When booking your first appointment, our practice angels will ask about the nature of the issue requiring an appointment, to ensure that we provide you with the best possible support.

All of our practice angels are trained in confidentiality, if you would like to review our privacy policy, this can be accessed via the resources page.

All psychologist appointments are typically 50 mins in duration. During this time, we will ensure you understand the confidentiality of our work, and we will ask you to share your situation so that we can devise a strategy to support you best. Please ask any questions you may have in this session.

We expect you to have mixed emotions about starting this journey. That’s okay – we are here to help you feel comfortable and at ease. We can take time to get to the ‘big stuff’ if that is needed. We are all on different journeys at different paces. That’s normal. We will work with what you need, so please know we are here for you. Sometimes younger children like to bring a toy or favourite book.

It helps to talk to your child in advance in age-appropriate language — let them know they are coming to talk with someone who helps kids with feelings, learning, or behaviour. There is nothing to prepare or study. Bring any previous reports, school letters, or medical records that may be relevant.

Please bring any relevant documentation or referrals if you have these. Please discuss with us if you would like to have your first session with the parents only or the child involved. Medicare rebates may be relevant, please speak with your GP or psychologist to understand how these work. We also accept private clients, NDIS participants who are self-managed and private health clients.

Please bring your paperwork and a referral from your local doctor (GP) if you have one. Due to COVID restrictions, we currently have limited toys in the practice and therefore ask that you bring something from home to entertain your child during their appointment. If your child or teen is attending for an assessment, please bring some water and snacks to keep up their energy.

Common signs include persistent difficulties with attention or learning, significant emotional or behavioural challenges, concerns raised by teachers or school, or delayed developmental milestones. If you are unsure, a conversation with your GP or a call to our admin team is a good starting point.

Our psychologists primarily work with children and adolescents, though some clinicians also see adults. Please contact us to discuss your specific needs and we will match you with the most suitable clinician.

For our Balwyn office, within the Paediatric Health Collective:

There is ample street parking close to the practice, for example in Cherry Road or on Whitehorse Road. The practice is also accessible by public transport. The number 109 tram runs along Whitehorse road and the practice can be accessed from tram stop 47.

Spectrum House is a private practice and there is a fee for service. We aim to keep our fees below the Australian Psychological Association recommended fee. You will receive a fee structure in your information pack when you book your first session and our admin angels will discuss fees with you over the phone first.

All our clinicians are aware that your time is valuable and endeavour to run to time, however, some patients/clients require extra time due to their complexities and sometimes this is unforeseen or unpredictable. We will try wherever possible to inform you if a clinician is significantly delayed.

Psychology appointments are usually 50 minutes of intervention/support time and 10 mins is allowed for note taking and follow up tasks. Psychological tests range from 1 to 3 hours; please ask for more information. You will be informed of the appointment length at the time of booking.

No, you do not need private health insurance. If you have private health insurance, you may be able to claim some rebates for certain psychology consultations – please ask our Practice Angels.

Accounts are payable on the day of your consultation. We accept cash, EFTPOS or most credit cards (not American Express).

If you need to contact your psychologist between appointments, you are welcome to email info@spectrumhouse.com.au. Please also note that all of our team only work part-time and they will respond to your email as soon as possible when they are next at work.

Our team do not provide an afterhours or emergency service. For emergencies, please see your GP, go to your nearest hospital emergency department, call 000 or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

Yes. We offer telehealth (video and phone) appointments for psychology sessions. Assessments generally require at least one in-person appointment, but we can discuss your needs when you get in touch.

Our clinic is located in Balwyn, within the Paediatric Health Collective on Whitehorse Road. We also offer telehealth appointments for clients across Victoria and Australia.

Waitlist times vary depending on the type of assessment and clinician availability. We typically see children for ADHD and autism assessments within 6-12 weeks of enquiry. Please contact us to get a current estimate and to join the waitlist.

An ADHD assessment at Spectrum House includes clinical interviews with parents and (where appropriate) the child, behavioural rating scales completed by parents and teachers, and cognitive and attention testing. A written report is provided with diagnostic conclusions and recommendations.

