You can book a session online here or email at ishma@ishmaalvipsychology.com.au

You can email ishma@ishmaalvipsychology.com.au

You can support by speaking with your GP about creating a plan to treat your concerns. There are several plans that are covered by Medicare, that you may be able to access, depending on your concerns.

See available plans below.

Call, email or message Ishma Alvi Psychology 48 hours or more before the appointment, to allow plenty of time. Otherwise, there is a cancellation fee, which is 50% of the session fee if the cancellation is made 48 hours or less, and 100% of the session fee if the cancellation is made in 24 hours or less.

The practice phone and inbox is unattended on weekends and Public Holidays, therefore cancelations made on those days will incur the cancellation fee detailed above. 

If you re-schedule or cancel an appointment twice in succession, you will be asked to prepay for the following session you book. In the instance that this appointment is also cancelled, the prepayment will not be returned.

The first session will involve a walk-through consent and confidentiality, as well as the consent form you would have signed. I usually also go through the MHCP, just so we are on the same page as to how it works. 

Then we will work through what has brought you to therapy and how long the issues have been going on for and the impact they might have had. We’ll also look at what helps and where you get your resilience and support from. 

After that we’ll plan the next few sessions.

I usually book the first three to four sessions weekly, so we have a chance to develop some rapport and also can get the ball rolling on meeting your needs!

Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP)

This plan, called a Mental Health Care Plan of MHCP will outline goals you and your GP collaboratively develop and detail treatment options and support services available.

The purpose of the MHCP is not only to provide you access to the support you need but also to help with costs of treatment, as it allows you claim rebates of $93.35 for up to 10 individual and 10 group sessions with a mental health professional each calendar year.

The MHCP is developed by your GP in consultation with you. Typically, your GP will refer you for up to 6 sessions. Following this, Ishma will write a review of the plan and a brief outline of how you have been travelling in therapy thus far, while protecting the private details of the psychological work. Based on your needs and Ishma’s clinical judgement, you both may decide on further sessions, in which instance Ishma will detail that in her report. This will be sent to your GP, based on which, they can refer you for further sessions.

Eating Disorder Treatment Plan (EDP)

An Eating Disorders Treatment Plan or EDCP helps provide support for treatment of an Eating Disorder through Medicare. The diagnosis eligible for an EDCP referral are:

Anorexia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

Otherwise Specified Eating Disorder (OSFED)

The support an EDCP offers includes access to mental health support such as a psychologist and nutritional support, such as a dietician, as well as rebates of $93.35 for the sessions you use under the EDCP.

The EDCP can be used for 12 months from the date it was completed and under this plan you are eligible to receive up to a maximum of 40 Medicare rebated sessions. Ishma will write a review of the plan after 10 sessions, and a brief outline of how you have been travelling in therapy thus far, while protecting the private details of the psychological work. Based on your needs and Ishma’s clinical judgement, you both may decide on further sessions, in which instance Ishma will detail that in her report. This will be sent to your GP, based on which, they can refer you for further sessions.

Other Support

A Chronic Disease Management Plan is used in the case of a chronic medical condition requiring the care of a multidisciplinary team-based lead by your GP and at least 2 other health care providers. In these circumstances, such clients are eligible for Medicare rebates for certain allied health services such as psychology on referral from their GP.

It is possible to receive up to 5 rebates of $50 per session, under the Chromic Disease Management (CDM) Plan if your GP determines that you are eligible and best managed under this referral.

If you have private health insurance cover, and you do not wish to use, or are not eligible for, a Medicare based plan you may be able to claim a portion of the session fee from your private health fund. You will need to confirm with your individual cover whether psychology services receive a rebate - the amount of rebate and for how many sessions will differ between each health fund and each plan. 

Ishma Alvi Psychology is a Private Fee Practice, and therefore do not offer bulk billing for any service.