Understanding our Fees

Please be advised our fees will be increasing from 1st July 2024. Each psychologist has reviewed their fees to ensure minimal increases apply. 

Mullumbimby Psychology provide high calibre psychologists to support the mental health of the local community. Our fee structure is based on providing affordable services to the community balanced with business sustainability.

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) National Schedule of Recommended Fees 2023-2024 has the standard 46 to 60 minute consultation fee set at $300. Our fee structure is significantly lower than this.

Standard Consultation Fee Structure *

Clinical Psychologist: Full Fee $250**

Registered Psychologist: Full Fee $200 **

*Please note clients coming under NDIS have their fees set by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)

**Please see each psychologists profile for their detailed fee structure by clicking the following link: MEET THE TEAM  and selecting the psychologist.

Medicare Rebates as of JULY 1 2024

If you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you will be entitled to Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual psychological appointments each year (this does NOT include cancelled appointments).

Clinical Psychologist

Medicare rebate amount is $141.85

Registered Psychologist

Medicare rebate amount is $96.65

Other

You may require additional support outside of scheduled appointments – such as letters or reports, assistance with applications, and communication with schools.

While some requests are reasonable in the scope of treatment and may not incur a charge, other requests which present additional demand on time or resources will incur a change of the standard hourly rate per session, charged at 15 minute increments. Your psychologist will advise you if a request will incur a fee prior to proceeding.

Deposits

At the time of booking the initial consultation, a 50% deposit is payable.

The deposit is credited for payment towards the initial consultation. It is taken prior to this initial consultation as a surety in case of late cancellations or non-attendance. If you decide that you no longer wish to attend Mullumbimby Psychology and have notified us with more than 48 hours’ (2 business days***) notice, your deposit will be 100% refundable.

If you do not attend your initial consultation or cancel your appointment within 48 hours’ (2 business days***) and we are unable to fill that spot for the clinician, the deposit will be non-refundable. You will then be required to pay a deposit prior to booking a further initial consultation.

We regret that this is necessary, but it has proven to be a successful way of reducing the likelihood of people booking a long consultation and failing to turn up on the day. Such experiences prevent others from getting much needed appointments. 

Cancellation Fees

Clients are informed of our cancellation policy at the time of booking and acknowledge the need to pay a cancellation fee when filling in their initial consult intake form or when any changes to the cancellation policy occur.

The aim of this policy is to make sure that our clients reduce the delay in their therapy progress and that other clients do not miss out on the opportunity to access therapy. It is also aimed at reducing the loss of the psychologists’ time in preparation and income.  

Sometimes there are good reasons for cancelling appointments.  However, unlike brief medical appointments, it is often impracticable to fill a psychology appointment that runs for 50 minutes at short notice. Where you provide less than 48 hours’ (2 business days***) notice to cancel or change an appointment, or where you do not arrive for an appointment, you will be charged a fee for that appointment time.

We understand that sometimes you may be unable to keep an appointment because of sudden illness or an unexpected personal emergency. If this happens to you, please contact us as soon as possible to explain the situation.  You may call our office at any time, even after hours, as we do have an answering service that allows you to leave a message. Phone calls are the best way to notify us of any cancellations. Alternatively, if you are unable to attend in person, most appointments are able to be conducted via Telehealth. Please refer to our Telehealth page for further information.

Fees are payable at time of cancellation****

Time of Cancellation = Fee

Greater than 48 hours’ (2 business days) = No fee

24-48 hours’ (2 business days) before appointment = 50% of consult fee

Less than 24 hours’ (1 business day) or On the day of appointment = 100% of consult fee

Does not attend appointment, no cancellation notice = 100% of consult fee

PLEASE NOTE, IF YOU HAVE A Mental Health Care Plan and ARE REQUIRED TO PAY A CANCELLATION FEE, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A REBATE FOR YOUR CANCELLED APPOINTMENT.

Our cancellation policy is based on the same rationale as many other industries. As per the Australian Psychological Society Cancellation Policy Guidelines, if we are able to fill your appointment time with another client, you will not be charged a cancellation fee. In this instance, if you have already paid the cancellation fee, you will be refunded or a credit applied to your account for your next visit.

***’business days’ are classed as Monday to Friday. It does not include public holidays. Saturday and Sunday are NOT classed as business days for cancellations/no shows. There is very little opportunity to fill cancelled appointments for Monday or Tuesday if cancelled after 5pm the Friday before. 

****Cancellation fees are applicable for most appointment types. Information on any applicable variations to our cancellation fees will be provided to you prior to your first appointment.

Please note whilst we send appointment reminders, this is a courtesy only and attending appointments remains your responsibility.