions are not automatically available, although fees may be negotiated where a client shows commitment to the work and has difficulty meeting the outgoing financial investment this requires.
Do you offer private health or medicare rebates?
As a registered psychologist I offer both of these. I do not offer bulk billing.
How do I claim with medicare or a private health fund?
I expect all clients to pay the full fee for the session at the time of the session. I accept payment in cash or cheque or EFT. I do not have credit card facilities. At the end of the session, I will give you a receipted invoice which you can use to claim your rebate with either your private health fund or medicare.
If I come to see you as an individual client are you willing to consult with my partner or other members of my family if I desire couples work or family sessions?
I am open to this possibility but decisions are made on an individual client basis. I will take time to explore this possibility with you in session. My final decision will be informed by my consultation with you and my assessment of what would be most effective therapeutically for you and for your partner or family.
Who decides when it is time to finish work?
I strongly recommend that each sixth or seventh session that we take time to review sessions. This gives both of us an opportunity to share our reflections on the progress of the work. When it comes time to conclude our work together, usually this is a mutual decision.
Sometimes the initiative is taken by me and sometimes by the client. My preference is to have a minimum of one session for completion and review of our work. If you initiate stopping sessions this then requires you to give at least one session’s notice that you are intending to do so.
If I decide to stop work can I come back at a later date for some more sessions?
Personal work is a journey that stops and starts and never finishes. Clients often do a series of sessions and then return several months or a year or two later when ready to embark on the next part of the journey.
What is the policy for Cancellation or missed appointments?
To cancel or change an appointment time, 24 hours notice is required otherwise a full fee will be charged.
If you forget your appointment a full fee will be charged. If I double book or forget your appointment, no fee will be charged for the rescheduled session.
B. Radix Sessions
It sounds as if you use touch in your sessions what if I don’t want to be touched?
Physical contact is one of the tools of Radix work. However such contact is always negotiated with clients. This is always negotiated in the first session and for some clients is an ongoing area of negotiation. Interestingly in Radix work, this negotiation happens not only verbally but through observation. Many people who have been abused or had their boundaries violated directly or indirectly, will not object to being touched however their bodies will. Common signs of such objection are going very still, stopping breathing, flinching, going pale or rigid. Radix practitioners have been trained to observe these responses and to bring them into any discussion and negotiation around touch or physical contact of any kind.
What if I am not a very physically active person or I have physical limitations or disabilities?
Radix work is not the equivalent of going to the gym. It is not an exercise class and physical fitness is not a pre requisite. In fact some very physically fit people struggle most with the work. It is about developing a conscious relationship with your body. Listening to the knowledge it can give you about the impact of the world and other people on your functioning. Many physically adept people have learned to tune out to this information.