General Information
Everything you need to know about fees, Medicare rebates, and how referrals work at Lantern.
Fees vary according to the type of practitioner and the type of service provided, and are set by the individual clinician. When you are matched with a clinician, make sure you ask for their fees when you make contact.
Most psychologists at Lantern Psychology Centre charge between $250–$330 for a 50–60 minute session. With a referral under a GP Mental Health Care Plan, you'll be eligible for a Medicare rebate:
$101.55
Rebate · Registered Psychologist
$149.05
Rebate · Clinical Psychologist
$149–$180
Typical out-of-pocket, per session
Counsellors and psychotherapists' fees start at $140 per hour.
Discounted sessions are periodically available from provisionally registered psychologists who are completing their studies for general registration, typically $65 for clients on low incomes up to $95 a session. Email info@lanternpsychology.com.au to enquire about availability.
To obtain a GP Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP), first book a double appointment with your GP. The GP will either provide you with a referral letter to see a psychologist, or send a referral directly to a psychologist. It is then your job to follow up and contact the psychologist for an appointment.
Please note, the name of the psychologist (if any) on the referral is not important. If a GP has referred you to a specific psychologist and their name is on the referral letter, you can use that referral for another psychologist instead. The referral letter must pre-date your first session with the psychologist.
Patients are eligible for up to 10 subsidised sessions a calendar year (January to December). Each referral is only valid for up to 6 sessions. After the first six, the psychologist writes to the GP requesting a review and a new referral, which the patient collects at a GP appointment and brings to their next session.
Patients are entitled to 10 sessions per calendar year, and this can be under an existing MHCP. Some GPs mistakenly believe a new referral can't be issued until the first MHCP is a year old, that's incorrect.
Lantern Psychology Centre welcomes referrals from GPs. Please email or fax general referrals to Lantern Psychology Centre administration.
For general referrals: email info@lanternpsychology.com.au, or fax 02 6188 7368. Referrals to specific psychologists should be sent directly to the individual psychologist, via the general fax number or via email. You can find the email addresses of individual psychologists through our Find a Therapist tool.