FAQs
Frequently asked questions
We know that coming to see a psychologist or allied health clinician is a big decision for most people, so at The Whole Family, we are dedicated to supporting you from your very first contact with us.
Do you only work with children?
The Whole Family was created with the hope of making mental health support more accessible to families, regardless of our regional location.
We want to help children and adolescents feel less alone in their mental health journey. We want to help parents to feel more confident in their parenting of their children and adolescents.
But perhaps more than anything, we really want to find a way to offer more preventative care. To be proactive more than reactive. Two ways in which we try to achieve this is firstly by offering supervision to provisional and registered psychologists and secondly by providing interventions and support to the adults in our community.
So no, we don’t only work with children and adolescents. If you are an adult and you are interested in engaging with our service, please contact us.
Do I need a referral to see a clinician at The Whole Family?
Referrals can be helpful but are not a requirement for engagement with a clinician at The Whole Family. Depending on the service you are interested in, a referral can aid you in receiving rebates. For specific information in relation to referrals and rebates, please send us a question through our Contact page so that we can provide you with accurate information to fit your situation.
How much does it cost to see a psychologist or allied health clinician The Whole Family?
Can sessions be covered by Medicare, Private Health or NDIS?
Navigating referral and finance options for psychology and allied health services can be complex, but at The Whole Family, we are here to make this as hassle free as possible for you. With a Mental Health Treatment Plan, which can be prepared by GPs, Paediatricians or Psychiatrists, Medicare rebates are available for most psychology services. A Mental Health Treatment Plan currently allows for 10 sessions to be partially reimbursed, each calendar year.
You may be eligible for a rebate if you have Private Health Insurance, depending on your level of coverage as well as the specific service you are seeking. Private Health Insurance and Mental Health Treatment Plans cannot be used simultaneously. We suggest checking with your insurance provider for information regarding eligible services and specific rebates.
For families who have children or adolescents who are part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), or for adults who are a part of this scheme, we offer services to those who are either self or plan managed.
Please contact us if you would like more information as to referral pathways, fees and rebates.
What can I expect in my first appointment?
Prior to your first appointment at The Whole Family you will receive an email with confirmation of your initial appointment. This email will also include a registration form, our consent form and our cancellation policy. We understand that these documents can be quite overwhelming, so we encourage you to complete them before arriving at your initial appointment. If you choose not to complete the paperwork prior to your appointment, that is okay. We just ask that you arrive 15 minutes before the start of your appointment to allow enough time for you to complete the paperwork
Depending on the age of the child, the first appointment will sometimes consist of a Parent/Guardian Intake Session. This consists of an hour long consultation with the parents and / or guardians only. During this intake session, your clinician will take a detailed history of current concerns with the goal of developing an understanding of treatment goals as well as a working treatment plan.
What can I expect in on-going appointments?
For our child and adolescent clients, at The Whole Family, we see the parental engagement in child sessions as vital in creating lasting change. More often than not, parents will be invited to meet with their child’s clinician at the beginning of the consultation, and then at the conclusion of the consultation, as a means of debriefing and sharing strategies learnt, so the parent can help the child to generalise what they are learning in therapy to everyday life.
Throughout your child’s course of treatment at The Whole Family, as appropriate, you may be asked or you may request a parent-feedback session, in which you have the opportunity to further explore ways of supporting your child.
We hold tightly to the notion that it takes a village so if it is clinically indicated, sessions can also include school visits or school liaison.
What about confidentiality?
It goes without saying that Cairns is tiny and sometimes this can be a barrier to seeking help.
As with seeing any treating medical professional, your sessions are completely confidential. As clinical psychologists and psychologist, we are governed by the Australian Psychological Society, which has its own Code of Ethics. Our allied health clinicians are also familiar with this code and adhere to this code in their work at The Whole Family.
At The Whole Family, our clinicians and our administration team take this code very seriously and endeavour to do all that we can to protect our client’s and our clients’ families’ privacy.
