FAQs

Psychologists (and other registered health professionals) in private practice are required by law in some circumstances to report suspicion of abuse or neglect of a child.  These obligations do vary across different states in Australia.

Anything you discuss with your psychologist is confidential and there are strict penalties in place is a psychologist is found to have breached your confidentiality.  There are however, limited circumstances in which confidentiality can be breached by a psychologist which include;

(1) An immediate threat of self harm or harm to others,

(2) When consulting colleagues, or in the course of supervision or professional training (in this situation, if the psychologist has not obtained your consent, they are required to conceal your identity),

(3) Where mandatory reporting of child abuse or neglect is required,

(4) Court Subpoena

This is something you will need to discuss with your psychologist.  The number of sessions you require will depend on the severity and complexity of your condition, as well as the length of time you have had your condition.

Our current hours of operation are

• 9am – 9pm Monday to Friday

• 9am – 5pm Saturdays.

Both psychologists and psychiatrists work in the area of mental health.  Both psychologists and psychiatrists use various forms of therapies.  Whilst psychologists will generally focus on immediate and practical strategies, psychiatrists are qualified to treat patients with acute symptoms which require and/or include medical interventions such as prescribed medications as well as being able to admit patients to hospitals and care facilities.

A psychologist has completed a minimum 4 year degree followed by an additional 2 years of supervised training.  They are trained to focus on behavioral aspects of mental health problems and are required to be registered with APHRA.  They are also required to abide by a strict code of ethics as outlined by the APS.   Meanwhile, a counselor does not require a degree or professional training and they are not regulated in Australia.

If your psychologist ceases working with us, you have two options to consider.

(1) We can match you to a new psychologist at Felix and Sage and with your permission we can give them access to your file to continue your treatment.

(2)  You can continue your treatment outside of Felix and Sage if you consider another practitioner would be the best option to continue your treatment.  If you choose this option, you will need to provide written consent to have a copy of your file transferred to your new practitioner.

**Please note that Felix and Sage will be required to hold your original file for 7 years after the date of your last contact, or until you turn 25 years of age (whichever is longer).

If you feel like your current psychologist is not a good match for you, you are more than welcome to request a new psychologist.  Your current psychologist will not be offended, as we only want to ensure you get the best treatment possible.  Your options for changing psychologist include;

(1) We can match you to a new psychologist at Felix and Sage, and with your permission we can give them access to your file to continue your treatment.

(2)  You can continue your treatment outside of Felix and Sage if you feel another practitioner would be the best option to continue your treatment.  If you choose this option, you will need to provide written consent to have a copy of your file transferred to your new practitioner.

**Please note that Felix and Sage will be required to hold your original file for 7 years after the date of your last contact, or until you turn 25 years of age (whichever is longer).

Under NO Circumstances are sessions to be recorded by our psychologists or clients.  Any client or psychologist found to be recording sessions may face legal charges.

Please do not contact Felix & Sage Psychologists or staff via any personal social media channels including but not limited to; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.  These sites are not secure and could compromise your confidentiality.

The use of social media to contact your psychologist may also breach strict guidelines set out for client/therapist relationships.

You are more than welcome to follow Felix & Sage on our Social Media sites; Facebook and Instagram however please do not disclose any of your personal or session information.

At this stage, Felix and Sage Psychologists can only write limited Letters and Reports.  We are able to write letters of attendance for no additional charge, however all other letters and reports will incur a fee and need to be discussed with our admin team.  The cost of these will depend on the nature of the letter/report and the time it will take to complete.

No, Felix and Sage are entirely self funded with no connection to any Government or other agencies.

If you are interested in working with us and are a psychologist with full registration, please contact us using the form on our careers page.

While we recommend that you do not have your children with you during consultations, we do understand that this is not always possible especially with young children. If you need to bring your children with you, we are still happy to provide a consultation, but you may not receive the maximum benefit if you are distracted.

You don’t need to specifically prepare anything for your psychology session (unless your psychologist has set you specific “homework” from a previous appointment), however some things you may be asked in your initial appointment may include;

(1) The names of any medications you are taking, dosage and any side effects.

(2) Is there a specific issue or goal you would like to focus on?

(3) Family history including known medical and mental health issues.

(4) If you have ever had counselling before, and if you are aware of any strategies that did or did not work for you.

(5) Your current circumstances and well being including; Emotional, Social, Financial, Physical and Career.

Note:  These are guidelines and will vary depending on your psychologist and the treatment you require.

At Felix & Sage we respect your time, as well as the time of our Psychologists.  Please do not contact them outside your appointment time.  If you have an issue in relation to administration or billing, please contact us at reception@felixandsage.com

Note:  Felix & Sage is not a substitute for crisis care and in an emergency we advise you to contact 000 if your life is in danger, or Lifeline on 13 11 14.