Frequently Asked Questions
Getting started
What ages do you work with?
Minds of Colour Psychology currently provides individual therapy, Autism and AuDHD assessments, and gender-affirming assessment services for people aged 16 years and over.
Parent consultation may also be available for parents and caregivers seeking support in relation to neurodivergent children or adolescents.
Do I need certainty before booking?
No. You do not need to know exactly what is going on or have certainty about a diagnosis or identity before getting in touch.
For assessment services, an enquiry can help clarify which assessment pathway is most appropriate.
Do I need a referral?
No referral is required for private appointments or privately funded assessments.
If you would like to access Medicare rebates for therapy, you will generally need a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan and referral from your usual medical practitioner or MyMedicare-registered GP. In some circumstances, referrals may also be made by a psychiatrist, paediatrician or other eligible medical specialist.
Referral requirements are determined by Medicare and may change over time.
Do you offer Medicare rebates?
Medicare rebates may be available for therapy with a valid referral under the Better Access initiative.
The fee for a standard therapy appointment is $280.
From 1 July 2026, the Medicare rebate for a Clinical Psychology consultation of 50 minutes or longer is $149.05, resulting in an approximate out-of-pocket cost of $130.95 per appointment.
A Mental Health Treatment Plan typically provides access to six Medicare-rebated sessions initially, with up to four additional rebated sessions available following a review with your referring medical practitioner, subject to Medicare eligibility requirements.
Medicare rebates for Autism or AuDHD assessment services are generally not available for adults. Limited rebates may be available for some people under 25 years of age when referred by an eligible paediatrician or psychiatrist under specific Medicare assessment pathways.
Standalone gender-affirming medical care assessments and report preparation are not generally eligible for Medicare rebates.
Clients are responsible for ensuring they have a valid referral and meet relevant Medicare eligibility requirements.
If you are unsure whether you may be eligible for a Medicare rebate, please speak with your GP, paediatrician, psychiatrist or referring medical specialist.
Medicare rebates are processed after payment of the appointment fee and paid directly by Medicare to your nominated bank account.
Can I claim through private health insurance?
Some private health funds provide rebates for psychological services under extras cover. Please contact your health insurer directly to confirm eligibility, exclusions and rebate amounts.
A receipt can be provided for claiming purposes.
Are you NDIS registered?
No. Minds of Colour Psychology is not currently an NDIS-registered provider.
If you are self-managed or plan-managed, you may be able to use NDIS funding for psychological services depending on your individual plan, goals, funding arrangements and applicable NDIS requirements.
If you are NDIA-managed, you will generally need to access services through an NDIS-registered provider.
Autism and AuDHD assessment services provided through this practice are conducted for clinical assessment, diagnosis, formulation, treatment planning and healthcare purposes.
If your primary goal is obtaining NDIS access, funding, or evidence specifically for an NDIS application or plan review, a service specialising in functional capacity assessment or NDIS-specific reporting may be better suited to your needs.
NDIS funding, reimbursement or acceptance of reports cannot be guaranteed.
Invoices and receipts can be provided for claiming purposes where applicable.
How do health professionals make a referral?
Health professionals are welcome to refer via email.
Please ensure consent has been obtained for the referral and for information to be shared prior to sending identifying information.
Where possible, please include:
full name and date of birth
contact details
reason for referral
relevant background information or clinical history
any specific questions regarding assessment or therapy
Referrals can be sent to hello@mindsofcolour.com.au.
The person being referred will be contacted directly to discuss suitability, consent and appointment availability.
How do you manage enquiries and communication?
As a solo clinician, I spend much of the day in appointments. For this reason, I manage enquiries via email.
This allows me to respond thoughtfully and with care, and to give your enquiry the attention it deserves. It also helps keep communication clear and consistent throughout the process.
You are welcome to include any questions in your enquiry, and I will respond via email as soon as I can.
About Minds of Colour Psychology
What is a Clinical Psychologist?
A Clinical Psychologist is a registered psychologist who has completed additional postgraduate training in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions.
In Australia, psychologists are regulated by the Psychology Board of Australia through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Clinical Psychologists have completed accredited postgraduate training in Clinical Psychology and additional supervised practice requirements to receive clinical endorsement from the Psychology Board of Australia.
Clinical Psychologists are trained in psychological assessment, diagnostic formulation and evidence-based therapies for a wide range of mental health presentations.
Under Medicare, rebates for services provided by a Clinical Psychologist are higher than those provided by a general psychologist due to this additional training and endorsement.
Do you prescribe medication or provide medical advice?
No. I do not prescribe medication or provide medical advice.
This includes ADHD medication and gender-affirming medical treatment. Medical decisions remain with your treating medical practitioner.
