Frequently asked questions

Individuals may see a psychologist for a few weeks or over a period of years, depending on their presenting concerns or goals. A person experiencing significant mental distress in their lives may see their psychologist regularly for a period before reducing to more infrequent sessions. Some individuals may choose to see a psychologist periodically over the year proactively to support their well-being (like a check-up at the dentist!).

How often and how long you meet with your psychologist is a very individual decision that is discussed with each client based on their concerns, current mental health and what is practical for the client to achieve. Our clients are always the decision makers in their treatment plans with us, and we continue to review our plans with clients to ensure we’re still working together effectively towards their goals.

If you’ve never worked with a psychologist before, it can all seem a bit intimidating and mysterious! Rest assured, our priority is to make you feel welcome and supported in our space and get to know your story and what your mental health challenges are. If it’s your first session, your psychologist will review some ethical and privacy aspects with you, explain their approaches to therapy, and guide you through some questions to get to know more about you.

The first session can sometimes feel a bit ‘wordy’ while we get to know you. It’s not uncommon for clients to feel overwhelmed or even react emotionally if they have been bottling up concerns. This is very normal and totally okay (we have lots of tissues!). We will work with you to identify some goals for your treatment and discuss a plan together. If you’re not in a great place mentally, our initial goals might be very simple to start with so we can get you to a healthy place before delving into more ‘chunky’ therapy work. Your psychologist will always work with where you’re at right now and will always welcome feedback whenever you need to reset your goals.

We like to think of psychology like other allied health professionals like a physiotherapist: you should leave your session feeling like you’ve worked on some good stuff (and like the physiotherapist, you might even feel a bit ‘sore’), and you should have some suggested activities or ‘between session work’ to help maximise what we’ve worked on. The more you can incorporate this into your life between sessions, the more benefit you will see over time, but there’s no punishment for not doing your homework! Some clients come to therapy ready to do lots of work, and some clients can only give 10% until they reach a more positive place in their mental well-being. We work with you, where you’re at right now.

Research over time continually shows that the relationship between a client and their psychologist is one of the most important ingredients in achieving positive therapy outcomes. It’s normal to take a bit of time to feel comfortable fully opening up, but you should always feel heard and respected by your psychologist and a sense of empathy and unconditional positive regard. You should feel that your goals are aligned and that you feel supported to work in therapy in a way that reflects your values as an individual.

At Barking Mad Company, we are comfortable discussing the best fit for therapy with you. Whether you choose to work with us, or we can support you to identify another local psychologist who has the best skills and experience to work with you, we want the best outcomes for our clients. We warmly welcome individuals to attend one of our open mornings to meet a psychologist and experience our space before booking your treatment.

Understanding the landscape of mental health professionals can be confusing. There is a lot of misinformation about who to see and when. We welcome and encourage clients to ask their clinician questions about their qualifications, experience and ongoing training.

All practitioners at Barking Mad Company have current Working With Children Checks, which they can provide upon request. They also have training to work specifically with animals in clinical therapy and complete annual ‘refresher’ certification in addition to regular supervision and professional development activities.

Psychologist

Formal training: 6 years, consisting of: a minimum of 5 years of university training (including a master’s degree) and one additional year of internship.

Protected title: Yes – an individual cannot legally practice under this term unless they are a registered professional with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and abide by the terms of their registration including ongoing supervision and development.

Medicare rebates: Yes, medicare rebates are available under several conditions including a mental health plan referral from a GP, Paediatrician or Psychiatrist.

Clinical Psychologist

Formal training: 8 years, consisting of: minimum of 6 years of university training (including a master’s degree in clinical psychology) and two additional years as a registrar. Clinical psychology training provides advanced expertise on diagnosable mental health conditions, including treatment and assessment.

Protected title: Yes – an individual cannot legally practice under this term unless they are a registered professional with AHPRA, abide by the terms of their registration and hold the clinical endorsement.

Medicare rebates: Yes, medicare rebates are available under several conditions including a mental health plan. Clinical psychologists can claim slightly higher rebates than a psychologist in recognition of their additional clinical training.

Psychiatrist

Formal training: 11-14 years, consisting of a medical degree (MD), at least 2 years of hospital training as a junior doctor, and a further 5 years of training as a Psychiatric registrar. A psychiatrist is a highly specialised medical professional who often works with complex mental disorders requiring managed medications (such as schizophrenia) or co-occurring with other physical health conditions. An individual may work with both a psychiatrist and a psychologist at the same time.

Protected title: Yes – an individual cannot legally practice under this term unless they are a registered medical specialist with AHPRA and abide by the terms of their registration including ongoing supervision and development.

Medicare rebates: Yes, medicare rebates are available under a range of referrals from a GP. Some claims can only be made once every twelve months. Fees generally reflect advanced medical specialist training.

Social worker

Formal training: A minimum of 4 years of university study.

Protected title: No – voluntary registration is available through the Australian Association of Social Workers, but this is not regulated.

Medicare rebates: Yes, medicare rebates are available under several conditions including a mental health plan referral from a GP, Paediatrician or Psychiatrist. Rebates are lower than those available from a psychologist.

Counsellor/Therapist

Formal training: There is no standard qualification for counselling. Training can range from a few days to a formal master’s degree.

