Frequently Asked Questions

Inner Eastern Psychology in Melbourne has 3 locations, across Richmond and Hawthorn. Please confirm with our Client Support Team where your psychologists are located.

Clients usually contact us via email, phone or our online contact form. With the aim of matching you with a suitable psychologist, our friendly Client Support Team will usually ask for some background information so that we can understand your needs, such as your current difficulties, preferences of psychologists, locations and / or etc. If you prefer, we can send you details of suitable psychologist so that you can take some time to decide who might suit you best. 

We consider a number of factors when matching you with a suitable psychologist, such as their relative experience and areas of special interests, therapeutic approaches, locations, accessibility, availability of ongoing appointments and care etc.

The Client Support Team is your first point of contact. They can

• Match you with a suitable psychologist

• Help you understand fees, Medicare rebates and other payment matters

• Book and reschedule appointments

• Manage referrals and correspondence with psychologists

Yes. Some psychologists in the team provide consultations with children who are 3 years old and order.

Yes. There are psychologists trained in couples counselling and family therapy in the team.

Yes. There are psychologists in the team who are trained to do assessments in these areas. You can do the assessment alongside with your therapy, or you can obtain a standalone assessment. Please chat with our Client Support Team for more information.

In Australia, Psychologist is a protected term that describes mental health practitioners trained in the science of helping people with assessment and evidence-based therapies for issues such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma related disorders etc.    

All psychologists are registered with The Psychology Board of Australia and The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), which regulates safety and professional standards of practice for many Registered Health Professions.  You can search the online register of practitioners on their website.

Counsellor is not a protected term or title, and are not registered with AHPRA, but can be regulated other relevant agencies.  

Clinical psychologists are psychologists who have completed a specific, extensive qualification pathway that requires a minimum of 6 years of tertiary study followed by two years of supervised ‘registrar’ training, which equates to a minimum of 8 years of training. 

Psychologists are not medical doctors so they cannot prescribe medication, order blood tests or imaging, and they do not have admitting rights to hospitals or day programs attached to private hospital facilities.  Medical doctors such as GPs and Psychiatrists are usually responsible for discussing and prescribing medications in Australia. 

Whilst psychologists often work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, they are not able to provide the Medicare-access-referral to other clinicians such as Dieticians, Psychiatrists.  Your GP generally has the central role in coordinating and referral to Medicare related services. 

This is a big question and we have a specific page that provides the answer in details. Learn more Here.

There are occasions when you may find your psychologist not being the right fit for you, whether it is due to interpersonal dynamic, communication styles, you facing some new challenges that your current psychologist is not trained in, entering a different phase of therapy etc. This happens and is completely reasonable.

Your psychologist is your first point of contact to have a discussion around this, with the aim that both of you work out a plan to address / repair the situation. If changing psychologist is deemed appropriate, a discussion around timeframe, your next suitable psychologist, what relevant experience is required etc. is helpful.

If your recommended psychologist is within the practice, our Client Support Team will assist you to make arrangements for your appointments.

You will also be asked if you would like your records to be shared with your new Psychologist.

If changing psychologists is not straightforward in your situation, please contact our Client Support Team for assistance.

The main difference is in their training pathways to obtain a registration of Psychologist.

General Psychologists

• Complete a Psychology Degree (4-5 years)

• Internship under supervision (1-2 years)

• Minimum 6 years of training.

Clinical Psychologists

• Start with the same / similar Psychology Degree (usually 3 years plus honours)

• Masters or PhD in Clinical Psychology (minimum 2 years)

• Become registered as General Psychologists first

• Then complete at least 2 more years of supervised practice in Clinical Psychology (the “registrar program”)

• You may hear the term “Clinical Psychology Registrars”, referring to General Psychologists who are participating in the registrar program.

Not at all! This is a common query. All Psychologists have general registration. Some have done additional training to obtain endorsement. All Psychologists have high level of training and those without endorsements often have specialist skills and training in areas of practice. Requirements for ongoing training and development also applies to all Psychologists. Finding the right fit for you is usually more important than the qualifications, training pathways, or specific registration of your psychologist.

A standard appointment usually goes for about 50 minutes.

Absolutely. All the Psychologists in the team offer Telehealth appointments.

Prior to your first appointment:

• It is important to complete the consent form sent to you via email.

• If you are planning to use Medicare, please email us your referral prior to your appointment. You can learn more about referrals and funding options here.

• Take note of the practice location and address, as well as the individual code to access the building.

If possible, it can be helpful to have an idea about why you would like to see a psychologist, if you have any specific treatment goals, concerns, preferred therapeutic approaches etc. However, it’s completely fine if you are not sure! Your psychologist will figure these out with you.

Depending on the approach and styles, psychologists may carry out their initial appointment differently. In general, the first appointment with a psychologist is usually a collaborative get-to-know-you session.

During this session, we would like to understand your background, your needs and current situation, what works (or hasn’t worked) for you etc.

If appropriate, psychoeducation and suitable treatment approaches are also discussed. It’s important to note that therapeutic relationship, collaboration and person-centered practice are pillars of effective therapy. This means that the focus and pace of every session (including the first) will depend entirely on your individual needs and comfort level.

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, please provide us with more than 48 business hours. This means that weekends and public holidays do not count towards the allowance of 48 hours.

Yes, some of the psychologists in the team are trained to provide assessment reports, including those for funding purposes such as the NDIS. Please contact our Client Support Team to learn more about appointment availability and how it works. 

To thoroughly understand your needs and current situation, a support letter is usually provided to clients who have attended more than 3 consecutive appointments. Given that this is an individual process, please speak to your psychologist or our Client Support Team for more information.

Court reports are not part of the usual services provided at Inner Eastern Psychology.