QUESTIONS
How much does it cost?
Fees vary depending on the service required (e.g. assessment/counselling/consultation) and we would be more than happy to discuss this with you in detail before you commit to anything. Medicare and private health rebates may be available for those seeking counselling. Those with a current Mental Health Care Plan from the GP may be eligible for a rebate of up to 20 sessions per calendar year. We also work with individuals who have funding allocated for counselling through VOCAT and NDIS (although we are not a registered NDIS provider per se), and conduct assessments that are funded privately by individuals, or via third-parties such as Child Protection, Youth Justice, NDIS, Victoria Legal Aid, Victims of Crime and other community agencies such as Berry Street, Anglicare and Mackillop, as well as schools.
are there free services for my needs?
Yes - There may well be services provided by not-for-profit agencies and the public health system in your area that are free. For example, for young people experiencing a range of mental health difficulties, your local Headspace may be the most convenient option for you (ages 12-25 years). For a young person who has engaged in problematic or sexually harmful behaviour, there will likely be a service in your region that can provide free assessment and treatment. Forensicare and your local community mental health care team are other options available for adults. We can definitely point you in the right direction for such services, and discuss what might be the best option for you by weighing up the pros and cons.
What age-range of young people do you see?
We don't have strict age limits, but our service is for young people primarily under the age of 25.
Do you work with Youth Justice and Child Protection clients?
We sure do! We have worked for many years with some of our state's most vulnerable and at-risk children and young people involved with Child Protection and Youth Justice. We can also undertake assessments on young parents who are, or whose children are, involved with Child Protection.
I need a child psychologist - is that you?
We are Forensic Psychologists who work with children and young people/adolescents. Our primary area of practice currently is in conducting psychological assessments on young people who have complex needs. These complex needs might include, but are not limited to; antisocial behaviours, problematic and sexually harmful behaviours, emotion regulation difficulties - including young people who have a history of trauma, drug and alcohol misuse, and those with cognitive/learning/social difficulties - or a combination of all of the above.
What kind of court reports can you do?
As forensic psychologists, we provide a range of reports for court or related purposes. Below are a list of some of the reports we can provide, but please contact us if you have a specific request.
- Pre-sentence assessment reports for young people
- Pre-sentence assessment reports for young adults, or adults whose offending occurred in childhood
- Psychological assessments (also referred to as mental health assessments)
- Forensic assessments
- Family Court assessments
- Family assessments for Children's Court and Child Protection
We have some limited capacity for Victorian Legal Aid funded assessments.
- Pre-sentence assessment reports for young people
- Pre-sentence assessment reports for young adults, or adults whose offending occurred in childhood
- Psychological assessments (also referred to as mental health assessments)
- Forensic assessments
- Family Court assessments
- Family assessments for Children's Court and Child Protection
We have some limited capacity for Victorian Legal Aid funded assessments.
Would you do assessments on adults?
In the context of an assessment involving parents and family, yes we include the adults. We can also undertake a pre-sentence assessment on young adults in a case-by-case basis, and these assessments are funded by the client. Other adult assessments are conducted on a case-by-case basis, so send us an email to ask :)
Are you available to provide expert opinions and give evidence?
Certainly. You're welcome to discuss your case with us and we can advise you as to whether or not we believe we are the best people to provide this assistance. Preparation for Court, the provision of opinions to legal professionals and attendance at Court are charged at an hourly rate.
do you do assessments in rural victoria and interstate?
Yes, we may be available to travel interstate on a case by case basis. There are likely to be additional costs associated with these assessments in addition to the travel arrangement costs. With sufficient notice, we are happy to arrange to travel.
i need an assessment but i'm not sure if you can help?
Feel free to give us a call to discuss the circumstances and what it is you're hoping for, and we can see if we can help
DO YOU DO OUTREACH APPOINTMENTS?
YES! We are able to do outreach appointments that relate to an assessment. We also have limited capacity to do treatment on an outreach basis. Travel costs are charged, and we can advise you about the specific fees.
do you offer sex ed for children and young people?
Yes, this is offered in the context of counselling as part of psycho-education for children where this need is identified. We are able to offer this on a group-basis on request, and can do this as an outreach session.
we have young people engaging in unhealthy or inappropriate behaviour AT SCHOOL, can you help?
This is a common question, especially coming from the school-setting. We are available to come to your school and discuss the concerns you have about students. This may include providing consultation to teachers about how to manage the sexualised behaviours, training to staff about healthy sexual development vs sexually abusive behaviour, and meeting with students in small groups or on an individual basis to address the concerns more specifically. We charge the same hourly rate, and we can provide you a detailed quote on request.
IS IT OKAY FOR TEENAGERS TO LOOK AT PORN?
We know that most teenagers have viewed pornography. This may be as a once off with minimal impact, or it may be a regular occurrence to the degree it is negatively impacting their views of healthy sexuality and respectful relationships - or somewhere in between. It depends on many factors! If you have concerns about pornography use, give us a call or send us an email and we can guide you as to whether there is cause for further enquiry and intervention.
Do you work with adults?
The bulk of our work is with young people up to 25 years old. However, our team are experienced in providing assessment and treatment for adults as well. For example, working with adults in the context of therapy for a range problem behaviours, undertaking forensic assessments, or in the context of Child Protection or Family Court matters. If we don't think we are the right fit for you, we will do our best to offer alternative recommendations.
Do you offer telehealth appointments?
Yes - we can offer Telehealth appointments for counselling, assessments and consultation. We use a secure, encrypted platform called Healthdirect Videocall. It uses the same link every time like a virtual waiting room, so there's not need to download software or have a unique password/meeting ID etc. We also do face to face appointments.
I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED A "FORENSIC" PSYCHOLOGIST OR JUST A "NORMAL" PSYCHOLOGIST?
We work in therapy with individuals who are not at all connected with the "forensic" side of things. Have a read of the type of services we provide to see if this fits with your needs. If you're still unsure we would be happy to have a chat with you about what's happening for you and whether we are the right fit. If not, we will try and make some alternative recommendations for you.
how do i make an appointment?
We like to ensure that we are the right service for you. You can reach out to us by phone or email, and via the website. We will get back to you within a couple of days. Email is definitely our preferred option as it can be tricky to catch us on the phone. Send us an email directly or via the website with details of your enquiry so we can guide you about whether we are able to assist. We can then work through next steps if you'd like to proceed. What usually happens is we book an appointment within the following 2-3 weeks, and we will send you an online intake form to complete. If you'd like to claim the sessions via Medicare, you'll need to visit your GP to obtain a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) that entitles you to a rebate upwards of $96.65 per session, for up to 10 sessions per calendar year. Or if you're claiming via Private Health, you don't need to worry about a MHCP.
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KEYSTONE PSYCHOLOGY