Do you provide court reports?
No. This practice does not provide court reports.
Do you offer cognitive or IQ testing, such as WAIS or WISC?
No. Comprehensive IQ testing is not offered.
Assessments focus on diagnostic clarification, formulation and understanding current functioning rather than standalone cognitive profiling.
Therapy & assessment
Is this practice suitable for crisis care?
No. Minds of Colour Psychology is a telehealth private practice and is not designed to provide crisis or emergency mental health care.
If you are in immediate danger or require urgent assistance, please contact emergency services or an appropriate crisis service.
How long does the assessment process take overall?
The timeframe depends on the assessment pathway and whether any additional information is required.
A standard Autism Assessment includes:
one 90-minute initial assessment appointment
one 50-minute follow-up assessment appointment
clinical review and report preparation
one 50-minute feedback appointment
A standard Combined Autism + ADHD (AuDHD) Assessment includes:
two 90-minute assessment appointments
clinical review and report preparation
one 50-minute feedback appointment
The feedback appointment is generally scheduled 2–3 weeks after the final assessment appointment to allow time for clinical review, diagnostic formulation and preparation of the brief diagnostic report.
Occasionally, an additional 50-minute assessment appointment may be recommended where further information is clinically required. Additional appointments are not routinely required and will always be discussed beforehand.
What information do you rely on during an assessment?
Assessment draws on a combination of:
your lived experience and clinical interview
developmental history
intake information and questionnaires
standardised assessment measures where relevant
previous reports or records provided
collateral or developmental information where clinically appropriate and with consent
Not every source of information is required for every assessment. The assessment process is tailored to the individual and the clinical question being explored.
If important information is unavailable, the assessment may proceed where clinically appropriate, with any relevant limitations considered as part of the formulation and report.
Do you complete assessments where complex mental health presentations are present?
Yes. Assessment may be appropriate where complex mental health presentations are present, provided there is sufficient stability to meaningfully participate in the assessment process.
Where significant or ongoing mental health concerns are present, it may be important for an existing treating clinician to remain involved in your care.
This service is assessment-focused and is not designed to provide intensive, crisis or high-risk mental health treatment.
Can I request a specific assessment tool such as the ADOS-2?
Assessment methods are selected according to the clinical question and individual circumstances rather than on the basis of a requested test.
This practice uses a formulation-informed and neuroaffirming assessment approach drawing on clinical interview, developmental history, standardised measures and collateral information where appropriate.
The ADOS-2 is not routinely used within this practice. Autism assessments are informed by the Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing Autism (MIGDAS-2), alongside DSM-5-TR criteria, developmental history, lived experience and clinical judgement.
Do you assess ADHD?
ADHD is not currently offered as a stand-alone assessment.
Where ADHD is part of the assessment question, it can be explored alongside autism through a Combined Autism + ADHD (AuDHD) Assessment.
This allows autistic and ADHD experiences, areas of overlap and possible alternative explanations to be considered together.
Do you offer AuDHD assessments?
Yes.
Combined Autism + ADHD (AuDHD) assessments are available for people aged 16 years and over.
The standard AuDHD Assessment Package includes two 90-minute assessment appointments, clinical review and integrated diagnostic formulation, a brief diagnostic report and a 50-minute feedback appointment.
The assessment considers both autism and ADHD, including how the two may overlap, interact or present differently across contexts.
What is included in the Autism Assessment Package?
The standard Autism Assessment Package includes:
pre-assessment intake forms and questionnaires
review of relevant information provided
one 90-minute initial assessment appointment
one 50-minute follow-up assessment appointment
clinical review and diagnostic formulation
brief diagnostic report
one 50-minute feedback appointment
recommendations and suggested next steps
Package fee: $1,850
An additional 50-minute assessment appointment may occasionally be recommended where clinically required and is charged at $280.
An optional Comprehensive Autism Report is available for an additional $600.
What is included in the AuDHD Assessment Package?
The standard Combined Autism + ADHD (AuDHD) Assessment Package includes:
pre-assessment intake forms and questionnaires
review of relevant information provided
two 90-minute assessment appointments
clinical review and integrated diagnostic formulation
brief diagnostic report
one 50-minute feedback appointment
recommendations and suggested next steps
Package fee: $2,100
An additional 50-minute assessment appointment may occasionally be recommended where clinically required and is charged at $280.
An optional Comprehensive AuDHD Report is available for an additional $800.
What is the difference between the brief and comprehensive assessment report?
A brief diagnostic report is included in the standard Autism and AuDHD assessment packages.
It provides the assessment outcome, a concise summary of relevant findings, diagnostic formulation and recommendations.
