Stoa Therapy Welcome Pack (includes location and some FAQ’s)
What is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW’s)?
AMHSW’s are highly educated and trained mental health professionals who are accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) on behalf of the Commonwealth Government, as having specialist expertise and experience in Mental Health. Like Psychologists and other allied health professionals, they have skills in the assessment and treatment of a range of mental health difficulties. They undertake further training in a range of therapeutic modalities and once are accredited, they are able to provide Medicare Rebates for their services.
In order to become accredited, they have undertaken either an accredited four-year bachelor’s degree, or a two-year masters degree; and then met the additional requirement of at least two-years of post-qualifying experience in mental health after their degree (as well as ongoing continuing professional development requirements). The AASW conducted a survey of AMHSWs in 2022 and found that more than 50 per cent of respondents have been social workers for more than 20 years, with 25 per cent having notched up more than 30 years of service. AMHSW’s are the second largest provider of mental health support after the combined group of ‘Psychologists’ (which encompasses both Registered and Clinical Psychologists).
AMHSW’s have a breadth of knowledge and experience and may specialise in a range of different areas including Family Therapy, Trauma, Relationships, Domestic Violence/Abuse, Child and Youth, Life crises, and eating disorders. They provide evidence-based therapies for a range of mental health difficulties including the Focused Psychological Strategies (designated by Medicare) including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Relaxation Strategies, Interpersonal Therapy, EMDR, and Narrative Therapy; as well as other therapies such as: Schema Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Family Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to name a few.
The distinction between a Psychologist vs an AMHSW is a complicated one, but many Psychologists train in similar ways to AMHSW’s and many AMHSW’s train in similar ways to Psychologists. Further information about what AMHSW’s do can be found here: https://aasw-prod.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Accredited-Mental-Health-Social-Worker-Report-March-2019.pdf
What is Therapy
People will ask, ‘How do I find a good therapist or counsellor in Sydney?’ and the reality is, there is no one answer to this, as it looks different therapist-to-therapist. Therapy with Calum is a collaborative process that is led by you, we work together to identify patterns and barriers to progress, in whatever the issues are for you. Calum understands that it can be an overwhelming experience to consider coming and talking to someone in your difficult moments. Calum is very open to having a chat to see whether his approach fits for you, with no pressure to commit to ongoing therapy.
Medicare Rebates
As an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker Rebates Calum can be provided through the Medicare Better Access Scheme. Clients will need a Mental Health Care Plan from their GP in order to access the rebate. The rebate provided by Medicare for seeing a social worker is $82.30 for up to 10 sessions per calendar year.
Fees
Individual Counselling:
$220 per standard session (50 mins)
$280 per initial session (75 mins) – this session is longer to allow for comprehensive assessment of needs, history, and to establish goals for therapy moving forward.Couples and Family Therapy:
$240 per standard session (50 mins)
$300 per initial session (75 mins)Out of hours appointments (outside of 9am-5pm Monday to Friday) incur an additional $20 fee.
For clients who can demonstrate financial hardship, a sliding scale fee can be negotiated depending on needs. Cost should not be a barrier to getting the help you need. Please email: calum@stoatherapy.com to discuss this.
Supervision & Workshops:
Fees for Individual supervision are generally charged at the standard hourly rate, but a sliding scale fee can be negotiated depending on needs.
Group supervision and workshops are costed individually according to the individual service being required (e.g. group size, type of service/organisation, topic, administration, travel etc.)