I have worked with people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences in a variety of settings in my social work and counselling career. My roles have included counselling (both telehealth and face-to-face), crisis counselling (Lifeline), assessment, case management, and group work. I have been working in mental health for over 7 years, such experience has included working as a mental health clinician for Headspace for over 2 years, and I currently contract as a senior clinician for Converge International (an EAP provider).

Clients I have worked with include people experiencing anxiety and/or depression, people who are struggling in the face of a life transition, clients who are struggling with a significant loss or death of a loved one (pets included). Clients have also included those who find themselves unmotivated in their work or area of study, clients who are struggling in their relationship with either their boss or partner.

My counselling approach is person-centred, and trauma informed. What does that mean for you? It means we will go at a pace that is comfortable for you, where there is no expectation on you to share anything that you are not comfortable sharing. I believe building a respectful and honest working relationship is key to effective counselling.

Whether in person, or online, I focus on understanding your situation and the ways you have tried to cope so far. I strive to help individuals become more resilient in the face of challenging situations, to identify and modify behaviours that are no longer helpful and to develop better ways of coping and communicating. Together, we will develop workable strategies that build on your current strengths. Ultimately, I strive to help my clients be the best version of themselves, to no longer be ruled by unhelpful thoughts, but to embrace a more meaningful, values driven life.

• Face-to-face counselling Wednesdays & Thursdays (9am until 5.30pm) at Port Health;

• Telehealth counselling (phone, zoom or teams) Mondays & Tuesdays (9am until 5.30pm)

I am a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers, which is our peak body which verifies and accredits qualifications. Social work is bound by a code of ethics and a set of practice standards that all social workers must adhere to, which is regularly reviewed to ensure workers are meeting the needs of clients today and recognising emerging challenges. I enjoy further study and undertake ongoing professional development and supervision.

• Anxiety & Panic Attacks

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Depression

• Relationship issues (personal and professional)

• Bachelor of Social Work with Honours - 1999 - RMIT

• Diploma of Counselling - 2024 - Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors

• Accredited Mental Health Social Worker - 2026 - Australian Association of Social Workers

• Medicare provider number 3173061J

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Mindfulness

• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

I am available for face to face appointments on Wednesdays and Thursdays at Port Health, 38 Clifton Drive, Port Macquarie and online Mondays and Tuesdays.

• Member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (membership number 486219)

• Member of the Australian Counselling Association (membership number 81887)

Credit card or bank transfer.

Room 33/38 Clifton Drive
Port Macquarie, NSW

Session Fees & Medicare Rebates

Full session fees are payable at the time of your appointment. If you have a valid GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan, you are eligible for a Medicare rebate of $87.25 per session (up to 10 sessions per calendar year).

1. Standard Fees

• First Appointment (Up to 1 hour)

  • Upfront Fee: $120.00

  • Medicare Rebate: $87.25

  • Out-of-Pocket Cost: $32.75

• Subsequent Appointments (Up to 1 hour)

  • Upfront Fee: $180.00

  • Medicare Rebate: $87.25

  • Out-of-Pocket Cost: $92.75

2. Concession & Pensioner Fees

Available to valid Pensioner Concession Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, and Health Care Card holders. Your card must be presented at your first appointment.

• First Appointment (Up to 1 hour)

  • Upfront Fee: $110.00

  • Medicare Rebate: $87.25

  • Out-of-Pocket Cost: $22.75

• Subsequent Appointments (Up to 1 hour)

  • Upfront Fee: $140.00

  • Medicare Rebate: $87.25

  • Out-of-Pocket Cost: $52.75

Overview     

A Road Worth Travelling Counselling Service ABN 32302842952 is committed to complying with the Privacy Act 1988, and the Australian Privacy Principles under that Act, and the privacy provisions of all applicable legislation.

This Privacy Policy covers all personal information we hold, that is information or opinion that identifies an individual. This includes information we have collected from people through our office, over the phone and over the internet, such as name, address, email address and phone numbers.

Collecting information - types of information we collect, how we collect it and the purposes for which we collect it

Types of personal information we collect

When we collect personal information from you, we will ensure that we do so fairly and explain to you why we are collecting the information and how we plan to use it. We will only collect information that is necessary for counselling purposes. 

The type of personal information we collect about you depends on the circumstances in which the information is collected. Typically, the types of personal information we may collect can include (but is not limited to) your name, address, email address and phone numbers.   

If you are a client, we may also collect details of your date of birth, billing, payment details, insurer details as well as health information about you so that we can perform our service.

Health information is "sensitive information" - see below for further details. 

Sensitive information

Sensitive information is a subset of personal information. If we collect sensitive information (as defined under the Privacy Act), we will treat it with the utmost security and confidentiality.

Sensitive information is defined in the Act to include information or opinion about such things as an individual's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, criminal record or health information.

Sensitive information will be used by us only:

·       for the primary purpose for which it was obtained

·       for a secondary purpose that is directly related to the primary purpose

·       with your consent or

·       where required or authorised by law.

In addition to the types of personal information identified above, we may collect personal information as otherwise permitted or required by law.

Where you choose not to provide requested information, we will advise you of what consequences this non-disclosure may have. For example, withholding certain information may limit our ability to provide relevant services to you.

