Frequently asked questions
This page provides frequently asked questions. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime using the link below.
General
We provide therapeutic support for individuals, couples and for relationships involving 2 or more people, depending on the nature of the dynamic.
Generally, individual sessions last between 50 and 60 minutes, and relationship therapy sessions last between 65 and 75 minutes.
Not at all! Everyone at Unison Counselling is fully trained in their relevant field of therapy and would be happy to support anyone regardless of identity or relationship style.
Absolutely! In fact, we encourage it! Our admin team would be happy to organize a call with a potential therapist to see if we’re a good fit.
Unison therapists are unable to provide any last-minute crisis support or after-hours support. For requests that are outside of our professional training or experience, we will be happy to refer you on to the best possible fit. Please see our resources page for 24/7 crisis hotline information.
Yes we do! Unison is now happy to offer in-person sessions at our office location in Windsor, Melbourne. There is an additional $20 service fee for in-person sessions and the sliding scale still applies.
Many people report that they find telehealth unexpectedly easy to adjust to. There are many benefits to seeing your therapist from home, where you can relax in your own familiar environment and have your creature comforts nearby. We love to meet your pets, so feel free to have them around for cuddles.
At Unison Mental Health, we use a variety of software tools to manage appointment scheduling, maintain accurate client records, and document clinical notes. While many of these tools are widely recognised (such as email platforms, data processing software, and practice management systems), we also sometimes utilise AI tools to enhance efficiency and the quality of care. All tools are chosen with a strong focus on maintaining the highest standards of security and confidentiality. Currently, the only AI tool in use within the practice is Heidi, an AI dictation tool.
Important Information About the AI Software we use:
- Voluntary Participation: You may choose whether or not to allow AI tools to be used during your sessions. Your decision will not impact the care or services you receive.
- Compliance with Australian Privacy Laws: Any AI tools used in our practice comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) to ensure the highest standards of data protection and privacy. All data is end to end encrypted and the content is kept on a secure platform.
- Data Handling: We work with providers that uphold strict data privacy standards – currently, the AI dictation software we use is Heidi. To read more about how Heidi’s privacy policy works click here. https://www.heidihealth.com/au/legal/privacy-policy
- Evolving Technology- As AI technology becomes a part of everyday life, we will strive to ensure that your information remains secure and that you are informed of any changes to our policies or procedures.
Right to Withdraw: You may withdraw your consent to the use of AI tools at any time. If consent is withdrawn, further use of AI tools will cease, and any previously processed data will be managed in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988
Fees & Finance
For most appointments, we use a sliding scale fee structure that allows us to charge a rate that fits your personal financial situation (which you can see here). We never ask for proof of a person’s situation unless they are attending one of our limited concession slots for therapy. In that situation, all we ask for is a copy of a healthcare or concession card. Note – our concession spots are full at this time – we are adding new requests to a waitlist.
Some appointments follow the rates set by NDIS, Open Arms, ADF, and other external bodies, adhering to their fee structures and billing practices. For clients using a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), we charge the combined total of our Tier 1 sliding scale rate and the Medicare rebate amount. We handle the Medicare rebate processing during payment, and the rebate is sent directly to the client’s designated account.
Let us know! We will happily adjust your rate if things change for you either way.
We do qualify for some private health fund rebates, please speak to your health fund to see what you may qualify for.
Our invoices have a 7-day processing window and we are unable to see a client for their next session until the current session’s payment is processed. Please reach out to our admin team if you have any issues and we will work with you.
Any cancellations or changes made more than 24 hours in advance are free and easy to do via your Halaxy portal or by writing to our admin team. For cancellations, changes, or no-shows within 24 hours of the appointment you will be charged the full-fee for the session.
Yes, we do! Please reach out for further information and to set up an appointment.
We offer several payment options for your convenience. Many clients choose to save their payment details to their profile, enabling automatic charges after each session. For those who prefer not to save a payment method, we send invoices via email with BPAY details or a payment link.
If your invoices are to be paid by a third party (NDIS, Open Arms, ADF, etc) we will follow their established invoicing process.
Individual and Couples Therapy
Let us know! We will happily adjust your rate if things change for you either way.
We do qualify for some private health fund rebates, please speak to your health fund to see what you may qualify for.
Any cancellations or changes made more than 24 hours in advance are free and easy to do via your Halaxy portal or by writing to our admin team. For cancellations, changes, or no-shows within 24 hours of the appointment you will be charged the full-fee for the session.