Skills for Life
The first Australia-Wide psychological treatment service, leading the way for improved access to gold-standard integrated health care.
We treat mild to moderate anxiety and depression
All ages
Australia-wide
Medicare
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Work Cover
NDIS
MEDICARE
Better Access
Better Access to Mental Health Care – Overview
‘The Better Access to Mental Health Care’ initiative provides up to 10 individual psychological therapy sessions through Medicare per calendar year. Sessions are accessible on a smart phone or computer. With a valid referral, the gap-fee is $115 (bulk billed for holders of a Health Care Card). Out-of-pocket expenses will count towards your Medicare Safety Net.
Getting a referral for individual sessions
If seeking a referral to a psychologist or other clinician, it is best to request a longer consult with your GP (or pediatrician) to enable enough time to assess your eligibility for the Better Access/Medicare program. If referred by your GP through Medicare, you will initially be referred for up to 6 sessions. In the 6th session, a re-assessment will be conducted by your psychologist. After your 6th session, your clinician will send a progress report to your GP. You will then need to see your GP for a “review”, where a new referral will be considered.
The review
During the “review”, you will have a chat with your GP about your current symptoms and the progress made. Then, your GP will assess if further sessions are clinically indicated towards completing CBT; and a re-referral will be considered. In most cases, a re-referral beyond 6 sessions is deemed necessary, but the process is a great opportunity to check with your GP if modifications are required.
Group rebates
A Medicare is available for eligible patients seeing psychologist for up to 10 sessions per calendar year.
What about insurance?
Private Health insurance may be worth considering depending on your level of ancillary cover. A decision needs to be made as to whether it is best to access rebates from Medicare by following the claiming process, or by your private health ancillary benefits, since only one of these can apply per session. We also provide services through other insurers (such as NDIS and work cover).
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Some employers offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) to support their employees and families in managing personal or work-related problems. EAP is a preventative and proactive counselling program for the early detection and management of both work and personal problems. EAP services are generally available for a smaller amount of sessions than those available through Medicare. Emerge Psychology™ provides services through EAP, as well as Medicare and insurers.
Work Cover
Treatment by psychologists for work-related injury or illness is available at Emerge Psychology™ via VideoLink. Let your GP know of any enquiries in the first instance as they will know if referral through Medicare is more appropriate in your particular circumstance.
NDIS
Emerge Psychology™ helps eligible clients achieve their goals through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Let your clinician know if you would like to access services through your funding. We will require a referral from your GP or pediatrician to assist us in providing you with the best care.
See who you want,
when you want,
where you want
Emerge Psychology™. Australia’s first and longest-serving private provider of psychology Telehealth services. We provide treatment of depression and anxiety.
Telehealth Australia Wide
We provide treatment to patients right across Australia
With a valid referral, the gap-fee is $115. From 1st 2025, or as per clinician preference, all sessions must be pre-paid as per our consent agreement.
Bulk-billing available for current holders of a Health Care Card (must be cited before appointment)
A smart phone or internet connection is required
Average wait before first appointment = 12 Days.
Attending your appointment is as easy as clicking on the link
We service all Australians
We have special expertise working with rural and remote Australians
With a valid referral, the gap-fee is $115 (bulk-billed for holders of a Health Care Card).
Treatment of mild to moderate anxiety and depression
Attending your
appointment is as easy as clicking on the link that we will send to your email
Current Average wait time before initial session: 21 Days. Appointments running 7 days a week
With a valid referral, the gap-fee is $115 (bulk billed for holders of a Health Care Card).
We are proudly Australia’s first and longest-serving private psychology telehealth service. As psychologists we love our work, and we wish we could provide treatment for free, but this needs to be balanced with providing you with an ongoing sustainable service and integrated comprehensive care.
With a valid referral our fee (after the rebate) is $115 out-of-pocket, and bulk billing is limited to citing a current health care card.
Our research indicates that comparable services are less affordable. If you can find a comparable service that is more affordable, please let us know the details.
We service all Australians
We service patients across all of Australia, as our multi-disciplinary team of 20 is spread across the nation.
Australia’s first and longest serving private psychology telehealth service
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is it essential to have a referral from my GP (or my child's pediatrician)?
Yes, due to our focus on integrated care, it is essential that you have a referral from your GP or pediatrician that is dated prior to your initial Telehealth psychology session regardless of how it is funded.
How will I access my appointment?
