Straightforward answers to the questions most people have before they book.
Book a Free Discovery CallNo GP referral required. No Mental Health Care Plan. Payment by bank transfer, card, or cash. Receipts provided.
Concession rates available for people experiencing genuine financial hardship — mention it when you book.
The interpersonal group runs in 10-week terms — $800 for the term, in central Bendigo. About the group
The honest answer: Medicare rebates for mental health sessions (the Better Access scheme) apply to psychologists, psychiatrists, GPs, and a small number of AHPRA-registered social workers and occupational therapists. Psychotherapists registered with PACFA — the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia — aren't currently included.
This is a gap in the scheme, not a reflection of the depth or quality of the work. Integrative psychotherapy can be significantly more rigorous than brief Medicare-funded sessions, which are typically limited to 10–20 sessions per year and often structured around symptom relief rather than longer-term change.
If Medicare access is important to you, a AHPRA-registered psychologist would be the right fit. If you're looking for unhurried, depth-oriented work without session caps or GP paperwork, this practice may suit you well.
Private health funds pay extras rebates for counselling and psychotherapy only to practitioners holding PACFA Clinical registration. My registration is Mr Sebastian Kitchen, PACFA Reg. Certified Practising, which isn't Clinical registration, so at the moment sessions with me can't be claimed through private health extras. I'll update this page when that changes.
So the fee is the fee: $150, no rebate, no paperwork. If a rebate is what makes therapy workable for you, a registered psychologist (Medicare) or a PACFA Clinical psychotherapist (private health) would be the practical fit, and I'm glad to point you toward people I trust.
If you are NDIS plan-managed or self-managed, psychotherapy sessions may be funded through your Improved Daily Living budget. I work with plan-managed and self-managed participants directly — invoices are issued to your plan manager or to you as the self-managed participant.
Agency-managed participants are not currently covered under standard NDIS pricing arrangements for psychotherapy. If you're unsure about your plan type or funding eligibility, get in touch and we can work through it together.
Mr Sebastian Kitchen, PACFA Reg. Certified Practising 32932 · no referral needed · the call is free, with no obligation.
No. You can self-refer directly — no GP, no Mental Health Care Plan, no paperwork required. Just book a free discovery call. GPs and other health practitioners are also welcome to refer patients directly.
Medicare's Better Access scheme covers AHPRA-registered practitioners — psychologists, psychiatrists, and certain social workers and occupational therapists. Psychotherapists registered with PACFA are not currently included. This is a policy gap, not a credential gap. If Medicare access is your priority, a registered psychologist would be the right fit. If you're looking for depth-oriented, longer-term work without session caps, this practice may suit you better.
Not at the moment. Private health funds pay extras rebates for psychotherapy only to practitioners holding PACFA Clinical registration; my registration is Mr Sebastian Kitchen, PACFA Reg. Certified Practising, which isn't Clinical registration, so sessions with me can't currently be claimed through extras. I'll update this page when that changes.
Bank transfer (invoiced after sessions), card, or cash. Bank transfer is the most common. Invoices are sent by email.
If you need to cancel or reschedule, 48 hours notice is fine. Cancellations within 24 hours of the session incur the full fee. If something genuinely unexpected comes up, get in touch — there's always room for a conversation.
I work integratively, drawing on somatic, attachment, and relational approaches. Sessions are 50 minutes, in Bendigo (17–19 View Point), Kyneton (Twenty Nine Collaborative), and online.
I work under regular clinical supervision with Dr Tra-ill Dowie PhD.
Free 15-minute discovery call before any commitment. A chance to talk about what's bringing you to therapy and whether working together feels right.
17–19 View Point, Bendigo
Twenty Nine Collaborative, Kyneton
Online — Australia & internationally
