Frequently Asked Questions
Jay Richards Psychology is not a crisis service and generally cannot accommodate immediate or crisis referrals. Jay can work with clients who have experienced previous or recurrent suicidal crises but cannot manage acute risk. If you are currently in crisis please present to the nearest hospital emergency or dial 000. If you are in need of immediate counselling services please contact one of the phone services listed here.
Psychologists study human behaviour in their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees before undertaking supervised experience and gaining professional registration. Psychologists do not have a medical degree and cannot prescribe medication. Studying to become a Psychologist involves a minimum of 6 years study at University.
Psychiatrists have completed a medical degree before completing further qualifications in the medical treatment of mental illness. Psychiatrists are able to prescribe medication. If Jay believes you may benefit from medication, he may recommend to your referring GP or Psychiatrist who will then make a decision.
Referrals and Rebates FAQs
No, you do not need a referral unless you wish to claim a Medicare rebate (currently $149.05 per session) for your sessions. To claim a rebate, you must first visit your GP and request a Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP).
A Mental Health Treatment Plan (MHTP) is a plan written by your GP for managing a mental health condition. Under a MHTP, you can receive a rebate on up to 10 individual psychological consultations in one calendar year.
To get a MHTP, you need to visit your GP who will complete the plan which will be either sent directly to Jay, or you will be given the plan to bring with you on your first consultation.
Yes. Referrals and Mental Health Treatment Plans (MHTP) are transferrable and can be used to see Jay.
The benefit payable to members of private health funds varies according to your level of ancillary or extras cover. It is best to contact your Private Health insurer directly to check your eligibility and for the rebate information.
No. You can only claim either Medicare or your Private Health insurance. Private Health insurers will not pay the ‘gap’ between your Medicare rebate and the consultation fees.
Fees Faqs
The current price for private and Medicare funded sessions is $240. If you are eligible for NDIS or Workcover sessions these are fully funded at no cost to you. More information about session costs and rebates is available here.
Jay Richards Psychology is a private practice and does not provide bulk-billed services. If you are experiencing financial hardship and are having difficulty paying a full fee, please contact the practice to discuss options.
The prices for assessments can be found here.
Client Portal FAQs
The Client Portal is an online hub you can use to book and reschedule your sessions with Jay. Via the client portal you can book sessions from the next day onwards (if there are sessions available), and cancel sessions so long as they are not within 48 hours of the session. If you need to cancel a session within 48 hours of the session, please contact us via phone or email. The Client Portal can be accessed here.
Booking process
Once you have clicked the link you can select “Book Appointment”. If you are booking in an initial session or additional sessions of psychotherapy select the “60min standard consultation” option. If you are booking in an assessment session book using one of the “Assessment booking” links (ensure you select the correct session length). If you choose incorrectly, select the grey “cancel” button on the right-hand side of the screen. Then use the online calendar to select an appointment time that works for you.
You will then be asked to login or register. Login using your login details. To register you will need to provide your first and last name, email address, and mobile number. You will also need to provide a password for your account. A verification code will be sent to your mobile number, and you will be asked to enter this number to verify the account.
Once you have completed this process you will be booked in with Jay. If this is your first session, he will send you an email containing some important information, and a consent form for engaging in psychological services. Tip: You can book multiple appointments at a time using the Client Portal. To get started with psychotherapy it is usually worth booking in around 3 sessions to begin with spaced at least 1 week apart. This way you can ensure some appointments that are convenient for you. You can always reschedule or cancel these appointments after discussing session frequency with Jay.
To reschedule or cancel an appointment you should login using the Client Portal. Then select “My Appointments” and locate the appointment that you want to reschedule or cancel then click on the red x in the top right-hand corner. Please check the appointment details before cancelling – otherwise you might cancel the wrong appointment.
You can then book in a session at a different time using the instructions in the FAQ above.
If you are having some trouble with the Client Portal you can contact Jay Richards Psychology directly via email, text, or phone. We can do everything that can be done via the Client Portal on our end so you can book, reschedule, or cancel sessions by contacting us directly as well.
Contact Faqs
If you need to contact Jay Richards Psychology, you can email info@jayrichardspsychology.com.au or text or phone 0420 971 271.
Please Note: email or text message communication is preferred as Jay may be unavailable for calls during client hours.
If your enquiry is related to booking or cancelling a psychotherapy or assessment appointment you can do so via our client portal link (https://clientportal.zandahealth.com/clientportal/jayrichardspsychology) just follow the instructions.
Current trading hours are 8am – 4:30pm Monday and Tuesday, and 9am – 5:30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
First Session FAQs
Before your first session you will be sent a welcome email with some things to complete. You will need to complete a consent form for psychological services, read some important information, and provide some personal details for our records. You will also be provided with an online link to some questionnaires to complete about your current mental health symptoms.
Beyond what is in the email you may want to think about and write down a few things that you would like to gain from seeing Jay and some goals to work towards. It can also be helpful to think about any previous therapy you had and what worked for you and what did not work. Having this information ready to go can assist Jay in getting started with you..
Please bring along any important or necessary documents or information (e.g., NDIS details, mental health care plan, WorkCover insurance information). You may also need to bring a payment method, private health card, Medicare card, or any other information you feel is relevant. You are welcome to bring a support person to your initial (and subsequent) sessions. Please see the Assessments page for further information about what to bring to your first session.
General Appointment FAQs
The number of sessions you will need to attend will depend upon the severity of your mental health symptoms and your current circumstances. In general, more severe mental health problems will require many more sessions to resolve – with some clients attending regular sessions for several years. However, most clients can get some benefit within 3-6 sessions.
Yes, Jay offers sessions via telehealth and over the phone. Some services may not be able to be provided over the phone or telehealth. You will be informed if you need to attend the practice in person.
Accessibility faqs
The Jay Richards Psychology practice is on the second floor but has disability access via an elevator to the left of the building entrance. Press and hold the button to have the lift descend to the bottom level then hold the button down to ascend within the lift.
There are several undercover parking spaces at the building, and on street parking on Dilkera Ave and near to Allambee park in Valentine.
Missing Appointment Faqs
If you are sick on the day of a session, we ask that you do not attend the practice to avoid infecting others. Please let us know that you are sick via email (info@jayrichardspsychology.com.au) or phone/text message (0420 971 271) as soon as you can and before your session commences*. You may wish to do your session via telehealth or phone, which can be easily arranged.
If you cannot attend the session due to illness, emergency, or misadventure we may choose to waive the cancellation fee for Medicare or Private paying clients so long as we are contacted in advance of the session time. However, we reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee in these circumstances in line with our cancellation policy. Clients who regularly miss appointments or cancel sessions may be declined further treatment.
*Please note you will not be able to cancel on the day via the client portal as this can only be used to cancel sessions 48 hours or more before your session.
If you miss or forget to attend a session you will be charged the full fee for the session. You will be provided with reminders 1 week and 2 days before your appointment – it is your responsibility to ensure that you attend the session or cancel or reschedule your session 24 hours or more before your session time.
5/70 Dilkera Ave
Valentine NSW 2280
info@jayrichardspsychology.com.au
Monday: 8am – 4:30pm
Tuesday: 8am – 4:30pm
Wednesday: 9am – 5:30pm
Thursday: 9am – 5.30pm
Friday: 9am – 5.30pm
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, and their continuing connection to land, waters, and culture.
We extend that respect to all Elders past, present, and future.
