FAQs

If you or someone you know is in a crisis and needs help right now, call 000 immediately.

Alternativiely, you can call the following 24 hour hotlines at anytime:

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Mental Health Crisis: 1300 369 005

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

SANE: 1800 187 263

Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800

If either you or a loved one is troubled by a mental illness or condition of concern, please request a GP assessment. Your GP can then refer you to Dr Raj, one of our practice psychologists, or another member of our allied health team for further support as needed. Your referral will then be reviewed, and an appropriate appointment will be organised for your initial consultation.

Allied health appointments do not require a referral, however a GP Team Care Arrangement or Chronic Disease Management Plan where appropriate can result in a Medicare rebate for some services.

NDIS participants can refer themselves or be referred by their Support Coordinator.

For some conditions, we are able to complete the assessment at your initial consultation. Other conditions, including Autism and ADHD, will require a number of assessment appointments. The anticipated time that it will take for your assessment to be completed and treatment plan created, will be discussed at your initial consultation.

To ensure that we can provide the care that you or your loved ones needs, our policy is for all initial consultations are to be in person. Under some circumstances, we might may be able to provide follow up appointments via Telehealth.

If you would prefer a Telehealth appointment, please get in touch, or discuss this with your practitioner.

Appointment fees vary depending on the type of appointment you require.

Some of our services are funded by Medicare, TAC, WorkCover and other providers. Others are fully funded by the patient privately.

In some instances, where you have a referral and/or care plan from your GP, part of your fee will be rebated by Medicare or another government agency. A gap payment will generally be applicable and payment of this is required on the day of consultation. Our team will confirm applicable fees and payment arrangements with you when you book your appointment.

If you would like more information, please contact our reception team.

Please bring your:

• Completed registration form.

• Referral from your GP or other referrer, and any other paperwork provided to you.

• Medicare / Pension / Health Care cards.

• If applicable, paperwork from WorkCover/TAC/DVA/DFA or your 3rd Party Insurer.

• Private Health Insurance details.

• List of current medications.

If you will need an interpreter for your consultation, please advise us when you book your appointment.

Some patients may be able to claim travel and accommodation expenses under the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS). You can access information on the health.vic website and download the form you will need to complete here.

The length of your appointment depends on the type of clinician you are seeing, as well as whether it is your first consultation (which is often longer). Please confirm with our reception team when booking your appointment.

For questions about appointment bookings and waiting times, please contact our reception team.

Yes, we welcome carers and support people in all of our consultations. If you would prefer that they remained in the waiting room during your appointment, please notify your clinician.

You can download a copy of the privacy policy here.

You will be seated during all your rTMS appointments and be asked to remove any magnetic-sensitive objects (such as jewellery, most piercings and credit cards) prior to the treatment, because rTMS uses magnetic pulses. You will be given earplugs for your comfort, because the rTMS device makes a ticking noise, which is similar to an MRI machine.

During the first appointment, measurements will be taken to ensure that the rTMS coil is positioned properly over your head. Your rTMS technician will then administer several brief pulses to determine the appropriate amount of energy required. This varies between patients.

Once this is determined, the coil will be positioned over the front region of your brain the treatment will then commence. Throughout the treatment, you will hear clicking sounds and feel a tapping sensation under the coil.

The treatment takes on average 20-30 minutes and your rTMS technician will be in the room with you at all times.

Your rTMS appointments will be 5 days per week for 4-7 weeks, depending on your response to the treatment.

We strongly encourage all patients to ensure they attend all appointments so that an rTMS treatment is not missed.

rTMS is a safe treatment which has been used and studied for over 30 years. There are no long-term side effects to rTMS and while short term side effects may occur during the treatment, they are rare and unlikely to affect the course of the treatment.

Short term side effects may include scalp discomfort or headache around the placement of the coil, and passing tiredness.These are usually minor and do not stop patients from going about their day-to-day life.

If you have any questions about rTMS side effects, please contact us or speak with the rTMS Psychiatrist or your rTMS technician.

You can read more about rTMS Therapy here.