Protected title: No – anyone is legally able to use the title counsellor. Many individuals will choose to be members of the Psychotherapy and counselling federation of Australia (PACFA) to demonstrate their commitment to best practice, but this is not regulated.

Medicare rebates: No, medicare rebates are not available for counselling professionals, however some NDIS services and private health rebates may be available.

For some reason, this is one of the most misconceived ideas out there on social media. The answer is Yes, absolutely! A psychologist is specially trained for many years to identify, assess for, diagnose and treat mental health disorders. This includes ADHD and autism. A clinician may work with other professionals in your care to support a diagnosis (e.g. a paediatrician, speech therapist or GP) or complete a diagnosis on their own. If a client chooses to explore medication treatments for their diagnosis (like anti-depressants or stimulants), a psychologist will refer them to, and work with, the clients medicare health team. This may include liaising with your GP or a child’s paediatrician to discuss the diagnosis and support ongoing care.

If a client has existing medical health conditions that may be a factor in a mental health diagnosis, your psychologist may recommend an assessment with a medical professional who is appropriately trained to include any biological testing that may be helpful in your assessment.

For clients seeking to meet certain reporting requirements for NDIS support, there are some circumstances where a clinical psychologist must complete or co-complete the assessment report. Guidelines are often changing. We encourage you to seek advice from your clinician if you are seeking an assessment as part of a current or future NDIS claim.

We currently have availability at Barking Mad Company for new client appointments. Occasionally, there may be a short wait for ‘walk and talk’ appointment spots and for 30-minute appointments, to enable us to provide the best care for our therapy dogs.

Yes, you can choose to attend some or all your appointments via telehealth, using a secure video call. We encourage clients to attend their first appointment in person where possible. Clients may also choose to ‘switch’ to telehealth for their appointment if their day has gone crazy and they can’t get to our practice!

No, a referral is not mandatory to see our psychologists, you can simply book an appointment online for yourself. Private health rebates may be available depending on your cover.

If you would like to access medicare rebates, you need to see your GP (or psychiatrist or paediatrician) and ask for a referral to us. We must have your referral letter either prior to, or at your first appointment for you to receive a rebate on the day.

Walk and talk therapy provides an option for clients to engage in therapy outdoors with your psychologist and a therapy dog. This can have a range of benefits including reducing anxiety and increasing physical activity. Medicare rebates are also available for walk and therapy (they are actually higher!). We offer these sessions at certain times of the week. You may engage in a mix of in practice, telehealth and ‘walk and talk’ as part of your therapy if you choose. We encourage you to enquire with us if this is a type of therapy you would like to engage with.

We maintain client records securely for a number of years in accordance with laws and ethical guidelines applying to the provision of psychological services. If we still have access to a previous assessment report completed with us, we are happy to provide a digital copy to the original client at no cost. We cannot provide this information to other parties without permission from the client (or their guardian).

Our practice is in a beautiful 125-year-old Ballarat shopfront. Whilst the entrance way is wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair easily, there are four steps up to reception. We are able to engage in ‘walk and talk’ therapy with wheelchair users at an accessible local area.

Our practice location has ample free off-street parking available in surrounding streets. At the practice we offer clients tea, coffee and cold water in our waiting area, as well as complimentary Wi-Fi. Toilet facilities are also available to clients, and our rooms are both heated and airconditioned. You are welcome to arrive early for your appointment to relax, or remain in our waiting area if you are visiting with children or teens for their appointment.

Our therapy dogs are scheduled to work at the practice to ensure their optimum wellbeing and prevent burnout. They do not work in therapy every day. If you have a bond with a particular dog and would like to work with them in your therapy, we are happy to accommodate this where possible if your appointment schedule is flexible. Occasionally this may not be possible due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. if your paw pal is not feeling well). Please speak with us if you would like to engage with a particular dog.

Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate other dogs at our practice for your therapy. This is because each dog has specific training to work with their handler. We also need to meet certain conditions for our insurance cover, which does not apply to uncertified therapy dogs. Additionally, not all our therapy doggos are comfortable having other dogs in their space. The wellbeing of our clients and dogs is always our priority. We may be able to incorporate your own dog into ‘walk and talk’ therapy as part of your treatment if you choose.

It is always up to a client to consent to animal assisted therapy, and you may remove your consent at any time. Many clients come to us because they are animal lovers and feel the benefit of therapy dogs involved in their care, but it is not compulsory if you’re not a dog person!

We currently offer services to self-managed NDIS clients only (as we are not a formally registered NDIS provider). Animal assisted therapy can be a great adjunct to your psychosocial support treatment as an NDIS participant, whether you’re a young person or an adult. We encourage you to make an initial appointment to discuss your needs. We are also able to assist with NDIS assessment and report writing services.

Absolutely! Veterans and their families are very welcome at Barking Mad Company. We have lived experience of close family with active military service in our team and are passionate about supporting the mental well-being of our veterans and retired service personnel. White and gold card carrying veterans can access treatment cycles with us, with no out-of-pocket cost incurred for their services.

We provide an invoice on the morning of your appointment that includes a link to pay online at your convenience using a range of methods including debit cards, apple or android pay, and direct bank transfer. We prefer not to receive cash payments as we do not carry change at our practice, but we can accommodate this with advanced notice.