Fees & FAQs

Fees at Eucalyptus Psychology

Each practitioner at Eucalyptus sets their own fee. Most psychology fees sit within the typical ranges shown below, all of which are well below the Australian Psychological Society’s recommended rate of $318. Eucalyptus is in the outer east of Melbourne, and the practitioners understand that for many families and individuals in the community, cost is a real barrier to getting support.

Psychology Fees

Clinician	Typical fee	Medicare rebate (with MHCP)	Out-of-pocket
Clinical Psychologist	$260 to $280	$145.25	$114.75 to $134.75
Psychologist	$225 to $240	$98.95	$126.05 to $141.05

Medicare rebates apply when you have a valid Mental Health Care Plan, which your GP can prepare for you. This allows you to claim up to 10 individual psychology sessions per calendar year. Your assigned practitioner will confirm their fee before your first appointment.

Psychiatry Fees

Psychiatrists at Eucalyptus Psychology set their own fees. Fees vary depending on the type and length of consultation, and the Medicare item number used:

Consultation type	Typical fee	Medicare rebate	Out-of-pocket (estimate)
Initial consultation (~60 min)	$672 to $715	$262.10	~$410 to $453
Standard follow-up (45 min)	$422 to $450	$184.90	~$237 to $265
Brief follow-up (30 min)	$299 to $320	$134.00	~$165 to $186

The fees and out-of-pocket costs above are estimates. The exact amount will depend on the type and length of consultation and the Medicare item number used, which can vary. Your psychiatrist will always talk you through what to expect before or at your appointment. A GP referral is required for psychiatry.

What does "out-of-pocket" mean?

Working out the actual cost of an appointment can feel confusing, so here’s a simple way to think about it. Your out-of-pocket cost is just the gap between what your practitioner charges and what Medicare pays back to you. You pay the full fee at the time of your appointment, and Medicare refunds their portion directly to your bank account, usually within a day or two.

For example, a Clinical Psychologist session at $260 with a Medicare rebate of $145.25 leaves you with an out-of-pocket cost of $114.75.

Do you accept TAC, DVA, or NDIS funding?

Yes. Practitioners at Eucalyptus accept TAC, DVA, and NDIS referrals on a case-by-case basis, and welcome a conversation about whether the practice is the right fit. Please get in touch before booking so reception can talk through the details with you, including any gap fees that may apply.

What is the Medicare Safety Net?

If you or your family are accessing Medicare-rebated services regularly throughout the year, it’s worth knowing about the Medicare Safety Net. Once your cumulative out-of-pocket costs reach a certain threshold in a calendar year, Medicare starts covering around 80% of your remaining out-of-pocket expenses for the rest of that year, which means the effective Medicare rebate on each session climbs significantly, and can end up covering 85 to 90% of the full fee.

To give a concrete example: a Clinical Psychologist session at $260, with a Medicare rebate of $145.25, leaves an out-of-pocket cost of $114.75. Once you’ve hit the Safety Net threshold, Medicare covers around 80% of that gap as well, bringing your out-of-pocket down to roughly $23 per session for the rest of the year. For psychiatric consultations the difference is even more pronounced given the higher fees: an initial consultation that would normally leave you around $410 out-of-pocket could come down to around $82 once the threshold is reached.

There are two thresholds, one for general Medicare cardholders and a lower one for concession card holders and families registered for Family Tax Benefit Part A, and both are indexed each year. You can check your current threshold, track your progress, and register your family at my.gov.au or by calling Medicare on 132 011. Reception can help you understand how it might apply to your situation if you’d like to chat it through.

Is there a payment processing fee?

Halaxy, the booking and billing platform used at Eucalyptus, charges a payment processing fee of 1.5% per transaction. This is passed on at cost, with nothing added. For a typical psychology session at $260 this works out to around $3.90. For a psychiatry follow-up at $422 it’s around $6.30, and for an initial consultation at $672 the fee is around $10.

Halaxy is changing how it handles its software fees from October 2026, and this page will be updated once there’s a clearer picture of what that means in practice.

Do fees change over time?

Each practitioner at Eucalyptus sets and reviews their own fee. From time to time, fees may rise in line with the cost of providing care, similar to the way Medicare rebates are indexed periodically. Existing clients will always be told in writing before any change takes effect.

General Questions

Starting therapy can bring up a lot of questions. Here are some of the ones we hear most often. If there’s something else on your mind, reception is happy to chat it through.

What can I expect in the first appointment?

Starting therapy can be exciting but daunting. It is normal to be anxious and worried beforehand.

At Eucalyptus Psychology, we aim to provide a safe and calming environment. Our friendly reception team and clinic dog Daisy will offer a warm welcome, cup of tea, and help you with any administrative matters.

