Before you arrive
Two things arrive before you do: a form, and — if you have one — a referral.
The intake form
You'll get a short form by email. Contact details, your GP, an emergency contact, and a few lines on what's bringing you in. It exists so the first session is spent talking, not filling in boxes. You don't have to write much. "Not sure yet" is a valid answer.
What to have ready
- Your referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan, if you have one
- Your Medicare card number
- Any previous reports you want to share — optional
Sessions are by video, so also
- A private space where you won't be overheard
- About an hour without interruptions
- Headphones, if you have them
- A device with a camera — phone, tablet or laptop
- A glass of water
The referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan, in plain words
A Mental Health Treatment Plan is a document your GP writes with you. It isn't a diagnosis and it isn't a judgement — it's the paperwork that unlocks a Medicare rebate for psychology sessions.
It usually means booking a longer GP appointment, where they ask how you've been, then write the plan and a referral. The plan covers an initial 6 sessions. If you need more after that, your GP reviews it and can refer you again.
You don't need to understand the document. Just send it through.
What if I don't have a referral?
You can book without one. You pay the full fee and there's no Medicare rebate. Nothing else changes.
If you'd like a plan, ask your GP for a longer appointment and say you want to discuss a Mental Health Treatment Plan.
Some private health funds cover psychology under extras — check with your fund. You can't claim Medicare and private health for the same session.
What it costs
| Session fee — 50 minutes | $250 |
|---|---|
| Medicare rebate, with a valid referral and plan | −$88 |
| You pay | $162 |
| Without a referral | $250 |
Getting started
You won't be left in silence, and you won't be asked to perform.
There's no waiting room to sit in. You'll get a link — click it a few minutes early. If it doesn't connect, I'll phone the number you gave. A technical problem is not a reason to abandon the session.
You'll see me. Whether I see you is your call: if you'd rather keep your camera off, say so.
I open the conversation. You will not be met with silence and an expectant look — that's a film thing. The first few minutes are ordinary: whether the link worked, whether you can hear me, whether you're somewhere you can speak freely. Then I explain how the session runs and what I'll ask, before I ask it.
You don't need an opening line. "I don't really know where to start" is a common start, and a perfectly good one.
What if someone at home might overhear?
Headphones, a parked car, or a walk all work. Tell me at the start and we'll plan around it — including keeping my questions closed enough that you can answer briefly.
What if the connection drops mid-sentence?
I call you. It happens regularly and it isn't a problem. We pick up where we left off.
How this works, and what's private
Most of what you say stays between us. Not all of it. Here is the exact line.
What exactly goes in the letter to my GP?
In it: that you attended and how many times; a brief summary of what you're working on; the approach and plan; any recommendations.
Not in it: a transcript, or the detail of what you told me. It's a paragraph or two, not a record of the conversation. You can ask to see it.
If any of this is a problem, raise it in the first session. It's a reasonable thing to ask about.
What brings you here now
The longest stretch, and the most ordinary: you talking, me asking. Here are the questions in advance, and why each one gets asked.
What made you look for help now?
Something usually tips a background problem into a phone call. The timing tells me a lot.
How long has this been going on?
Six weeks and six years point in different directions.
What does an average day look like at the moment?
How you're actually functioning matters more than a label.
What if I have nothing to say?
Then I ask questions. A first session is structured — filling the hour isn't your responsibility.
Background, and how things are day to day
Enough history to make sense of the present. Not your whole life story.
Have you seen anyone about this before?
What's already been tried saves us repeating it.
How are you sleeping?
Sleep is both a cause and a symptom.
Who's around you?
Who you can call at 11pm is clinically relevant.
What would you like to be different?
It sets the direction. "I don't know" is an acceptable answer — we work it out.
What if I don't want to talk about my childhood?
Then we don't. Not in the first session, and not at all if it isn't relevant to what you're here for.
The routine questions
Two questions I ask everyone, every time, in the same flat tone as the sleep question. They are not about you specifically.
How much are you drinking, and are you using anything else?
Not an accusation. Alcohol and other substances change what will and won't work, so I need an accurate picture rather than a polite one.
Have you had thoughts of harming yourself, or of not wanting to be here?
Asked of everyone. It's routine. Saying yes doesn't automatically trigger anything — it starts a conversation about safety.
What happens if I say yes to the second one?
We talk about it: how often, how strong, whether you've made any plans, and what keeps you safe. Most of the time that conversation stays in the room and becomes part of the plan.
Only if I believe you're in immediate danger does anything leave the room — and I'd tell you I was doing it.
What we make of it, and what's next
The last five minutes are for making sense of it and deciding what happens next.
1. I say back what I've understood
In plain language, not jargon: a short account of what seems to be going on and why it makes sense given your circumstances. I'll get things wrong. Correcting me is useful, not rude.
2. A plan
What we'd work on, roughly how, and roughly for how long.
3. Whether to book again
No need to decide on the spot. "I'll think about it" is fine.
If I'm not the right fit
This happens, and it isn't a failure. Fit matters.
You can say: "I don't think this is the right fit for me." Nothing more is required and no explanation is owed. Or email afterwards. Or simply not book again.
If you'd like, I can suggest other practitioners, or write to your GP asking for a different referral. You're not stuck with the first psychologist you try.
What you don't have to do
Things people brace for that aren't required.
- Cry. Some people do, some don't. Neither means it's working.
- Tell me everything on day one. You set the order and the pace.
- Arrive with a diagnosis, or know what's wrong.
- Know what you want out of it.
- Be articulate. Rambling is fine. So are pauses.
- Justify being here, or compare yourself to people who "have it worse".
"I'd rather not go into that today."
That's a complete sentence. It'll be respected, without follow-up.
Frequently avoided questions
Open only the ones you're actually wondering about.
Will I be judged?
No. My job is to understand what's happening, not to grade it.
Will I be put on medication?
No. Psychologists don't prescribe. Only a doctor can — your GP or a psychiatrist.
If medication seems worth considering, I'd raise it and suggest you speak to your GP. That decision stays between you and them.
What if I cry?
Nothing happens. Take a moment; we can pause. It doesn't end the session.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends what's going on. We'd discuss it at the end of the first session and review as we go. Booking once doesn't commit you to a course of treatment.
What if I want to stop?
You stop. No permission needed and no reason owed. Telling me is useful, not required.
Do I have to have my camera on?
No.
Notes for my first session
Khooshraj Mohun, registered psychologist · AHPRA PSY0002273569 · Telehealth
Take something with you
Three questions you'll probably be asked anyway. Answer as much or as little as you like, then print it or copy it. Arriving with something written down means you don't have to think on the spot.
This stays on your device. What you type here is not sent anywhere and is not saved. Closing this tab erases it.
If you need help before your appointment — Emergency 000 · Lifeline 13 11 14 · Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Ready, or nearly ready?
Send a message and we'll find a time. You don't need to explain much — a sentence is enough.
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