With the current restrictions, I am conducting all sessions via telehealth. The government has announced that eligible people can now access an additional 10 Medicare-rebated sessions due to the Stage 4 Covid-19 restrictions in Melbourne, starting from 7 August 2020. Please note that a gap payment still applies. See below:
https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-greg-hunt-mp/media/additional-covid-19-mental-health-support
The government has today advised that mental health practitioners can charge a gap payment for services provided under the telehealth provisions. The following groups must be bulk-billed:
The ‘at risk’ category has been reviewed and now includes a person who:
For clients with a mental health care plan who do not meet the above criteria, the session will be processed directly to Medicare and then a gap payment of $84 will be payable.
Please feel free to discuss this with me if you are experiencing financial hardship.
I am now doing nearly all sessions via Zoom. The government is now allowing Medicare rebates to be paid for these sessions, and they currently have to be bulk-billed. This situation may change. I am learning new ways of doing EMDR, and although it seems somewhat strange, it seems to be working. It is particularly important that we all look after our mental health during this crisis.
If you feel unable to connect via Zoom (for instance, you do not have the privacy in your home to feel comfortable with this) please contact me to discuss. Take care, stay safe!
Your mental health is important. I am still offering in-office sessions, but please note the following:
Please call or text to reschedule if you are feeling unwell, or have been in contact with anyone with flu-like symptoms. A cancellation fee will not be charged in these circumstances.
I am observing social distancing, and following recommended hygiene protocols.
I am also offering Skype or Zoom teleconferencing sessions. Please contact me to arrange. I am expecting changes to the Medicare rebate scheme on this, as currently only certain vulnerable people can access this option for the Medicare rebate.
If you have further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Stay safe and well!
I am delighted to announce that I now have my own room in Elwood. This move will give me more hours, and more flexibility to accommodate clients. It’s a delightful room, in a great part of Elwood. Parking is easily available in nearby streets, and the beach is just down the road! Look forward to seeing you soon.
I am now two days at Malvern East – Tuesdays and Thursdays. Clients report really liking the Malvern room, so I was pleased to pick up the extra day there. Unfortunately, the building at Bentleigh is being sold, so I was unable to continue there on Fridays. For Fridays clients, I am now at Armadale Counselling Rooms every second Friday.
After several years in the same location in Elsternwick, I am delighted to announce that I will be practising from different locations. While maintaining the room in Elsternwick on Wednesdays and Saturdays, I will be in Malvern East on Tuesdays and Bentleigh on Mondays and Fridays.
As we near the end of 2013, I’m reflecting on what has passed – the people I cherish, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve visited, the challenges, the experiences that bring pleasure and gratitude – and from all that, what I have learned.
I understand that many people find this time of year difficult. We are bombarded with messages and images of happy families and successful relationships. In reality, the pressure of expectations, time constraints and financial worry cause problems to surface, and we are left with the realization that our relationships are hurting.
And for those who have no family and few friends, the mismatch between the image of what the ‘festive’ season should be and their lives is truly distressing.
For each of you, I wish you a peaceful, reflective time – perhaps just some moments of realizing the beauty of who you are, your integrity, your true self, the spirit within you, or whatever it is that has helped you endure and survive.
For the clients I have had the privilege of working with during the year, thank you for sharing so much with me. I look forward to seeing some of you in 2014.
Writing this on a miserable wintry Melbourne day, I’m reflecting on what we can do to lift our mood.
I often speak with clients about the day-to-day things they can do to improve the way they feel. Obviously, we are all different, and what works for one may not work for another.
As my business name suggests, I like to live mindfully. The problem is that it’s not easy to remember to be mindful, because we have minds that are used to managing various competing tasks, and a world that is fast-paced, full of deadlines and unrelenting demands.
What I suggest to clients who are distressed is to start focusing on something mundane and repetitive. Pay attention to the detail of whatever you are doing and try to focus exclusive attention on that task – whether it be wiping the bench, washing the car, walking or eating – and gently tell any interfering thoughts to go away and come back later. Be accepting and forgiving with yourself. It takes practice, but it’s worth persevering.
People generally say they feel better on a sunny day. But when it’s now sunny, try looking at the clouds. They can be beautiful in their own right. Their shapes, colours and changing formations used to fascinate me when I was a child. Try imaging things from the shapes – animals, geometric shapes, letters, whatever – it’s all there, with some imagination.
If it is a completely grey sky and raining, try observing the rain as it comes down and lands on the ground, or the window. Watch the way the water falls, and forms patterns, the way it affects the light and colours.
Become lost in a reverie of weather observation! It makes an otherwise miserable Melbourne day more interesting.
There’s been a lot of media coverage lately of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
I know many, many people are disappointed that the terms of the Royal Commission do not include abuse by other perpetrators. We know that many people have experienced abuse within their own families.
Some of my clients have told me that they have welcomed the press coverage – that after years of silence they are hearing stories by others who have suffered like they have. They find they are not alone, and their feelings, thoughts and behaviours over the years are starting to make more sense.
Even though it is disappointing that the Royal Commission’s terms of reference are not wider, at least it is a start. Our community is finally starting to acknowledge the scourge of sexual abuse. Perpetrators can no longer be confident that no-one will believe the voice of the one they once abused – the child’s voice they silenced is now an adult’s voice screaming out for justice. Institutions can no longer defend the indefensible.
If you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, you may be responding in a variety of ways. You may be actively seeking help, or you may not yet feel ready to take the next step forward. But remember: as a child you survived – you did whatever you needed to do at the time to stay alive and minimise the harm done to you. Those protective mechanisms worked well for you then. However, many adults find that those protective mechanisms get in the way of their living full, productive lives as adults.
Relatonship problems, heavy drinking or drug use, withdrawal from the world, overwork, and other behaviours can be a problem for adult survivors.
There are some excellent resources available. Check out relevant websites, particularly www.asca.org.au for further information. And if you decide you need to see a counsellor, ensure they have recent training in trauma therapy, because significant advances have been made in therapeutic theory and practice in recent years
I wish you all the best on your journey towards healing.