Your Psychologist will then provide an introduction to therapy and answer any questions you may have. Initial consultations tend to focus on exploring current problems and their origin. To understand your thinking style, behavioural patterns, and emotions, we need to understand you and your background. To do that, we’ll sit and talk and really examine things.

Once we have collaboratively explored the problem and figured out some of the underlying thought processes and behavioural patterns that may be precipitating and maintaining your mental health difficulties, we’ll formulate an intervention strategy. Over weeks and perhaps months, we’ll fine-tune it to suit your individual needs and challenges.

How can therapy help me?

Counselling can help in many ways. Sometimes, therapy focuses on identifying and overcoming unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour. For example, we might focus on reducing critical self-talk and cultivating healthy relationships.

Therapy sessions can also focus on flourishing. For example, we might explore what it is for you to have a meaningful life well-lived.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no right or wrong way to do therapy – it is different for everyone. Some people find long-term therapy over months to years helpful, while others prefer shorter-term therapy over weeks to months.

It usually depends on the type of problem you are experiencing, how much time you have, and whether you enjoy the therapy experience. In general, meaningful change takes time. Sessions are usually held weekly-fortnightly until you start to feel better, and then monthly after that (or as often as you find helpful).

What types of therapy modalities do you use?

We primarily take a cognitive-behavioural approach, while also drawing on a range of other techniques, including schema therapy, mindfulness, existential therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, emotion focussed therapy, family systems therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, and communication skills training.

To learn more about the therapeutic approaches we use, click here.

Do you write psychological reports?

Our psychologists do not routinely provide standalone psychological reports. Reports are generally only offered where there is a clear therapeutic purpose and where the client is also engaged in ongoing treatment with us. This ensures that any written opinion is clinically appropriate, ethically sound, and based on a thorough understanding of the client over time. When reports are provided, they are billed at the psychologist’s standard hourly rate. In some circumstances, Medicare rebates may apply.

Do I need a referral to make an appointment?

You do not need a referral to make an appointment. However, the most affordable way to access psychological therapy is through the ‘Better Access to Mental Health Care’ initiative.

A ‘Mental Health Care Plan’ (MHCP) can be prepared by a general medical practitioner (GP), psychiatrist, or paediatrician, who will decide if a MHCP is appropriate for you, given your health care needs and circumstances. Eligible patients can receive up to 20 individual therapy sessions with a psychologist per calendar year, with a rebate of $98.95 (for a general psychologist) or $145.25 (for a clinical psychologist) per session, which can be processed on the day.

However, even if you are not eligible for a MHCP, you can still make an appointment as a private client. In some cases, clients with private health insurance may be able to claim rebates through their provider, depending on their policy. We also accept TAC, DVA, WorkSafe, and NDIS (self-managed) referrals.

Do you offer telehealth sessions?

Eucalyptus Psychology offers telehealth sessions (video or phone).

The Australian Government has recently widened eligibility for online (‘telehealth’) appointments with psychologists. Most funding bodies (e.g., Medicare, WorkSafe, TAC, NDIS, DVA) will now allow phone or video sessions with psychologists. For example, clients with a MHCP can still have sessions over the phone or using video conferencing, and will still be eligible for a Medicare rebate ($129.55).

For more information, please visit our Telehealth page.

How do I make an appointment?

If you are a new client, please fill out our online intake form.
If you are a current client, use the Book Online button to schedule your appointment.

Questions about Psychiatric Services

Do I need a referral to see a psychiatrist?

Yes. To access Medicare rebates for psychiatric consultations you will need a referral from your GP or another specialist (such as a paediatrician). Without a referral, the full fee applies and no Medicare rebate is available. Your GP can send a referral letter to reception@eucalyptuspsychology.com.au.

Are there any limits on how many sessions I can have with the psychiatrist?

No. Unlike psychology sessions under Better Access (which have a cap of 10 sessions per calendar year), there is no limit on the number of Medicare-rebated sessions you can have with a psychiatrist. Rebates are available for as long as your care continues and a valid referral is in place.

What is the difference between seeing a psychologist and seeing a psychiatrist?

Psychologists are trained in psychological therapy, working with thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication and manage more complex presentations. Both work with mental health, but in complementary ways. Many people benefit from seeing both. At Eucalyptus, psychologists and psychiatrists can communicate directly about a shared client’s care with the client’s consent.

Can I see both a psychologist and psychiatrist at Eucalyptus Psychology?

Yes. Many clients see both a psychologist and psychiatrist. With your consent, your practitioners can communicate directly about your care without you needing to manage that yourself. Whether and how this happens is for the practitioners involved to decide based on what’s clinically helpful.

How do I refer to a psychiatrist?

Your GP or specialist can send a referral letter to reception@eucalyptuspsychology.com.au or call reception on (03) 8740 3754. Once reception has received the referral, the patient is contacted to arrange an appointment.