Frequently Asked Questions

At Liza's Place we offer a range of psychological services, including child and adolescent individual, dyadic and parent support, as well as group therapy. Our experienced psychologists are trained in a wide range of therapies to support various concerns such as anxiety, depression and trauma. We provide a tailored program for you.

Liza's Place specialised in supporting children (3-11), adolescents (12-18) and young adults as well as supporting their parents and carers. We also assist education providers in meeting children's and adolescent's needs at school. Parents also benefit by accessing parenting support as we know that the important job of parenting can at times be very challenging.

If you are impacted by emotional distress or behavioural concerns, therapy can be highly beneficial.

We book a 90-minute appointment for all new clients (assessment session), and 50-minutes for ongoing sessions.

While a referral is preferred it is not necessary. Clients can see our psychologists under Medicare, such as a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), as well as Private Health Insurance, NDIS, Victims of Crime or similar. Our provisional psychologists can be accessed at a lower set fee however rebates are not available.

Under a Mental Health Care Plan you are eligible for 10 individual sessions and 10 group sessions per calendar year. Parents may access 2 parent sessions within these 10 individual sessions. Medicare provides a range of support plans so please chat with your GP, pediatrician or psychiatrist about what is best for you.

You do not need a referral to see a psychologist at Liza's Place however they are preferred as they allow us to better coordinate your mental health care. Please provide a letter outlining your concerns if you are not accessing a referral. You will need a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), or similar, if you wish to receive rebates on your sessions. Our provisional psychologists are available at a set fee and do not attract a Medicare rebate.

We understand that everyone's mental health needs are unique. Some clients present with more risk-based behaviours and require more immediate care. The GP referral will assist us decide on the urgency of your case. Please note that if you are in crisis or require immediate support please contact your local hospital, 000 or refer to the crisis numbers provided.

Booking an appointment with us is easy. For ease of access, we offer multiple methods of making bookings. You can call us, email us, submit a request online or book via our portal directly. More information can be found on our Bookings Page. Please note that new clients will not be able to book their initial assessment session using our portal.

Typically, each therapy session at Liza's Place lasts for about 50 minutes. However the length of a session can depend on your needs and the type of therapy being provided. New assessment sessions typically last for 90 minutes so that we have more time to find out about you.

The frequency of therapy sessions vary from person to person. It depends on your unique needs, goals, and the nature of your concerns. Your psychologist will work with you to determine the best treatment for you.

We understand that seeing a psychologist is a big, and sometimes scary step. To make things easier, we've tried to provide you with lots of information about us on this website - so please look around. We also know that feeling safe with us is important. For this reason we provide a weekly "Drop In" time after school so that you can see the clinic and also meet some of our team. Please contact our friendly reception to find out when the next Drop-In slot is available or enquire from this site.

Your first therapy session is an important time for you and your therapist to get to know each other. This session is usually 90 minutes long to give us more time to do this. We will explore your concerns, your background and your therapy goals. Your psychologist will also introduce you to the clinic, the assessment and therapy process and answer any questions you may have. Your parents are also encouraged to be a part of this process.

Many health insurance providers offer coverage for psychological services. We recommend contacting your insurance provider directly to chat about the specifics of your coverage.

Yes, you may be able to use your NDIS funding for therapy services. Liza's Place offers a variety of services that fall under the NDIS support categories. We support both plan-managed and self-managed NDIS participants.

If your NDIS funding runs out, you may need to self-fund your therapy sessions until your plan is ready. You may be eligible for Medicare rebated sessions so please chat with your GP or referring specialist. However, it's always advisable to keep track of your NDIS funds to avoid any disruptions to your therapy.

Psychologists are registered after 6-7 years of professional study and internship placements while Clinical Psychologists undertake an additional 2 years of specialist training. After 5 years of study psychology students are typically provisionally registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) while they complete their advanced training. Liza's Place offers suitable Provisional Psychologists the opportunity to undertake placements. We provide formal supervision and additional training for Provisional Psychologists to complete their registration requirements. This means that our Provisional Psychologists bring with them a wealth of knowledge including their recent psychological studies.

It is always helpful to meet both parents to gain key insights. However, we understand that this may not always be possible. If a parent is not able to attend but wishes to provide information, we can either see that parent separately or you can write out the information and have the other parent bring it to the first session.

It is generally better if your psychologist can see you together, however, we understand that this can be stressful. The other parent is welcome to book a separate session to discuss their concerns or they can write out their information and provide this directly to the psychologist.

All children remain the responsibility of their parents/carers and we ask that you continue your normal parental responsibilities at all times, including while in a session. If you are attending your child's session please ensure that another adult is available to care for siblings, particularly younger siblings. If your child is under the age of 14, parents and carers need to remain on the premises during sessions even when your child is attending a session by themselves.

Often young people prefer to attend sessions alone, especially once they become familiar with the clinic and their psychologist. However, we are happy to have parents attend sessions so that you all learn new skills and share your perspectives. Whether parents attend sessions or not is usually left up to the young person and family involved.

Your consent is generally needed for the collection of your sensitive information or to use or disclose your personal information for a purpose other than the purpose it was collected. We respect your right to determine how your information is used or disclosed. Consent forms are available to record your preferences.

We understand that sometimes you may need to cancel or change your appointment. We do ask that you provide us with at least 48 hours' notice to avoid a cancellation fee. That way we have enough time to offer someone else who is needing support your spot. You can cancel or reschedule a session by calling us directly, or by sending us an email.