FAQS, FEES & TERMS

HOW MANY SESSIONS DO I NEED?

Multiple sessions are required for any of our assessments including an initial appointment, assessment appointments, and feedback session. If you are unsure if you need an assessment, we recommend talking to our friendly reception team first. A standard neuropsychology assessment sessions is around 3-4 hours (including breaks), so we would recommend splitting these up for children or if you experience significant fatigue. A feedback session is typically included after the assessment where we will discuss your results, how they relate to your everyday life, recommendations going forwards, and provide you with your report.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

FEES FOR ASSESSMENTS

The initial intake consultation for an assessment is $250 which includes a 60 minute consultation plus up to 15 minutes of previous report reading/admin time. Following consults/services are billed at $220 per hour (note* this is under the APS recommended fee of $311 per hour).
Cara's neuropsychology assessment and reports are for clinical purposes and are charged at $220 per hour. The total price will differ depending on the referral question, report requirements, assessment length and subsequent liaison required (e.g. interview with other health professionals/family members/school/care team etc).
A comprehensive assessment and report can take between 9-14 hours of service in total. A quote will be provided at the initial consultation however, to give some guidance:
- A standard cognitive assessment assessment (including IQ, executive function, attention, memory, new learning), comprehensive report and feedback is typically 9-10 hours of service. Together with the initial appointment, the total investment is approximately between $2230-$2450.
- An autism assessment which includes structured interview with parent, child interview/play-based/behaviour assessment, IQ assessment, information gathering, comprehensive report and feedback is typically 10-11 hours (total investment $2450-$2670).
- An autism plus comprehensive cognitive/academic assessment (recommended if ADHD or learning disorders are also suspected) is typically 13-14 hours in total (total investment ~$3110).
A $400 deposit is required for all self-paid assessments to secure your assessment booking appointments and deducted from your final invoice. In the case of late-cancellation/no-shows this deposit will be used as a cancellation fee.
Consults/assessments/reports that are covered under an existing NDIS plan will be charged at the NDIS rate of $222.99 per hour.
Please inform us if a third party payer is paying for the assessment at booking as they will need to provide written approval and sign off the third party service agreement form.
Please note that credit card payments will incur a processing fee of 1.9%. To avoid this fee you can pay via bank transfer.

FEES FOR OTHER SERVICES

tDCS therapy is $850 inclusive of an initial face-to-face intake and set-up session, 15 tDCS sessions (self-implemented at home over 3 weeks), phone/email check ins, and post-therapy face-to-face session. Please note there is also a $300 device deposit which is refunded when the device is returned with no damage.
All clients will need to book an individual consultation prior to booking in for an assessment, cognitive training or tDCS program.
Workshop and group training prices are individually costed. Please contact for more details.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Please note the Wholistic Brain and Mind is a small business, so any last-minute cancellations/no shows greatly affect us. Our cancellation fees allow us to keep things running smoothly. Due to a high demand in our services and in respect of people waiting to be seen, your appointment could be allocated to someone else with enough notice. Our aim is to provide clear information around making changes to your appointments to help you avoid incurring such fees, and assist in planning your sessions via a 5-day email and 3-day SMS reminder.

Please provide at least 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment so that your appointment can be filled by someone else waiting to get in.
The full session fee/deposit will apply to late cancellations or no shows when 48hrs notice is not given.
Cancellations must be made by phone call or email during business hours so that we can offer your appointment time to patients on our waiting list. Medicare rebates do not apply to missed appointments.

CAN I GET MEDICATE/HEALTH INSURANCE REBATE?

Medicare rebates are available for individual consultations/intake and feedback sessions for clients under a Mental Health Care Plan or Chronic Disease Management Plan which can be obtained from your GP at their discretion. The Medicare rebate for psychologists is currently set at $93.35 (as of 2024), leaving a gap payment that needs to be covered out of pocket.
Unfortunately Medicare rebates are not typically available for cognitive assessments and reports.
Please check with your private health insurance about individual rebates for psychology. Please note that we do not have HICAPS facilities so you will need to claim your own private health insurance and Medicare rebates manually and pay all gap fees out of pocket.
If the purpose of the assessment is a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or neuropsychology assessment for other eligible disorders (e.g. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, chromosomal disorders, cerebral palsy) for an individual under 25 years, you may be eligible for some medicare rebate ($93.35 for up to 8 assessment sessions) with a referral from your paediatrician or psychiatrist under the Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorder scheme.
Assessments may be covered if you are on an existing NDIS plan, but please notify reception upon booking as you will be required to complete a service agreement signed off by your NDIS coordinator that you have enough funds allocated.
If a third party is paying (e.g. insurance company, hospital, school etc) then please send through approval and notify reception upon booking so that you can complete a third party payment form.

