Therapy with Annie
‘Choosing to see a mental health specialist is a common practice in Australia, more than 2 million people used a Medicare card subsidised mental health service in 2019-2020’ (AIHW.gov.au)
Concerns I Can Support You With
People access therapy for issues big and small and everything in between that life can throw at us. You don’t have to be experiencing a major life crisis to decide to work on your mental health and wellbeing. Connecting with a therapist to maintain and protect your mental health is an act of self care. I consider seeing a psychologist as an investment in your mental health and I want you to be sure that you are investing in the right service for you.
I can help you with concerns such as:
anxiety disorders
depression
stress, overwhelm or just feeling that you aren’t coping with what life throws at you as well as you would like to
life decisions
adjustment to new or challenging areas in your life
relationship concerns such as communication, choosing healthy relationships, family of origin dynamics
We can work on better understanding how your past experiences may be influencing your current happiness and the choices you are making for yourself. By earning new patterns of thinking and behaving we can work towards a more meaningful and fulfilling life for you.
Areas I Don’t Work With
Currently I am unable to provide medico-legal reports or court reports. If you are involved in a court case currently or may be in the foreseeable future and you require a psychological evaluation/report this is would be best provided by someone experienced in that area (e.g. a Forensic Psychologist). I am also unable to undertake assessment and reports for compensation claims (e.g. workplace injury, motor vehicle accident claims, CTP claims etc).
I do not carry out Learning and Cognitive assessments, but I will suggest other Psychologists who can provide this service.
Pricing and rebates
With a Mental Health Care Plan referral from your GP you can receive Medicare rebates for 10+ psychologist sessions per calendar year.
$190
Initial assessment session
Your first session will be 60 - 70 minutes to allow us time for assessment and goal setting. We need time to talk about what has brought you to see me.
$188
Standard session
Each subsequent standard 50 minute session when we will spend that time working towards your therapy goals.
What will a session look like?
Our standard session will be 50 minutes to an hour long. You can decide if you wish to have weekly, fortnightly or even monthly sessions with me. These can be face to face in my room in Tugun Wellness Centre. It is a small, light filled space and is located very close to beautiful Tugun beach. I encourage you to take a walk before or after our session as a lovely way to enhance your self-care. There are plenty of local coffee shops to buy a wee treat for yourself too.
I understand that it can feel very daunting to come and talk about your personal life and it is normal to experience anxiety before your first session, after all right now we are strangers to each other. So please feel free to call and chat with me before you book and ask any questions you may have. If you don’t feel I am the right fit for you, or I think you would benefit from a therapeutic approach that I am not experienced in, I will suggest other local psychologists for you to explore.
It can be helpful for you to have a think before we meet about what it is that has brought you to the session and what it is you are looking for from our time together. During sessions please feel free to take notes of things we talk about.
If you prefer to meet with me online via Zoom or on the phone we can organise that to suit.
What will we focus on?
We will work together on identifying what you want to address in your personal life based on your current issues and hopes for therapy. It might be new challenges that have popped up; it might be old stuff that you haven’t yet integrated or understand from an adult perspective, or an ongoing difficulty you need some guidance on addressing. So, our time together might involve identifying past experiences in your history that are preventing you from moving forward and keeping you stuck in old patterns of behaving and relating to the world around you. Or it might be identifying your personal values (i.e. those activities that give your life meaning) in relation to work, relationships, health and other areas of commitment in your life. This may mean we focus much more on the ‘here and now’ issues in your life. Perhaps we will focus on creating a sense of safety and connection using the breath and physical movement, encouraging your nervous system into a state of regulation. I can teach you how to return to this state at times of dysregulation. Why? A regulated nervous system allows you to move out of threat mode and into connection, curiosity, engagement and good decision making. All positive states of being that allow you to focus on therapy and learning new information.
Together we will decide what will work for where you are at the present time.
Therapy aims to help you develop strategies and inner resources that you can use throughout your life. These will become your ‘toolbox’ to maintain your mental health in the long term.
“One’s destination is never a place but a new way of seeing things”
Henry Miller
Do I need a referral to make an appointment with you?
No, you do not need a referral from a doctor for us to start working together. You can simply make an appointment directly with me and just pay for your sessions on the day.
Medicare and Private Health Rebates
With a Mental Health Care Plan referral from your GP you can receive Medicare rebates for 10+ psychologist sessions per calendar year. Medicare will refund a significant proportion of the fee leaving you with a smaller out of pocket expense . Your GP will determine if you meet the criteria for such a plan (e.g. anxiety, depression) and refer you for up to 10 sessions initially. Following this, you can access further sessions if needed following a review with your GP. Just remember to bring your referral with you on your first session.
Medicare Rebates can be claimed directly following your appointment via Medicare’s EasyClaim. Please bring your Medicare and bank card with you to your appointment to participate. If you forget (we are all human after all) I will charge the total fee and you can easily claim the rebate via your Medicare account.
Alternatively, you may be able to use private health insurance to cover some of the fee if you have the level of cover that includes psychology services. Check with your fund prior to booking. In most cases, private health rebates can be claimed on-site via the HICAPS facility. Just be aware, you cant use both Medicare and private health funding to cover the cost. It’s one or the other.
Cancellation policy
When appointments are made, this time is reserved especially for you. I understand that life happens and priorities can change. Should you need to reschedule your session time, please advise me as soon as possible and if you need to cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice, an $80 fee will be charged. If you dont turn up to your session the full fee will be charged before your next appointment.This policy is in place to allow me to offer the allocated time to another client who may be on a waiting list for an appointment. Thank-you for your consideration.
Information for referrals
Please ask your GP to make your referral for:
Anne-Marie Alexander
Provider Number: 5636382B
4/451 Golden Four Drive, Tugun
M:047 4582 762
Please feel free to call me or email me anytime to discuss referrals.