Information for parents

What are the age ranges of the children that you see?

We treat children aged 3 years and up. However, if your child is under the age of 7 years the psychologist will work directly with you in parent only sessions to teach you skills and strategies that you can use with your child to help them manage thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This is because very young children are more likely to respond to strategies taught by parents rather than from a psychologist directly.

What conditions can you treat?

At McKinnon Psychology we see children with a variety of anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, emotion regulation and anger issues. We do not currently treat children with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa or emerging bipolar or psychotic disorders.

What does talk therapy involve?

Your psychologist will talk to your child a lot about his or her struggles at school, at home, with friends and in other areas of life. We will also teach your child a number of skills and strategies to help them cope with thoughts, feelings, memories and behaviours that are negatively impacting their life.

Will my child be prescribed drugs?

Psychologists provide expertise in the assessment and treatment of psychological difficulties using talk therapy. Psychologists do not prescribe psychiatric medications. If your child is showing symptoms of a serious nature, we will discuss with you the potential advantages of obtaining a psychiatric opinion in addition to attending sessions.

What can I expect in the first session?

The first session will last for approximately 50 minutes. Your psychologist will ask to speak with you and your child separately, depending on the age of the child, the concerns you may have, and your preferences. You will be asked questions about your child’s history and current situation (family, school, social, health and developmental), main concerns, and treatment goals. Your psychologist will then ask your child similar questions tailored to be age-appropriate.

How long does each session last?

All sessions last for 50 minutes.

How many sessions will it take and how often will my child need to come?

The number of treatment sessions needed and frequency of sessions will vary. All decisions about these details will be made in collaboration with you and your child.

Can I sit in on my child’s sessions?

Treatments sessions could involve a child alone, parents and children together, or parents alone. Your level of involvement will depend on your child’s presentation, age, and their preferences. At the end of the assessment, we’ll sit down together to make a plan about your involvement.

Will you tell me what my child says in session?

It is important that your child feels he or she can tell their psychologist things in confidence.

Parents play a very important role in helping children recover from their issues. Unless there is an extenuating circumstance or extremely sensitive issue, we encourage the sharing of issues of children to parents (and vice versa). In saying that, children will not be forced to share issues with parents if they are reluctant (unless there is a risk and safety issue). At the outset, your psychologist will let your child know that they decide how much is to be shared with parents at the end of the session.

What if my child doesn't want to attend?

It is common for children to be hesitant to attend the first meeting. Sometimes your child may change his or her mind after coming to the clinic and getting to know their psychologist. If your child is reluctant, it is best to let your psychologist know. That way your psychologist can attempt to tailor the therapy to suit your child’s preferences. There are a number of different things we can try to improve engagement.

If these approaches fail, forcing a child to come to therapy can be counterproductive in our experience. In these cases, your psychologist can work with you to empower you with skills and strategies to support your child if difficulties arise.

How do I arrange a Medicare plan?

Medicare provides rebates to assist with the costs of accessing psychological treatment if you have a Mental Health Treatment Plan. A plan can be prepared by a GP. The referral should be in the child’s name and made out to McKinnon Psychology. Please note, your child must be present at the session to claim the rebate (i.e. no rebate is available for parent/caregiver only sessions when the plan/referral is for a child).

Children may receive a rebate toward treatment costs for a maximum of 20 sessions in a calendar year. After the sixth session and tenth sessions, you must return to your referrer for reviews.

Can I claim sessions using my private health insurance?

You may be able to claim a rebate for psychology services using your private health fund. However, you cannot claim a rebate from both Medicare and a private health fund for the same session. Contact your health fund about whether you are eligible.

What is your clinic cancellation policy?

If you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, you must advise the clinic no later than 11 am on the business day prior to your appointment. For example, if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment set for 10 am on Monday you must contact us no later than 11 am on the Friday before. An appointment fee will be charged for appointments cancelled or rescheduled after the 11 am cut-off.