Our autism assessments use gold-standard tools including the ADOS-2 and ADI-R alongside clinical interviews and cognitive testing. The process typically spans 2-3 appointments. A comprehensive written report is provided at the end of the assessment process.

An ADHD assessment focuses on attention, hyperactivity, and impulse control, using rating scales, clinical interviews, and cognitive testing. An autism assessment looks at social communication, sensory processing, and behavioural patterns using gold-standard tools such as the ADOS-2. Some children are assessed for both conditions as they commonly co-occur.

ADHD assessments can be carried out from around age 4-5, though a comprehensive assessment is generally more reliable from school age. Our psychologists assess children and adolescents across a wide age range. Contact us to discuss whether the timing is right for your child.

Following a diagnosis, we provide a written report with tailored recommendations for home, school, and any therapeutic supports. We can liaise with your child’s school and GP, and discuss next steps including referrals to paediatricians or other allied health professionals as needed.

Yes. With your written consent, our psychologists can liaise with teachers, school counsellors, and support staff. We can also provide school letters and recommendations as part of an assessment report.

Psychologists are university-trained in assessment and evidence-based psychological therapies. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialise in mental health and can prescribe medication. In Australia, a paediatrician or psychiatrist typically manages ADHD medication, while a psychologist provides assessment and therapy. Both can work together as part of a care team.

You do not need a GP referral to see a psychologist at Spectrum House. However, a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP or psychiatrist allows you to claim a Medicare rebate for up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year. We recommend speaking to your GP before your first appointment.

With a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan, you can claim a Medicare rebate on psychology sessions. The rebate amount varies by session type. Your out-of-pocket cost will be our session fee minus the Medicare rebate. Please contact us for current fee information.

We do not bulk bill. We charge our standard session fees and you claim the Medicare rebate separately through Medicare. We use HICAPS for easy on-the-spot private health insurance claiming.

Yes. We support self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants. Please let us know your NDIS status when you get in touch so we can confirm how we can best support you.

Life can be unpredictable, and we know that cancelling an appointment is often disappointing. A cancellation fee (the standard full session fee) may apply for appointments cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice — but our policy is based on whether your appointment time can realistically be offered to another waiting family, not on the reason for cancelling.

The more notice you give, the greater the chance we can offer the time to another child and the less likely a fee will apply, so please let us know as early as possible. For appointments on Mondays, we appreciate notice by 4.30 pm Friday, as our offices are unattended out of hours.

If your psychologist ever needs to cancel, you will never be charged a fee. Please note: Medicare rebates cannot be used for cancellation fees.

Read our full cancellation policy →

We commonly see children with separated parents. We believe that the best outcome for our clients is when we can work together with both parents towards shared goals. Ideally, both parents will be present or have their view represented for all consultations. We do however realise that this is not always possible, especially where there is a high degree of conflict. Parents are required to inform us of any Court Order that restricts access of either parent/guardian to the child’s personal information. We also encourage parents to share with us any history of family violence to that we can provide appropriate support. We have a separate form for separated parents to complete, which acknowledges the complexities which may occur. By completing the form, you acknowledge that we will provide advice and treatment based on what we professionally believe is in the best interest of your child and that it is not our role to mediate any dispute or difference of opinion between parents.

Life is a journey of learning. We will constantly strive to improve our practice and as such, all constructive feedback is encouraged and will be gratefully received. Our preference is that feedback be given in writing to ensure that it gets actioned and we welcome receiving it either by email or by post. All feedback will be documented and addressed at our monthly staff meetings, or sooner if appropriate. info@spectrumhouse.com.au is our best email for all feedback.

We encourage you to raise you concerns with us directly so that we can address any issues early and hopefully work with you to address your concerns. Open communication is paramount. In addition, with talking to us directly, we welcome and encourage written feedback either by email.

We value team work at Spectrum House. Please call or email us and we can ensure client informed consent is present before communicating with you.

We occasionally have windows of opportunity for psychologists to join us. It’s rare, because our team have a low turn over, but we may be able to find a spot for a wonderful clinician. If you are interested, please email us at hello@spectrumhouse.com.au and let us know why you’d like to join, and we can have a chat.