Fees & Referrals

About Us –

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a Referral to see a Psychologist at Samford Psychology?

No. You are welcome to self-refer by calling the practice directly on (07) 3289 2992. People who see us at Samford Psychology are often referred by their GPs under a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), however you can also be referred by your GP and see us under your Private Health Cover, or just refer yourself by giving us a call. We can discuss referral options with you when you ring.

Do you accept Mental Health Care Plans (MCHP)?

Yes. Clients may be referred by their GPs under a MHCP. Not all clients are eligible for a MCHP, but if you are, it allows you to receive up to 10 psychology sessions per calendar year for which you can claim a Medicare Rebate. We offer the convenience of being able to process your Medicare Rebate directly at the time of consultation, rather than having to go to Medicare.

Clients on a MHCP who are unable to afford any gap fee may be bulk-billed after discussion with your treating psychologist. Please note that this is NOT an automatic process on a MHCP, it is at the discretion of the treating psychologist and will take into consideration your individual financial circumstances.

What is your full fee gap to see a psychologist?

Full fees vary across psychologists and have been set at a level that keeps the gap fee consistent between psychologists that are Clinically or Generally registered with Medicare.

As of May 2025, the gap fee is approximately $120-$140 depending on the psychologist seen and services provided. This is subject to change as either Medicare rebates (if referred under an MHCP or GP Management Plan) or consulting fees may change over time.

Do you negotiate fees?

Where possible, the practice prefers to charge a full fee for psychology consultations. However, if you are unable to afford the full fee, all psychologists are able to negotiate fees with clients as necessary, in order to determine a more manageable gap fee.

Do you Bulk Bill?

All psychologists offer a limited number of bulk-billing appointments each working day. These timeslots are usually only available between the hours of 10am – 3pm.

Early morning, late afternoon and extended hours are reserved for full-fee paying clients who find it difficult to attend at other times due to work.

At Samford Psychology we believe that therapy should be of extremely high quality, whilst remaining affordable.

We understand that some people in need of psychological assistance may be under significant financial stress and, accordingly, the practice has a range of fee structures.

• There are only a limited number of bulk-billing appointments available each day.
• Some of our psychologists do not carry any bulk-billing appointment slots.

Can I claim my sessions on private health cover?

If clients have private health cover, it may be possible to receive a rebate from your health fund provider for psychological or psychiatric services. It is not possible to receive both a Medicare rebate and a Private Health Fund rebate for the same session. However, clients may choose to alternate between privately funded sessions and Medicare rebated sessions to make therapy more affordable – or may choose to use Private Health Fund rebates if they exceed the maximum of 10 Medicare sessions per calendar year, or if they do not qualify for a MHCP referral initially.

What Happens if I Miss My Appointment?

Samford Psychology understands that life can be hectic, and that it can be difficult to remember your appointments, or that life can throw us curveballs sometimes and we may miss attending important things in our lives, including therapy appointments.
As a courtesy, our administrative system sends out reminder texts 48 hours before your appointment to help you remember your appointments.*

Practitioners often have clients on a waiting list, patiently hoping for an additional appointment. Appointments that are cancelled with less than 48 hours notice are almost impossible to fill, as people waiting are often unable to accept this now vacant timeslot at short notice. Late cancellations or no shows also impact the ability of the practice and its practitioners, to continue to provide the services we do, in these lovely surroundings.

With these issues in mind, we have the following Cancellation Policy:

• Appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours notice will be charged a late cancellation fee of 50% of the originally scheduled fee.
• Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours notice, or no-shows, will be charged a late cancellation fee of 100% of the originally scheduled fee, as these will be almost impossible to fill.
• Please note that 3^rd-party payers (e.g. WorkCover, DVA etc) do not cover cancellation fees, and these will need to be paid privately by the client.

We completely understand that emergencies and other unforeseen/exceptional circumstances do happen, and we will always do our best to be flexible and fair where possible. Individual practitioners may choose to waive late cancellation fees after discussion and depending on circumstances; please note that this is NOT a decision that the Practice Manager can make.

*Please also note that the reminder text is a courtesy, and it is still your responsibility to remember your appointment. If the computerised reminder system fails for some reason and reminder texts are not sent, this will not qualify as an ‘exceptional circumstance’.

Can I Bring My Pet Into The Session With Me?

Service and assistance animals are welcome, however please refrain from bringing pets into the practice as they may distract working animals. Also, please let your therapist know if you intend to bring your own service / assistance animal into the practice, as some of our staff/practitioners have allergies and this will need to be managed.