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR THE INITIAL APPT?

If you are attending for a child neuropsychology assessment:

The first session is to take a thorough history of your child, understand your main concerns, and build rapport with your child.
Both the parent/guardian and child should attend the first session.
Please bring any previous medical reports, assessment reports, and a recent school report (or email prior).
You might like to bring some quiet toys/games to occupy your child while we take some of the early medical history (we have some they can use as well).
Your child will not be doing any testing in the initial session (we will book in the assessment at the end of the initial appointment at a suitable time), but its a chance to build some rapport so we may play a game if there is time.

If you are an attending for an adult neuropsychology assessment, please bring along any previous medical reports and assessments, and reading glasses if you wear them as you will be asked to complete some questionnaires. The first appointment is to take a thorough history and understand your current concerns. Your assessment appointments will follow in the next few weeks.

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR THE ASSESSMENT SESSION?

Bring a water bottle, snacks, and lunch if testing is over the lunch period. There is a cafe/general store nearby if you need anything.
If you need reading glasses or hearing aids, please wear them.
Please abstain from alcohol/illicit drug use as these can affect test scores, but take your prescribed medication as usual.
Try to have a good night sleep before your appointment.
Ensure you have a substantial meal before your assessment, as this will be a lengthy appointment.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST, PSYCHOLOGIST, AND MEDICAL SPECIALIST?

A neuropsychologist is a type of psychologist who has specialist training in the connection between the brain and behaviour. They mainly focus on assessing cognitive functions (i.e. thinking skills like attention, memory, learning, language, executive function) — especially functions impacted on by the presence of a disease, developmental condition, or injury that affects the brain. A neuropsychologist would typically be seen if there is concerns about a neurodevelopmental condition (e.g. ADHD, learning disorder, autism), brain injury, or neurological condition affecting cognitive function (e.g. dementia, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, stroke). They can assist in diagnosing conditions, track cognitive recovery, and provide an understanding of the individual's unique cognitive profile so that treatment and intervention can be targeted to the individual. Neuropsychology is a sub-field or a specialty in the world of psychology, more focused on diagnosing and treating disorders affecting brain function, rather than those specifically affecting mental and emotional health (e.g. depression, anxiety, trauma etc). The outcome of a neuropsychology assessment is a detailed and comprehensive report about a person's cognitive and behavioural strengths and weaknesses, diagnostic impressions, and tailored strategies and recommendations based on the person's unique profile to help guide ongoing intervention and gain a deeper understanding about one's own brain functioning.

A psychologist has specialist training in providing treatment for emotional/mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, grief and trauma. This is mainly done through talking therapy. Most neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions are linked to, or lead to emotional difficulties. Therefore Cara often works closely with psychologists and recommends many of her clients to also seek ongoing psychological treatment.

A medical specialist such as a neurologist, paediatrician, or psychiatrist is a medical doctor with specialised training in their specific area of medicine (i.e. brain/nervous system, child development or psychiatric disorders). They will be able to provide a full medical review to rule out any other physical causes of your symptoms; refer for blood tests, brain scans, nerve conduction tests etc; and prescribe appropriate medications. While many neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders can be diagnosed by medical specialists (including ADHD and autism), sometimes the diagnosis is not clear cut and there may be other things going on that are clouding the picture. This is when a specialist may refer for a neuropsychology assessment to get a deeper understanding of what is going on from a cognitive perspective, and also if they feel a person may benefit from an understanding of their cognitive profile following a diagnosis. They may also refer to help with differential diagnosis (e.g. is it Alzheimers or vascular dementia?) as neuropsychologists have training to understand how different brain conditions produce different cognitive profiles.

Neither a psychologist or neuropsychologist can prescribe medications. You would need to see a medical specialist for this. Please contact us if you have any more questions.

FAQ: FAQ