An optional comprehensive report provides more detailed documentation and may include a fuller developmental and clinical history, more extensive integration of assessment findings, expanded discussion of strengths and support needs, and more detailed recommendations.
A comprehensive report is not required to receive a diagnosis.
What happens if an assessment does not confirm a diagnosis?
An assessment may or may not result in a formal diagnosis.
Throughout the process, findings and clinical impressions are discussed as transparently and collaboratively as possible.
If it becomes clear that diagnostic criteria are unlikely to be met, or that additional assessment is unlikely to provide meaningful further information, this will be discussed with you.
Regardless of diagnostic outcome, the assessment aims to provide greater understanding of your experiences, formulation and useful recommendations.
Can assessment reports be used for NDIS, university, school or workplace supports?
Assessment reports may sometimes support requests for education or workplace adjustments or be provided to other healthcare professionals.
Acceptance of a report and requirements for supporting documentation are determined by the receiving organisation.
The assessments offered by this practice are not functional capacity assessments and are not designed primarily for NDIS access or plan review purposes.
Can an AuDHD assessment be used to support medication discussions?
An AuDHD assessment can provide a psychological diagnostic opinion, formulation and recommendations regarding ADHD where diagnostic criteria are met.
Psychologists do not prescribe medication.
Prescribing decisions remain with the treating medical practitioner, and prescribers vary in the external assessments and documentation they accept.
If medication is an important reason for seeking assessment, it is recommended that you check your prescribing practitioner's requirements before proceeding.
Gender-affirming assessments
What gender-affirming assessment services do you provide?
Gender-affirming medical care assessment services are available for people aged 16 years and over.
Two standard pathways are currently offered.
For adults aged 18 years and over:
Gender-Affirming Care / WPATH Assessment and Report — $700
This includes:
one 90-minute assessment appointment
review of relevant information or documentation provided
clinical review and formulation
preparation of a gender-affirming care assessment report or WPATH-aligned letter, as clinically appropriate
For young people aged 16–17:
Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy Psychosocial Assessment and Report — $900
This includes:
one 90-minute initial assessment appointment
review of relevant information or documentation provided
assessment of relevant psychosocial and mental health factors
consideration of understanding and informed decision-making
consideration of decision-making capacity relevant to the proposed treatment
consideration of developmental and family context where clinically appropriate
clinical review and formulation
preparation of an assessment report for the treating medical practitioner
Where additional assessment time is clinically required, an additional 50-minute appointment may be recommended at $280.
Any additional appointment will be discussed before it is booked.
Will my doctor, endocrinologist or surgeon accept an external psychosocial assessment report?
Many healthcare practitioners accept external psychological or psychosocial assessment reports as part of gender-affirming healthcare pathways, but requirements vary between practitioners and services.
If you are seeking assessment for a particular treatment, surgeon or healthcare service, it is recommended that you confirm whether they accept external reports and whether they have specific documentation requirements before proceeding.
Do I need a gender dysphoria diagnosis to access gender-affirming medical care?
This depends on your age, the treatment being considered, the treating medical practitioner and the relevant clinical or legal pathway.
For adults, many gender-affirming hormone therapy pathways operate using an informed consent model and a psychological assessment or gender dysphoria diagnosis is not universally required. Some medical practitioners, surgeons or services may nevertheless request psychological assessment or documentation.
For young people aged 16–17 seeking gender-affirming hormone therapy, assessment may include consideration of gender-related experiences, mental health and psychosocial context, informed decision-making, decision-making capacity, developmental context and relevant consent requirements.
The purpose of assessment is not to prove or disprove a person's gender identity. It is to support informed decision-making and provide clinically appropriate documentation for the relevant healthcare pathway.
Is parent involvement required for clients aged 16–17?
Services for clients under 18 require appropriate consent from a parent or person with lawful parental responsibility, subject to applicable legal requirements.
The assessment itself remains centred on the young person's lived experience, goals, preferences and understanding.
Parent or caregiver involvement may also be relevant to developmental history, psychosocial context, support and applicable consent requirements.
What if parents disagree about gender-affirming medical care?
Consent requirements for young people can depend on parental responsibility arrangements, court orders, applicable law and the requirements of the treating medical practitioner.
Where dual parental consent is legally required, required under relevant parenting arrangements, or required by the treating medical provider, disagreement between parents may affect whether assessment or medical treatment can proceed.
If there are existing parenting orders or disputes regarding consent, these should be disclosed before assessment begins.
Do legal requirements for gender-affirming care vary by location?
Yes.
Relevant requirements may vary according to age, treatment, state or territory, parental responsibility arrangements, the treating medical practitioner and the healthcare service involved.
Psychological assessment is conducted having regard to applicable professional standards and legal requirements.
Final decisions regarding medical treatment remain with the treating medical practitioner.