Therapy works better if you’re able to commit to regular sessions, either weekly or fortnightly. This creates a predictable structure and helps build momentum. It also allows me to plan sessions more effectively and maintain a manageable caseload.

How long therapy takes really depends on you, what you’re bringing, and what you want to get out of it. A Medicare MHCP gives you to rebates for up to 10 sessions per calendar year, which can be enough to work through shorter-term goals.

Longer-term work such as processing trauma, relationship patterns, or longstanding mental health concerns typically requires well beyond ten sessions. This is something we’ll talk about openly as we go.

If you’re new to therapy and want a clearer sense of what to expect, this short guide by Dr. Jonathan Shedler is a great place to start.

The fee is $240 for each 50-minute therapy session. For appointments after 5pm on Monday to Friday, and any time on Saturdays and public holidays, the fee is $260.

If you have a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) or an Eating Disorder Treatment and Management Plan (EDP) from your GP, psychiatrist, or paediatrician, you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate of $89.50 per session. This reduces your out-of-pocket cost.

Relationship and family therapy sessions are not eligible for Medicare rebates.

No, you can refer to me directly by getting in touch.

To get a MHCP and referral:

1. Book an appointment with your GP, face-to-face or telehealth are both fine. (You can also get a Mental Health Care Plan from a psychiatrist or paediatrician.)

2. At the appointment, ask for a MHCP and referral for counselling.

3. The GP will ask you a few questions about your mental health and most likely will give you a short questionnaire to complete. The most common ones are the K10 (Kessler-10) or DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale), which are tools used to measure the level of psychological distress. The GP may also give you a provisional or formal diagnosis. This information is included in the MHCP.

4. You may ask the GP to refer specifically to me for counselling support. The referral can then be addressed to:
   Natasha Hau
   0456 668 649
   natashahau@outlook.com
   Suite 2, 171 Piccadilly Street, Kalgoorlie WA 6430

5. Email the MHCP and referral letter to me at natashahau@outlook.com.

The Mental Health Care Plan and referral entitles you to claim Medicare rebates for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. The initial referral will be for 6 sessions, and a GP review is required for further sessions. If approved, an additional 4 sessions may be granted, totalling 10 sessions per calendar year.

Referrals addressed to another therapist are also valid — you don’t need to revisit the GP to get the addressee changed.

An Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) is a social worker and allied health professional with a minimum of two years post-qualifying experience and specialist training in mental health. We’re assessed by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and must undertake a minimum of 30 hours of professional development each year in order to remain credentialed. AMHSWs are recognised by Medicare to provide focused psychological support using evidence-based therapies, and are also trained to identify and address social and environmental factors that affect mental health and wellbeing. 

If, at some point during our work together, you tell me you have suicidal thoughts, I won’t automatically panic or send you to hospital, but I will want to talk with you about them. Many people experience suicidal thoughts without any intention to act on them, and therapy can be a safe place to talk about them openly. We can work together to understand them, manage them and reduce their impact.

Hospitalisation only becomes necessary if you are in immediate danger. For example, if you have serious (or even some) intent, a specific plan and/or accessible means, and you are unable to keep yourself safe, then yes, hospitalisation would be necessary. In that case, I will support you in accessing the care you need, including preparing you for what the process might be like. I have also listed some support services on my page for those in crisis now.

Going to hospital doesn’t always mean being restrained or admitted to a psychiatric ward. Sometimes it involves an assessment, short-term observation, or connecting you to more intensive community supports. My aim is to handle these situations with transparency, respect and compassion.