Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services is a not for profit organisation that works with women and families in the community to reduce the impact of mental health problems on families and to help foster growth, for strong women and strong families. Your small change will make a big change!

We offer Face to Face, Telephone & Video appointments

We offer Face to Face, Telephone & Video appointments

Who do we support?


WHWS counselling services support women, men, children, and families.

  • Counselling clients need to be able to keep themselves safe between appointments.
  • If counselling clients have a complex mental health diagnosis they need to be supported by a psychiatrist.


Our Services


WHWS provides an initial comprehensive assessment, ensuring that our clients are matched with a therapist and services that best meet their needs. We offer individual, couple and family counselling sessions with one of our professionally qualified Counsellors and Psychologists. Therapeutic Groups are offered throughout the year by our Counsellors & Psychologist.

  • Therapeutic groups
  • Individual counselling
  • Couple’s counselling
  • Family counselling
  • Children’s counselling
  • Teen’s counselling
  • Non-directive Pregnancy Support counselling
  • Sex Therapy counselling
  • Reflective Consults
  • Professional Supervision
  • EAP

Medicare fee payment options

Option 1 - Full Fee

The full fee is paid by the client at the time if the appointment to WHWS. The Medicare rebate is refunded directly into the clients bank account by Medicare.

  • $143 concession individual ($92.87 rebate from Medicare)
  • $163 non-concession individual ($92.87 rebate from Medicare)
  • $160 concession couples ($92.87 rebate from Medicare)
  • $190 non-concession couples ($92.87 rebate from Medicare)


Pros

  • The ‘gap’ amount goes towards clients medicare safety net (see below for more information on this)
  • Free access to Hidden World of You online courses

Cons

  • Clients must come up with the full fee (up to $180) each session
  • $90 gets automatically rebated into the clients nominated account by Medicare (can take 24- 48hours to go into account)
  • Client to make sure they have bank account registered with Medicare

Option 2 - Care cycle Membership

Care cycle membership allows the client toaccess up to 10 sessions with only a gappayment due at the time of the session. TheMedicare rebate is bulk billed by WHWS.

10 sessions @ $50 gap per session
or
10 sessions @ $70 gap per session

Pros

  • The client does not need to come up with the full fee upfront each session
  • Medicare rebate ($92.87) is bulk billed by WHWS
  • Free access to Hidden World of You online courses

Cons

  • Only the gap amount paid at each sessioncounts towards the 2023 Medicare Safety Netsthresholds (please see below)

The fees can be subsidized through the use of Medicare rebates, private health insurance, funding and where health care cards are applicable. Services provided by, psychologists, counselling psychologist and clinical psychologist are eligible for Medicare rebates.​

For all services a referral is necessary to receive a rebate. A referral from a GP is valid for 12 months. It is best for a referral to the Women’s health and Wellbeing service to include the parent/s as well as the child.​

We will endeavor to remind you of your referral status but it is ultimately the responsibility of the client to have a valid referral.​

A Mental Health Care Plan from a general practitioner or a psychiatrist is necessary to receive a rebate for counselling sessions, but counselling can also be provided under private health insurance policies or fee for service. A Mental Health Care Plan allows access to a rebate for 10 sessions of individual and 10 sessions of group therapy per calendar year.​

All referrals should be sent to the WHWS PRIOR to the appointment, by fax, post or email.

If you are experiencing financial hardship, we have a financial hardship subsidy program. Please talk to reception for more information on how to access this.

Payment Options

Online or telephone sessions – Debit/Credit Card or Direct deposit

Face to face sessions – Cash or Eftpos​

Medicare Safety Net Program

Medicare provides additional financial support to cover any out of pocket expenses for medical services after you have reached the safety net. It is advisable to contact Medicare and make sure all members of your family are registered. The Medicare SafetyNet for 2023 is $2,414.00 for a family and$770.30 for concession and families eligible for family tax benefit . Information on Medicare can be found at:
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/medicare-safety-nets

Private Health Funds

Check with your fund to see what you may be eligible for. Rebates can be available for medical, psychological or allied health services.

Financial Hardship

If you are experiencing financial hardship, we have a financial hardship subsidy program. Please talk to reception for more information on how to access this.

The Australian Psychological Society’s 2015-16 recommended fees for a 50-minute session is $238​

For more information or to access these services you can either call (08) 9490 2258 or click on the button to the left to be redirected to our counselling referral form or download a referral form and email to info@whws.org.au. Once you have completed the online referral or emailed the referral form, a member of staff will contact you within 2 business days with a suggested time and date for a telephone appointment/assessment with our Therapeutic Administration Officer. This allows you to be added to our waitlist and ensures you are allocated to the correct therapist and services to suit your needs.

If you do not receive contact with anyone within this timeframe please call us on (08) 9490 2258.

Referring provider information for WHWS Counselling Services

WHWS is able to offer Perth counselling appointments Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9am – 4.30pm. Thursday 9am – 8.30pm from our Gosnells office, sadly we are unable to offer after hours or emergency counselling services.

Client eligibility

WHWS is a gendered family service supporting individual, couple, family and child clients, with non-acute, non-chronic, common mental disorders of mild to moderate severity. Clients must be able to maintain their own safety between appointments.

Exclusion criteria

Please note the following are not eligible for WHWS services;

  • Clients who are at acute or immediate risk of suicide
  • Clients with acute mental health needs and or in crisis
  • Clients who have been hospitalised due to self-harm in the past 3 months
  • Clients with long term chronic, complex mental health issues; e.g. Acute Psychotic conditions

 

**Clients who present in the exclusion criteria are best treated by either Emergency department, MEAD or psychiatrist.

Online Referral Form

Please complete this form if you would like to access our counselling services and one of our staff will be in contact with you within 2 business days with a proposed time and date for a telephone assessment with our Therapeutic Administration Staff. Please call us on (08) 9490 2258 if you require further information or if you have not been contacted within 2 business days. If you require immediate assistance or crisis care please refer to the ‘Are you in Crisis’ page on our website for contact numbers.

In the event a staff member has assessed that you or someone else is in danger, the emergency contact provided will be contacted, where one has not been provided WHWS will call either 000 for an ambulance or police to complete a welfare check.

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