When you book your Telehealth session, a confirmation will be sent to the provided email address. Click on the link provided at the time of your session.
What are the fees?
With a valid referral, the gap-fee is $115 (bulk billed for holders of a Health Care Card). Out-of-pocket expenses will count towards your Medicare Safety Net.
We are proudly Australia’s first and longest-serving private psychology telehealth service. As psychologists we love our work, and we wish we could provide treatment for free, but our ideals need to be balanced with providing you with an ongoing sustainable service and integrated comprehensive care.
Our fee (after the rebate) is $115 out-of-pocket, and bulk billing is limited to citing a current health care card. Fees are due on the date of service and from Jan 1st 2025, or as per clinician preference, all sessions must be pre-paid as per our consent agreement.
Our research indicates that our fees are in line with industry standards and well below the recommended fee of the Australian Psychological Society. If you can find a comparable service that is more affordable, please let us know the details by emailing intake@emergepsychology.com.au
How many sessions can I access?
Australians can access up to ten sessions per calendar year rebated through Medicare with a valid referral.
What information is sent to my GP?
Following your initial appointment, your GP (or pediatrician) will be advised that your appointment has taken place. Following the 6th session, and final session, your GP will be updated on your progress. This information is not used for any other purpose than treatment planning. Your personal details will be used to plan the service provision of psychology services. Your data is protected by the IT platform in place and the processes legislated for registered psychologists and accredited MH social workers. Great care has been taken to protect the security of this system.
Will my data be safe?
The IT platform used by Emerge Psychology™ meets security standards, privacy legislation and is consistent with the Code of Ethics of the Australian Psychological Society and AASW.
What if I have poor reception?
It is likely that, even if you have poor reception, you will be able to access Telehealth, as our platform uses a small bandwidth for ease of connectivity. Many have found it surprising how easy it is to use, even in areas of poor reception. It is ideal that sessions be carried out by VideoLink, instead of telephone, hence, great care has been taken in sourcing a secure platform with reliable connectivity so that your consultant psychologist is only one click away. However, telephones can be used if you prefer, in which case, just let us know.
What if I need to change my appointment time?
Will there be a cost to my mobile phone or internet data charge?
The advice received by Emerge Psychology™ is that there is no platform cost incurred by the patient, other than that derived from minimal data use, which is generally negligible and similar to data used through accessing music or videos on the internet.
Do you see children and teens?
What if I do not have internet connection but prefer videolink?
Are cancellations fees charged?
Yes. The fee of $100 will apply to cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice. A $50 cancellation fee will apply to cancellations with less than 48 hours’ notice. Cancellation fees apply only if we are unable to re-fill the appointment. With our system it is so easy to give ample notice – simply click your confirmation email from Calendly and cancel or select a new time. Where applicable, cancellation fees will be charged to your credit or debit card.
What are the terms and conditions of using this service?
By using this resource and attending sessions through Emerge Psychology™, you are agreeing to the provisions of our Disclaimer and Consent Form and both must be read and agreed to before the first session
If I have questions, who can I contact?
Queries can be made to the Operation Manager markr@emergepsychology.com.au
If you want to contact your clinician directly, send a message to Mark or to intake@emergepsychology.com.au with the name of your clinician in the subject field.
How is privacy managed within Emerge Psychology?
Can sessions be recorded?
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Please ensure you have read the following prior to your initial session and advise your consultant psychologist of any questions:
What is the booking process?
All referrals are screened by a clinical psychologist for suitability for our unique service. We endeavour to notify referring GPs within 14 business days if we cannot accept a referral.
Can I book an appointment on this website? Current patients are invited to book subsequent sessions with their clinician here. If you are not an existing patient of this service and book in below, your appointment will be cancelled pending an accepted referral from your GP.
How can new patients book? Referrals are screened by Intake Triage for suitability for our service. On acceptance of a referral, we will contact the patient to offer an initial intake assessment and appointment. If you have not heard back 14 business days after sending your referral phone 1300 963 723 and leave a message requesting a check on the status of your referral and we will return your message.
Can I request my preferred clinician? Clinicians with current availability have this listed with their profile below. Referrals can be addressed generally to Emerge Psychology™ or to your preferred clinician.
Please ensure you have read the following prior to your initial session and advise your consultant psychologist of any questions:
Policy for Management of Personal Information
Code of Ethics – AASW – Australian Association of Social Workers
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