Psychology services are governed by many regulations and ethical guidelines under the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). This is important to protect the welfare of clients. This page summarises some of those policies and describes our Terms and Conditions of Service. It is important that you read and understand this information as it sets out our respective commitments to help us work together. By engaging in our services, you also agree to these Terms & Conditions. We will notify you if these change at any time.
You can book, reschedule, or cancel appointments by contacting us via phone 07 5573 2200, SMS or email (reception@moodandmindcentre.com); or by using our online booking service (access via our website 24/7). Clients can request to be placed on a waitlist if their preferred appointment is unavailable.
We send appointment emails and SMS reminders 2 days prior to your appointment as a courtesy, but clients are ultimately responsible for remembering appointments. Please reply YES/No to confirm or cancel your appointment and attend on time. Your session cannot be extended if you are late and full fees will still apply. Late cancellations and missed appointments are also subject to cancellation fees (see below), so it's best to avoid these!
The aim of your initial consultation is to understand the reason for your referral; to obtain relevant information; and to collaborate on a plan for your psychology service. The type of service and number of sessions you may require will depend on the nature of your referral, needs and goals. These decisions will be discussed at your first consultation and reviewed regularly. Please discuss any change in your service needs with your psychologist as soon as possible.
If you are attending a telehealth session, please read our information on Telehealth Services and Preparing for Telehealth before your appointment. By agreeing to a telehealth service, you indicate that you understood this information and accept the limitations and risks associated with telehealth.
We maintain the privacy of client information in accordance with the Privacy Act (1988) and the Psychology Board of Australia's Code of Ethics (2007). The information we gather for the purpose of providing your psychology service is stored in a secure cloud-based practice management system and is only accessible by authorised employees. Your client file and personal information will remain strictly confidential and will not be shared without your consent, unless:
In these instances, we will inform you of the information we are required to release in accordance with our legal and ethical obligations. Please see our Privacy Policy for more, including how we collect and dispose of your information.
Information you provide to your psychologist may only be shared with a third party (e.g. GP, court, school or agency), with your informed consent or awareness. In some instances, your psychologist will be obligated to share information about your treatment with other professionals (e.g. Medicare or WorkCover referral). If you request or consent to your psychologist providing a letter or report to another party, they will need to include personal information about you that is relevant to the reporting purpose. Please note that we cannot be responsible for preserving the confidentiality of any report or communication that has left The Mood & Mind Centre's control. More information on when and how your personal information may be shared with others is available in our Privacy Policy.
If the service you are attending is for a young person, please see our Policy on Working with Young People for important information about our obligations when providing psychology services to children and adolescents (under 18 years).
Numerous Government benefit and compensation schemes are available for both adult and child clients who meet eligibility criteria. Most private health funds also provide benefits for psychology services (please check your policy). For your convenience, we process most rebates and claims on-site for you, at the time of payment. The amount of rebate you receive will depend on the scheme or benefit you qualify for, the type of service you receive, and any Medicare Safety Net qualifications.
By law, you can only claim rebates through one scheme per consultation (e.g. Medicare or private health) and to receive your Medicare rebate, we must receive an eligible Medicare-lodged referral from your medical professional before your consultation. Please note that The Mood & Mind Centre is not responsible for any problems claiming your rebate due to the actions or inactions of your medical professional. Your medical professional will need to remedy any such problems or consequences to you in accordance with their own policies and Terms & Conditions.
Fees vary depending on the nature and duration of your agreed service and any additional costs agreed by you (e.g. assessment materials, reports, or travel). A standard consultation takes 50 minutes.
| Psychologist Type | Standard Fee | Medicare Rebate | Out-of-Pocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Psychologist | $272 | $141.85 | ~$130.15 |
| Registered Psychologist | $230 | $96.65 | ~$133.35 |
| Provisional Psychologist | $130 | No rebate | $130 |
These fees are significantly below those recommended by the Australian Psychological Society (APS), which are currently set at $311. Fees are payable in full by credit or debit card (MasterCard or Visa) or cash at the time of consultation.
Additional fees: an additional fee of $20 is charged in the following instances:
Medicare rebates may be claimed after full payment is made to The Mood & Mind Centre if certain criteria are met (e.g. client is referred by a GP and has a current and valid Mental Health Care Plan). There is no Medicare rebate available when seeing a Provisional Psychologist.
