Frequently Asked Questions

Wait times can vary from a few days to a month, depending on the therapist, demand for the day and time you want.

All individual, couple and family sessions are available via phone or zoom and in-person at our Bella Vista office.

The various options provide enormous convenience as you do not need to be based in Sydney and you can attend your therapy session without having to travel.

It also offers greater flexibility with appointment times including more after hours times available.

Please call Kylie Lepri Counselling on 0404 032636 to enquire about our availability and/or to book a FREE 15-minute enquiry call to discuss your situation and find out how we can help.

To start with, I suggest you read our “about” pages so that you can get a good sense of our counsellors and how we work.

Secondly, we offer a free, 15-minute telephone or video inquiry call as a starting point so we can speak together about your needs and how we can help.

The first time we talk we’ll ask you to give us a brief description of the issues you would like to address in counselling and we’ll let you know how we may be able to help you. You can get a good sense of your counsellor on this call and if you ‘click’.

We’ll tell you when we’re available and talk to you about our fees and the way we work. If it feels like a good fit for both of us we’ll set up your initial assessment session.

If we don’t think we are the best counsellor for you, we are well connected to resources and would be happy to refer you to someone who may be better suited to you and your issue.

All Individual, Couple and Family sessions are for 60 minutes, unless prior arrangements are made.

At the end of the first session, we will recommend a plan for ongoing appointments, including the length of sessions.

Please contact us on 0404 032636 or book online to enquire about our availability.

The best outcomes for therapy are possible when counselling appointments are scheduled and attended regularly. Every person is different, and while some clients find an enormous relief within a few sessions, current research suggests that it can take at least 3-4 months of psychotherapy to establish long lasting changes. Research also shows that if you experience positive change sooner rather than later, this is a good indicator of getting the results you want. For this reason, we track your progress closely and ask for your feedback.

Together, we can discuss how often you will attend based on your needs and your schedule, which may be weekly, fortnightly or monthly. In our experience, the clients that have the most positive outcomes from therapy attend sessions on a regular basis.

If your partner won’t come to couples counselling, I suggest you come to counselling on your own.

Individual relationship counselling will focus on the part you play in the dynamics of your relationship, which can have a positive impact on how you function as a couple.

You may even find that your partner’s behaviour changes as a result of the changes you have made.

Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee we can help you save your relationship.

What we can do is assist you and your partner in identifying the negative patterns that have become entrenched between you and facilitate honest and open communication about your hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the relationship and we can see what is possible from there.

Some couples come into relationship counselling at a point where there has been significant hurt and pain carried over a long period of time, and sometimes it’s not possible for the relationship to recover from this.

Other couples are able to work through past pain and hurt and create a stronger and more resilient relationship.

If your partner is ambivalent about saving the relationship and you’re determined to save it, I recommend you have some individual relationship counselling to focus on the areas you may be able to change within yourself.

If you really want to save your relationship, couples therapy may be your only hope for saving it.

And if saving your relationship is not possible, we can work together to ease the pain and challenges involved in separating.

A family can be a blended family, an extended family, families tied by blood, marriage and defacto relationships, foster and adoptive families, same-sex parented family, separated parent family, single parent family and  a step family.

A family can benefit from therapy when they experience any stressful event that may strain family relationships, such as family of origin issues, cultural differences, behavioural issues in children, addictions, family violence, illness or disability, parenting differences, financial hardship, separation or divorce, blending of a new family, trauma or the death of a loved one.

Having all members of the family present for therapy is ideal. However, when that is not possible or helpful, we apply a personalised approach, as there are various ways to support a family with therapy.

No referral required.

As of the 1st January 2024 – Here is our current fee schedule.

Individual Counselling/Psychotherapy – $210.00 – 60 minutes.

Relationship/Marriage Counselling – $245.00 -60 minutes.

Family Therapy – $245.00 – 60 minutes.

Extended consultations – $365.00 -. 90 minutes – An extended consultation is recommended for initial couples and family appointments. It can be especially helpful when there are multiple concerns/complexities and/or when it’s challenging to arrange a time to come together.

We provide a variety of services, please call us on 0404 032636 if you would like to discuss our fees and/or find out more about how we work. You can also book an appointment online here.

Medicare: As private practitioners, Medicare does not provide rebates for our services.

Please note that in order to claim sessions through Medicare you will need to be assessed by a GP for a mental health issue.

If you have a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) and wish to access rebates through Medicare, you need to be referred to a psychologist by your G.P.

Medicare care plans are for individual use only when services are provided by a psychologist and cannot be used for couple or family therapy.

Private Health Funds: Thankfully, a growing number of private health insurers are recognising the importance of counselling, and you may be able to claim rebates on our services. However, there are associated variables within the claiming process, including levels of cover and the service provider. If you would like to know if your counselling session is claimable, please contact us on 0404 032 636 or at info@kylielepri.com.au prior to your appointment.

As a guide here are some health insurers currently offering counselling:

Bupa

Medibank Private

HCF

AHM

AIA

Teachers Union Health

The Doctor’s health fund

Police Health & Emergency services

St Luke’s Health

Grand United Health (GU Health)

CUA Health

GMHBA Health

Phoenix Health fund

West Fund

Payment:

In-person appointments – Payments are accepted via cash, debit or credit card at the time of appointment.

Online appointments – Payments are required by bank transfer or credit card prior to online sessions commencing.

Any session notes and records are kept in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and are encrypted on a password–protected computer.

The nature and content of the discussions between client/s and counsellor/psychotherapist is strictly confidential.  However, if we are concerned you are going to harm yourself or someone else we are required by law to report it to the necessary authorities. Please note a discussion will always take place before any report is made.

Please note all cancellations or rescheduling of appointments require at least 24 hours notice otherwise the full fee may be charged.

We understand that life sometimes gets in the way and cancelling is unavoidable but please be mindful that the best results for counselling require regular attendance.

A Counsellor & Psychotherapist is a professional that utilises interpersonal relationships to enable people to develop self-understanding and to make changes in their lives.

Although Counselling and Psychotherapy overlap considerably, there are also recognised differences. While the work of Counsellors and Psychotherapists with clients may be of considerable depth, the focus of Counselling is more likely to be on specific problems, changes in life adjustments and fostering clients’ well being. Psychotherapy is more concerned with the restructuring of the personality or self and the development of insight.

(Information provided by the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia)

To find out more:

http://www.pacfa.org.au/practitioner-resources/counselling-psychotherapy-definitions/

Psychologists use scientific methods to study the factors that influence the way that people think, feel and learn. They use evidence-based strategies and interventions to help people overcome challenges and improve their performance.

Clinical psychologists help with the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses.

(Information provided by The Australian Psychological Society)

To find out more:

https://www.psychology.org.au/studentHQ/careers/what-does-a-psychologist-do/