Frequently asked questions

Here are some tips!

- Take a moment before therapy to transition from the busyness of life to a reflective space, and take a moment after therapy to consolidate key points from the session and transition back into life.

- Be honest in session. There will be no judgement from Nikki. The more honest you are, the more accurate the picture Nikki will develop of you. In saying this, if you do not wish to talk about a topic, please let Nikki know and this will be respected.

- Be on time. Or ideally, a few minutes early. This way you are not flustered heading into the session and you can make most of your allocated time.

- Between sessions practice skills given and take notes of experiences you want to discuss so these are not forgotten.

Therapy sessions are charged per 50 minutes. A standard therapy appointment is approximately 50 minutes. Nikki Pascarl Psychology also offers extended sessions at a pro-rata rate when these are indicated to be beneficial to treatment:

75 minutes (session and a half) and 100 minutes.

Click HERE for Fees & Rebates

The Medicare regulations state only one rebate can be accessed per session per day regardless of the session length.

A gap fee, or out-of-pocket expense, is the difference between the amount charged for the session and the Medicare Rebate/third party fee.

You will be required to pay the full amount at the time of your session, and the Medicare rebate will be reimbursed into your account.

Medicare rebates often change on the 1st of July. Click HERE for current Fees & Rebates

Nikki Pascarl Psychology provides services to people who are funded by a third party, such as WorkSafe Victoria, the Traffic Accident Commission (TAC), and the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS; formally VOCAT).

Despite the third-party reimbursement fee, the cost of the session will remain as listed in teh Fees & Rebates page. This may mean there is a gap fee between the cost of the session and the reimbursed amount.

Not anymore. Unfortunately, due to the changes within the NDIS sector regarding the nature of psychological services permitted to be funded by NDIS, the nature of the work Nikki provides does not fit the eligibility criteria anymore. If you would really like to see Nikki and seek clarification regarding your psychology needs and funding, please feel free to reach out HERE.

Not at this time. Although Nikki may be able to treat your disordered eating using a Mental Health Care Plan, Nikki is not trained in the therapies which permit her to accept Eating Disorder Care Plans.

If you are cancelling within two business days you will be charged a cancellation fee. If the cancellation is more than a business days’ notice the fee will be 50% of the session, if it is less than a business day, 100% of the session fee will be charged.

Unfortunately, Nikki Pascarl Psychology does not provide bulk billing services at this time.

Anyone is welcome to book in for individual therapy, a GP referral is not actually a requirement. However, with a GP referral, such as a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), you will be able to receive up to 10 Medicare rebated sessions per calendar year to help financially support your engagement in therapy. To access a MHCP, book a double appointment with your GP to discuss your mental health.

It is always very flattering when someone would like a friend or loved one to see the same psychologist, and we appreciate the compliment. However, the Code of Ethics says we are not allowed to do this, we call it a Conflict of Interest. Something special about the relationship you have with your psychologist is that they are yours, and the psychologist will hear how you experience your life and your world. If we happen to hear about you from a friend or loved one, the psychologist cannot ‘un-know’ this information when they see you. Your psychologist not treating other people in your life protects your relationship with the psychologist. Nikki will, however, be more than happy to make recommendations for other clinicians that may be suitable for your loved one or friend.

Absolutely! EMDR can still be incredibly effective online. Nikki will use an EMDR online program to facilitate the eye movements (a form of bilateral stimulation) and can coach you to use other forms of bilateral stimulation.

There are some requirements though for therapy to be effective online.

1) You will need a private and confidential space

2) A good internet connection

3) You will need to engage in the session with the same degree of focus as you would if you were in person – so no multitasking just because you’re at home!

4) And ideally some head phones, as they will enhance the quality of the audio on both ends.

Although using your phone for the video can work perfectly fine for most therapy sessions, during the sessions that focus on reprocessing memories, a lap top size screen would be ideal to facilitate the eye movements. If you do not have access to a lap top/monitor, this is not a therapy deal breaker. Just discuss with Nikki in session.

It is worth noting, in many circumstances more than ten sessions will be required to meet a person’s chosen goal. If your financial situation limits you to attend only the ten rebated sessions, please let Nikki know during your first session so she can adapt your treatment plan to your needs.