What are your counselling fees?
In an ideal world therapy would be free for all who need it. Sadly we don’t live in that world. After many years working in public organisations, I made the move into private practice for several reasons, mostly to do with the issues and restrictions for helping long-term clients in funded service models.
In order for me to run a business, sustain a modest living, provide a quality service, and keep up with training and qualifications, I cannot offer a lower fee or a sliding scale. Thank you for understanding. If you’re looking for more options to get sessions paid for, please scroll down ⬇️ .
If you can afford counselling, there can be lots of advantages for you in choosing a private practitioner. No wait list (or a very short one), reassurance that I have thes skill + experience to go beyond the usual 6-session model, the fact that i’m not overworked/overstretched/exhausted like many are in public service, or that I purposely keep my client list quite low, that there’s no time limit on how long we can work together etc…).
Unveiled Stories Online Counselling Fees:
Please note my counselling fees are in Australian dollars
- FREE 15 minute ‘connection’ chat prior to committing
- Individual video session (via Zoom): $150 for 55 mins
- Individual talk-only session (Zoom but no video): $135 for 55 mins
- Individual ‘Instant Messenger’ chat-typing session (Zoom): $120 for 55 mins
- Email session: $90 per email exchange**(scroll down for more info)
- Couple relationship counselling/coaching session (Zoom): $180 for 55 mins
- Individual business coaching session (Zoom): $150 for 55 mins
* Unless sessions have been paid for in advance, I send an invoice on the day of each session (you do not have to pay automatically when you book). The invoice is to be paid within 24 hours via direct bank transfer or internationally through a secure system called Stripe. The full fee is charged for less than 24 hrs notice of a cancellation.
* All video and ‘in real time’ sessions are conducted on Zoom for your privacy. Most other mainstream messaging services aren’t encrypted and protected for appropriate use by a health service.
Find out more about online counselling with me here.
Unveiled Stories Online Coaching packages
Relationship coaching:
Find out more about online relationship coaching (that gets to the point) here.
Individual Life Coaching:
Find out more about online life coaching for people stuck in toxic workplaces here.
Unveiled Stories online counselling and online coaching is affordable, sustainable over time, and you do not have to wait long to get started.
Counselling requires an ongoing commitment to be effective. If, after the first session we decide we’re a good fit, you can choose to do weekly or fortnightly sessions. We will continue to check in and see how it’s going, making sure we’re doing all the things that facilitate the kind of support you need.
I generally recommend we do 4 x weekly sessions in the beginning. We can then re-assess and decide whether you want/need to continue. Or we might change to fortnightly sessions.
While many folks do feel ‘unstuck’ and are happy to stop in 6 -10 sessions, it’s a good idea to plan for a longer commitment, just in case. Clients typically report bigger changes and long-lasting results after engaging with counselling for six months to a year or more.
If you’re interested in coaching, we try and get everything you need in the 3-6 session model. That means we have to work hard and put that extra effort in to get results. If you find the sessions aren’t enough and you want more, we can continue working together under a session-by-session model for the same fees as counselling sessions.
The changes I see in folks who engage in sessions with me for a year + are nothing short of incredible.
I’m regularly amazed when we look back at all the areas of their lives that have improved:
Couples who have learned to understand one another on a deeper level, let the little stuff go (truly!), stand on the same side, have learned to ‘fight fair’, and are more deeply in love than they were before, ready for the next chapter.
Individuals who address toxic stuckness (shitty jobs, bad relationships, family or friendship issues) and find themselves in better career paths, at peace with decisions about family and friends (no more toxicity), and fall in love with a wonderful person (spoiler: it’s so lovely and easy that it’s actually boring).
…
* NOTE for Aussies regarding the Australian Mental Health system:
The 10 rebated session via Medicare can be great, and I’m so glad they’re an option for Australians. But those providers tend to charge a much higher fee than counsellors do, so your out-of-pocket difference could be negligible (and you might not be able to afford to continue with that therapist once your 10 sessions are up).
Here are a few options other than Medicare for Australians to have counselling sessions paid for with private practitioners like me:
- Workplaces are often willing to pay for sessions with a qualified counsellor of your choice under their EAP agreement, so check with your HR department. Several of my clients have been able to get at least 3 or more sessions with me for free because their workplace was happy to cover them.
- If you are receiving support from a community service organisation they may be able to access some funding for counselling. They are especially supportive of online services, understanding that it’s helpful to be able to take your counsellor with you if you need to move locations.
- Self-Managed NDIS offers coverage for both counselling and coaching
If you have ANY questions about fees then please do get in touch and ask away.
**Email sessions are conducted via an ongoing Google Doc that only you and I can access and edit. It is not shareable although it will be downloadable for your records. The ‘session length’ is worked out by how long it would take me to read and respond to your email in 1 hour. Some people may be more ‘concise’ than others but whatever your style is, I welcome you. As a tip: try and keep it short enough so that I can absorb and respond within an hour, but long enough to have some level of detail/richness to it (around 600-1200 words: a maximum of 2 A4 pages in size 12 font).
I will write back to you within one week, so if you continue with email it’s like having a weekly counselling session. After the first one, you’ll be guided by reflections I offer or questions I ask. This can be incredibly useful for people who find writing cathartic, would benefit from a professional ‘witnessing’ an event, and then being led to some new thoughts about that event. I also receive positive feedback from people for whom english is a second language as email gives time to read and compose.