How we collect your personal information

Some of the common ways in which we may collect personal information include:

·       if you are a client, during client on-boarding (i.e. our intake forms and during counselling sessions)

·       when you make an enquiry in relation to our counselling service, including through our website

·       from correspondence (whether in writing or electronically) or when you contact us via telephone, email, social media platforms or other means

·       if you attend our office, we may record certain contact details so that we can comply with applicable laws.

Where it is reasonably practical to do so, we will collect your personal information directly from you.  However, in certain cases, we may collect personal information from third parties, such as:

·       if you are a client, from referrals or reports from other health professionals.

Our purposes for handling your personal information

The purposes for which we use and disclose your personal information will depend on the circumstances in which we collect it.

Whenever practical, we endeavour to advise you of the purpose for which your personal information is collected, how we intend to use that information and to whom we intend to disclose it at the time we collect your personal information.

In general, we collect, use and disclose your personal information so that we can provide our counselling service to you and for purposes connected with our business operations. 

Some of the specific purposes for which we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information are as follows:

·       if you are a client, to provide you with our counselling service

·       to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations and

·       to contact you regarding the above, including via SMS and email, by mail, by phone or in any other lawful manner.

We may also use or disclose your personal information for other purposes to which you have consented and as otherwise authorised, permitted or required by law. 

Disclosing information

Your personal information may be disclosed to third parties in connection with the purposes for which we collected your personal information, as described above and in any privacy collection notices we provide to you. 

This may include disclosing your personal information to the following types of third parties:

·       our auditors and other professional advisers and

·       any third parties to whom you have directed or permitted us to disclose your personal information (to your treating doctor and other health professionals, to an insurer/compensation agency and/or your emergency contacts, if necessary).

We may also disclose your personal information in accordance with any consent you give or where disclosure is authorised, compelled or permitted by law.

Overseas transfers

In the ordinary course of our business, we do not generally disclose your personal information to overseas recipients. 

Accessing and correcting your personal information

You may contact us (see "Contact details" section below) to request access to the personal information that we hold about you and/or to make corrections to that information, at any time.  We will respond to all requests for access to or correction of personal information within a reasonable time.

On the rare occasions when we refuse access (which we will only do in accordance with applicable laws), we will provide you with a written notice stating our reasons for refusing access. 

We are not obliged to correct any of your personal information if we do not agree that it requires correction and may refuse to do so. If we refuse a correction request, we will provide you with a written notice stating our reasons for refusing. 

We will not charge any fee for your access request but may charge an administrative fee for providing a copy of your personal information.

To protect your personal information, we may require identification from you before releasing the requested information.

Storage and Security

We will hold personal information electronically on our computer systems, in cloud storage, and in some cases, on third-party servers.

Our goal is to protect the personal information collected by us. We take all reasonable steps to keep your personal information secure, safe and protected from misuse, interference, loss or unauthorised access.

When your personal information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained and is not required to be kept by law, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify it. We may need to retain records containing personal information to comply with record-keeping obligations, and for other legitimate business purposes (such as quality assurance).

Data quality

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the data we collect, use or disclose is accurate, complete and up to date and has been obtained directly from you or other reputable sources.

If you find that the information we have is not up to date or is inaccurate, please advise us as soon as practicable so we can update our records and ensure we can continue to provide quality services to you.

Availability and review of Policy

We will make our Privacy Policy available upon request and will provide a link on our website.

This Policy will be reviewed from time to time and any amendments will be incorporated into the updated version.

Complaints

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, including if you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, please contact us (see "Contact details” section below).

When contacting us please provide as much detail as possible in relation to your question, concern or complaint.

We take all complaints seriously and will respond to your complaint in accordance with any applicable timeframes imposed by law and otherwise within a reasonable period. We request that you cooperate with us during this process and provide us with any relevant information that we may need.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your complaint, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

GPO Box 5288, Sydney NSW 2001

Telephone: 1300 363 992

Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints/lodge-a-privacy-complaint-with-us

Contact details

Our contact details are as follows:

A Road Worth Travelling Counselling Service

38 Clifton Drive, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444

libby@aroadworthtravellingcounsellingservice.com.au

Ph:  0438250269

Date of Privacy Policy: 18/03/2024

Acknowledgements

This Privacy Policy was created using a template provided by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), which includes content from these resources:

·       Template Privacy Policy for Private Practitioners, Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA)

Privacy Policy Template, Business Victoria

Question:

What are the benefits of having a mental health care plan (MHCP) when using this service?

Answer:

Using your MHCP at my practice unlocks immediate financial subsidies and structured, professional clinical care. It also provides:

Direct Financial Relief

• Subsidised Sessions: Claim a Medicare rebate for up to 10 individual therapy sessions per calendar year.

• Guaranteed Rebates: Receive a direct Medicare rebate of $87.25 per session

• Safety Net Protection: Out-of-pocket gap fees count directly toward your Medicare Safety Net threshold.

• Increased Subsidies: Rebates dramatically increase once your annual safety net threshold is reached

Question:

What if I don’t have a MHCP?

You can easily obtain a MHCP by:

1. Booking a Double Appointment: Asking your GP for a dedicated Mental Health Care Plan consultation.

2. Obtaining Your Referral: Your GP will assess your needs and write the plan and referral letter.

3. Bring your referral letter to your first session: Provide me with your paperwork to start claiming your Medicare rebates