In some cases, your fees may be fully or partially paid by a third party (e.g. NDIS or your employer), with prior agreement. Third-party payers are invoiced directly. Treatment services are GST-free; however other services may be subject to GST (per ATO laws).
Please be aware that late payment fees apply to overdue invoices (5% per 30 days overdue), including cancellation fees. Future services may be suspended until outstanding invoices are paid or a payment plan is arranged. Please speak to your psychologist if you have any concerns about managing your payments and they will discuss available options with you (e.g. modifying the number or frequency of sessions, alternative formats, or other service providers).
Please give us at least 48 hours (2 business days) notice if you are unable to attend or need to reschedule an appointment, otherwise you will be charged the cost for the session. We understand that circumstances can change, but as private practitioners we incur practice costs and allocated time parameters for each scheduled appointment, attended or missed.
Late Notice fees are automatically charged to your credit card on file and rebates cannot be claimed from Medicare. Late Notice fees are in accordance with the Australian Psychological Society's guidelines. Your booking deposit is non-refundable.
The safety and welfare of our clients and staff is a key priority. We will not tolerate verbal abuse, harassment or aggression towards staff or clients under any circumstances. Any persons, including visitors, who threaten the welfare of our staff or clients will be removed immediately and may be refused further services. Please inform reception or your psychologist if you feel unsafe at any time.
For their own safety, children under 6 years old cannot be left unsupervised in our waiting room. Please make prior arrangements for their care or supervision during appointments.
If you need to contact your psychologist between sessions, please email them directly. They will respond to you as soon as practicable during business hours on their next practice day (psychologists' schedules vary). Please be aware that communications between you and your psychologist, including via phone or email, will typically form part of your file and may therefore be disclosed under an authorised release of your file.
Please also note that we are not a crisis service and are not able to receive or respond to messages outside of opening hours. If you have not received our emergency-call card, please ask reception for one at your next visit.
Clients are welcome to read The Mood & Mind Centre Facebook Page and Instagram. However, we are bound by AHPRA's Social Media Policy and our professional Code of Ethics. This means we cannot accept friend or contact requests from current or former clients on any social networking site. We also cannot interact with clients via social media in any way that may compromise confidentiality, so we will usually be unable to respond to any messages on these forums. We are also prohibited from publishing or using client testimonials.
Of course, you have the right to express yourself on any site you wish, though it is advisable that you not reveal (or at least limit) personal information about you or your psychology service in public forums and social media, to preserve your privacy.
Please make sure when providing an email address that it is a private rather than a shared email address. Emails will be sent to arrange or confirm appointments and to send payment receipts or confirmation of patient rebate claims lodged with Medicare. Emails with file attachments relating to psychological material discussed in session may also be sent at the consent of clients. No personal content discussed in session will be included in these emails.
We may also email tip sheets or occasional practice news to keep you informed about what's happening at the practice. All emails sent and received between clients and The Mood & Mind Centre become a part of a client's file.
Any unauthorised recordings of therapy sessions are strictly prohibited.
If you have any concerns about the service The Mood & Mind Centre or your psychologist is providing you, please discuss these with your psychologist or our Clinic Director as soon as possible. If you have concerns about the professional conduct of your psychologist, you may contact the Psychology Board of Australia (ph. 1300 419 495). Please inform us if you wish to prematurely terminate your service with your psychologist and we will assist in referring you to another psychologist.
Our Terms & Conditions may change from time to time. When that occurs, the information provided here and on our website pages will be most current and will supersede any hard copies. You can also request a hard copy of our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy when you attend in person.
Reception services are available during office hours:
🕐 Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 6:30pm | Saturday: 8:00am – 1:00pm
✉ reception@moodandmindcentre.com
You may leave a message if staff are busy and one of our friendly staff members will return your call as soon as possible.
In case of emergency please contact your GP, Lifeline on 13 11 14, Acute Care Team on 1300 642 255, or 000 in a life-threatening emergency.
Hope Island: Suite 8/8 Santa Barbara Rd | Upper Coomera: Gold Coast QLD