FAQ
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book directly and see me privately. A referral is only needed if you want to claim a Medicare rebate.
What's the difference between brief therapy and longer-term therapy?
Brief therapy (PIT) is 8 to 16 sessions, evidence-based, and often used when CBT hasn't given lasting relief. Longer-term work (the Conversational Model) is open-ended, for trauma that has shaped how someone experiences themselves and others.
Can I claim a Medicare rebate?
Yes. I'm a GP, so a Medicare rebate applies to every session, with no ten-session cap. Ask your GP for a referral letter to me by name. Telehealth rebates generally need an in-person visit with me in the previous 12 months.
Do you see clients outside Byron Bay?
Yes — by video anywhere in Australia, and internationally for longer-term work.
What if I've already tried therapy and it didn't help?
That's often exactly who this suits. Both approaches are conversations, not worksheets — if CBT felt too brisk or too shallow, this is likely to be different.
What is the Conversational Model?
A therapy developed at the University of Sydney for complex trauma, working on the idea that a coherent sense of self is built between people — and can be rebuilt the same way.
Do I need a Mental Health Care Plan?
No. Because I'm a GP, the rebate comes from medical attendance items rather than the psychology items, so no care plan is needed and there is no ten-session cap. You need a referral letter from your GP or psychiatrist addressed to me by name.
What happens in the first session?
We talk. I want to understand what has brought you now, what has already been tried, and something of your history. By the end we usually have a sense of whether brief or longer-term work fits, and whether we are a reasonable match. There is no questionnaire and no homework.
How long does therapy take?
Brief therapy (PIT) is 8 to 16 weekly sessions. Longer-term work for complex trauma or personality difficulties is open-ended and commonly runs one to two years. We review as we go, and the Medicare rebate continues for every session.
Can I see you by telehealth from interstate?
Yes. I see people by video from across Australia, including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and regional areas. The Medicare rebate for telehealth generally requires an in-person visit in the previous 12 months, so new interstate clients usually pay privately or arrange one visit to Byron Bay.
Do you see doctors and other health professionals?
Yes, confidentially, in person or by video anywhere in Australia. I'm a GP myself and understand the particular pressures of medicine, including worries about mandatory notification.
How do I make an appointment?
Email info@muditaholistic.com or call 0455 494 858. Sessions are Monday to Wednesday and Friday, 9am to 5pm, at Mudita Holistic Collective, 1/12 Tasman Way, Byron Bay, or by video. Bring a referral letter from your GP if you want to claim the Medicare rebate.